Category: Podcasts
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202: Why are architects not learning this?
In 2001, Lindsay Schack and Lindsey Love both started a Masters of Architecture at Montana State University. A decade on, the two friends created Love | Schack Architecture together, from their respective home towns in Montana and Idaho. Love | Schack Architecture combines Lindsey Love’s experience and passion for natural materials, with Lindsay Schack’s Certification…
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201: Becoming a Passive House Designer
How and why would a successful Building Surveyor, retrain to become a Certified Passive House Designer? Building surveying is interesting work. Building Surveyors are not the people who stand out in fields with theodolites. They’re the people who are trained to diagnose problems with existing buildings. I did it for a while myself and learnt…
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200: How Accurate is AccuRate?
In 2003, thermal performance requirements for residential buildings were added to the Building Code of Australia for the first time. The initial performance requirement was 4 Stars in the National House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) as simulated using the benchmark software AccuRate. In 2006, the requirement rose to 5 Stars, then to 10 Stars in…
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199: What Does a Building Enclosure Engineer do?
What does a building enclosure engineer do and why might you need one? There’s a new building enclosure team in town. They’re called Oculus and I caught up with one of their Senior Building Enclosure Engineers to find out a bit more about what they do, and why.
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198 The International Passive House Association
Within the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, there is a small group of people dedicated to coordinating the efforts of over 20 Passive House Affiliate organisations around the world. This group is the the International Passive House Association, iPHA. Giorgia Tzar is the head of International Communications at the International Passive House Assocation. I sat…
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197: Healthiness through Housing
“A lifetime of healthiness achieved through housing” is the mission statement of Phoenix Haus. I’ve interviewed other Passive House builders using prefabrication in the past, such as Collective Carpentry in episode 149. I’m excited by the possibilities of this approach to provide high quality houses and I’m wondering what it would take to get a…
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196: Why aren’t more houses being built using SIPs?
Phil Nevell has a background in commerce and management. He came across NZSIP as a solution to providing warm and dry social housing. If structural insulated panels (SIPs) can be used in this way, why aren’t more people using them? Barriers to SIPS Phil suggests that engineers and specifiers might be a significant barrier to…
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194: Ecokit – A DIY, Energy Efficient Home for Everyone
Ecokit, created by sisters Camilla and Pavla Novotna is a DIY prefabricated system of building energy efficient, healthy homes.
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193: High Quality Building Products, Made in China.
Judging by it’s scale, it’s hard to believe that China International Windoor City is a family company. Based in Gaobeidian, the organisation includes the largest window, door and curtain wall exhibition in Asia. Windoor City has a total construction area covering 50 hectares, with a focus on energy saving products. Windoor City facilities produce everything…
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192: Making Passive House Fun and Famous
After he won the Inaugural Passive House Slam during the Heidelberg Passive House Conference in March this year, I sat down with Marius Şoflete to talk about how he’s inspiring people to build better places to live. Marius has a contagious enthusiasm which he’s using to make Passive House fun. It also helps to have…