Author: Matthew Cutler-Welsh
-
162: Introducing the LUNOS
When I first saw the LUNOS, I was skeptical. How could this be a ventilation solution with true heat recovery, when it’s so small? I particularly weary of systems claiming to be ‘heat recovery ventilation’, because so much of what’s typically sold and installed as such in New Zealand, simply is not. Worse than that,…
-
161: A Fitbit for your home
Imagine having a Fitbit for your home and being able to see, in real time, how it’s performing. You could also be notified of any hazards like high levels of CO2 and VOCs as they occur – before you start to get a headache or start having respiratory problems. I spoke with Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng, cofounder…
-
160: What is in an unhealthy home?
Caroline Blazovsky is America’s Healthy Home Expert. She makes it easy for people to find out what might be the cause of an unhealthy home and therefore, how to fix it. My Healthy Home mainly checks houses in the US. If you’re in New Zealand, get in touch to find out more about getting…
-
159: Darryl Sang Certified Passive House Designer
Why Architecture? Darryl originally chose engineering as his profession, but seeking to combine his creativity with his analytical skills, he eventually followed his father’s footsteps into architecture. Why Passive House? A growing number of Darryl’s clients have been wanting to invest more in their properties in order to use fewer resources and have a truely comfortable…
-
158: Why should we be watching China?
One of the most surprising aspects of the recent 20th International Passive House Conference in Darmstadt, was the Chinese presence. Elrond Burrell estimates that nearly 200 of the 1,000 delegates were from China. Why the sudden uptake of Passive House in Asia, and what does this mean for the rest of us? Elrond Burrell Elrond…
-
157: Sustainable Landscapes with Hitesh Mehta
Hitesh Mehta I originally contacted Hitesh Mehta to talk about sustainable landscape architecture, but he offers a lot more than that. Hitesh has travelled the world advising and helping designers of ecolodges. He enjoys all aspects of architecture as well as photography, environmental planning and writing. To find out more about his recent work, visit…
-
156: Why Passive House? With Dr Wolfgang Feist
I never intended for this to become a Passive House blog site, nor did I intend to become a Passive House expert. And I don’t think either of those two things have happened, yet. I have had a number of Passive House designers and product suppliers on the show and earlier this year I was…
-
155: PrefabNZ CoLab2016
It’s tempting to say that Prefab’s time has come, but I don’t think this does justice to prefabricated building. As Pamela Bell has explained previously on the Home Style Green Podcast, Prefab is not new. But the enthusiasm shown during this week’s PrefabNZ CoLab event here in Auckland suggest that prefab will play an increasingly…
-
154: Adaptive Architecture
For Matthew Baran of Baran Studio Architecture, California, Adaptive architecture means much more than just designing for the local climate. We create cities in places where maybe they’re not supposed to be. This, combined with continued pressure on natural resources and climate change creates a need for adaptive architecture. Matthew Baran Matthew was drawn to architecture…
-
153: Simple is the New Smart Home
What makes a ‘smart home’? Paul Dowsett and his team at Sustainable.To are dedicate to creating affordable, healthy and energy efficient homes, because that’s what Paul believes is ‘the right thing to do’. I think that a pretty good definition for a ‘smart home’. And the best way to achieve it? Keep it simple. Simple…