M. Walker
Managing Principal
M. Walker is Managing Principal of Positive Energy. Working closely with the firm’s principals and directors, he helps establish its direction and coordinates the relationships among technical practice, operations, financial health, culture, and long-term development. His work also includes major client relationships, recruiting, new services, and the continued evolution of Positive Energy’s place within architecture, engineering, and building science.
He attended Texas State University, where he studied English, archaeology, philosophy, and art. Before finding his vocation in building science, he worked in a robotics laboratory and across the technology and music industries. He has since helped organizations develop multi-market presences and establish international operations. That unusual path continues to shape his approach to leadership, which draws as readily from the humanities and creative practice as it does from business and the technical disciplines.
M. is the co-creator and producer of The Building Science Podcast, a co-founder of The Humid Climate Conference, and one of the founders of The Building Science Philosophical Society. He serves on the board of the Austin chapter of Passive House Alliance U.S. and previously chaired the AIA Austin Committee on the Environment. He has also served on the Texas Society of Architects Sustainability Task Force.He has spoken at the Passive House Northwest Conference, the international meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, the AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference, and the ATX Building Performance Conference.
He has given guest lectures to architecture students at Yale University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Texas Tech University, as well as students in industrial engineering at The University of Rhode Island and English at Texas State University.
Outside of Positive Energy, M. composes and records his own music and produces music for other artists. His creative work has also led to an ongoing partnership with the wildlife advocacy organization Project Coyote, where he participates in the Artists for Wild Nature program. He is a longtime meditator, runner, reader, and proud progressive Texan.
Volunteer Positions/Committees
Regional Representative Phius Alliance South Region (2024 - Current)
Board Member Phius Alliance Austin (2014 - Current)
Co-founder of The Humid Climate Conference (2014 - Current)
Former Chair Austin AIA’s Committee On The Environment (2019-2021)
Former Advisory Committee Member City of Austin Mayoral Office (2020)
Former Member Texas Society of Architects Sustainability Task Force (2021 - 2022)
Juror for the Sustainability Recognition Award, Philadelphia AIA Design Awards (2019)
Notable Industry Publications
Journal of Light Construction (JLC Online)
Journal of Light Construction (JLC Online)
“Changing The Conversation: Passive House In Humid Climates”
Passive House Accelerator
Passive House Accelerator
M. Walker, Kate Bren (Positive Energy Alumnus, Cyclone Energy Group)
Notable Conference Presentations & Seminars
2023
“Make it PHun and Make some PHriends - Market Transformation Through Community”
PhiusCon, Houston, TX
2022
“Path to a High-Performance Home”
AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference, Austin, TX
M. Walker, Trey Farmer (Forge Craft Architecture), Josh Leger (Mark Richardson Architecture)
“Science and Storytelling”
International Meeting of The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)
M. Walker
2021
“The Code Change: Reframing The HVAC Challenge Through The Lens Of Design”
2019
“Storing and Maintaining Sensitive Biological Machines Inside Fluid-Filled Boxes”
ATX Building Performance Conference, Austin, TX
Expert Panel Moderator
ATX Building Performance Conference, Austin, TX
2018
“Redefining Sustainable Design: Raising the Bar for Performance Expectations of Buildings”
2017
“Healthy Homes - Applied Building Science”
University Guest Lectures
“Earthen Architecture: A Brief Journey Through History, Culture, & Technics”
“Building Science: Framing The Built World Through A Systems-Thinking Lens”
“On Cooling & How It Doesn’t Actually Exist”
“Breaking the Norm: Making Passive House Possible in Emerging Markets”
Climate Change: A Global Affair, Panel Discussion
“The Building Envelope, Heating, Cooling, and The Refrigeration Cycle”
Notable External Media Appearances
“New BUILD: Excellent Air Conditioning System Cost?”
Matt Risinger’s The Build Show Interview