Category: Podcasts
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170: A Stunning Multi-Generational Passive House in Auckland
Harpal Kler comes from an accounting background, but during the last four years he’s learnt a lot about building and living in a multi-generational Passive House. Now, he’s a big advocate. Their stunning family home was completed in December 2015 by ehaus and is one of a growing number of Certified Passive House homes in…
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169: Passive House Canada
Earlier this year, I caught up with Passive House Canada CEO, Rob Bernhardt while he was in the country courtesy of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors. I was keen to ask Rob what we could learn from his success in growing Passive House in Canada.
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168: When is it Okay to Have a Hole in your Roof?
A roof window might be an okay hole to have in your roof. Marc Van de Loo is a Sales Manager at VELUX New Zealand. I chatted with Marc about why you’d ever want a hole in your roof. We also discussed how a roof window can improve comfort without impacting energy efficiency. Windows are…
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167: Should I buy this house?
A building surveyor is trained to investigate potential issues and provide a prioritised list of maintenance for a building as part of pre-purchase inspection. When looking to buy a property, don’t take the real estate agent’s word for it. Find your own, reputable building surveyor to get an honest assessment of the building. You’ll still…
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166: How to Upgrade Your Thermal Envelope Above the Building Code
When you’re designing a new home, or getting one built, you should invest as much as you can to upgrade the thermal envelope. Put in as much insulation as you can, and invest in the best windows you can afford. In this episode, I walk through the minimum requirements of the New Zealand building code…
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165: NZ Builders
I usually interview designers and builders about what’s going on overseas, with a focus on what the New Zealand industry could learn from them. In this episode, I speak with Damon Gray and Andrew Chapman of NZ Builders. They’ve turned this idea on it’s head and have taken some NZ techniques to British Columbia, with…
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164: Nook Low Energy Homes
I love it when I find new companies that are looking at the design and building process a bit differently and who want to provide healthy, energy efficient homes. That’s what Nook is all about – low energy homes. I caught up with their designer, Warren Clarke recently and asked him why he does what…
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163: The Facts About Airtightness
Walls (and roofs and floors) of buildings have become complicated. As we’ve increased the level of insulation, we’ve created some new problems, like condensation. This has been aggravated by the addition of layers into the wall that reduce air movement. So how do you create a wall that keeps you warm but will also stay dry? I…
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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,…
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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…