Through the years, we've been asked a lot about natural building materials and how they relate to building science. And frankly, it's a nuanced conversation that requires a lot of unpacking preconceived notions about what constitutes a good product (from the perspective of liability, ecology, availability, serviceability, durability, etc.). In this episode of the podcast, we interview Brad King of Earthbound Builders in Austin, TX. They're endeavoring to make natural building materials part of t...
Jul 13, 2018•59 min•Season 4Ep. 56
The Building Science Podcast got a couple of Press Passes and went to New York City last week for the AIA Conference on Architecture, 2018 . What an incredible conference it was! We had the opportunity to connect with so many thoughtful and visionary architects who want to build a better, healthier future. We're psyched. One of the most thoughtful conversations we had was with Corey Squire and Tate Walker about the new Committee On The Environment's new Toolkit . It's a resource-rich document th...
Jun 29, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Strap in, y'all - this is one is... technical. Capturing particles, even and especially the ones too small for you to see, are where the rubber meets the road for IAQ. This all-important task is the role of the often-overlooked air filter. Today we talk about one of the most important building science topics that many folks don't know enough about - air filtration. Who knew there was so many important considerations for this often overlooked and ignored component of our industry. John Bloemer Jo...
Jun 15, 2018•51 min•Season 4Ep. 54
When we think about building science, we're thinking about systems and the unseen forces that contribute to the success or failure of a building. Some of the largest and most complicated systems and unseen forces in the AEC industry are the contracts that make or break a project. Join Kristof as he interviews construction attorney, Joe Basham, on all things funky and legal in the AEC industry. Joe Basham Joe Basham grew up in Monahans, a small town in West Texas, where he worked in the oil field...
Jun 01, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 53
Construction is a serious and unforgiving business. The best minds in the business are masters of seeing connections and systems thinking. If you are really trying to make a difference in this industry the good news is that there’s a lot of work to do and questions to answer. -How do you successfully organize and deliver high quality construction on time and within budget? -How do you handle communication flow? -How much do you rely on external consultants for expertise? -How do you set and mana...
May 18, 2018•58 min•Season 4Ep. 52
The original episode was meant to feature both Graeme Marsh, who we heard on the last episode, as well as Greg Long. None of us could have prepared for the fact that in the middle of the episode, Greg's ceiling had water pouring out of it. It was unexpected, to say the least! Fortunately for us, we got to catch up with Greg for a more in depth discussion. So what do dirty socks have to do with the lungs of our homes and buildings? Listen to this episode to learn more about smelly biofilms, probi...
May 04, 2018•45 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Put on your microbiology hats, folks. This episode of The Building Science podcast will dive into the great unseen world of microorganisms all around us inside our buildings down to the level of the ecosystems that grow on our HVAC coils. We're truly at a time when the health sciences and the building sciences are becoming more closely related than ever before and the future is a weird, wonderful world of intersectional and interdisciplinary scientific inquiry. Join us as Kristof interviews, Gra...
Apr 20, 2018•50 min•Season 4Ep. 50
It's normal these days to pay attention to what we eat. But what about the steady diet of air we breathe and soak ourselves in? The impact of homes on health somehow manages to stay below the radar. Even our language is a bit evasive. Why do we say "sick building syndrome"? The buildings aren't sick, the people are. This episode is a step toward helping this important topic get some long-overdue and much-needed attention. Join us for an interview with Bill Hayward and Carl Grimes that took place...
Apr 06, 2018•57 min•Season 4Ep. 48
What do you really know about construction trades and their role in projects? Are their voices heard in the design process? Join us as Miguel interviews Kimberly Lewellyn live from the annual ASHRAE Conference and AHR Expo in Chicago for a wide ranging discussion on re-framing our perceptions of construction trades. For decades, the housing industry in the United States has become increasingly first cost oriented while energy codes simultaneously become more demanding. The implications of this d...
Mar 23, 2018•22 min•Season 4Ep. 48
If you think you don’t need to worry about water heating, think again! In this episode, Kristof interviews John Miles of Sanden Hot Water Heaters live on the AHR Expo floor in Chicago about the future of water heating. Learn why this technology can make a massive impact on the housing and energy sectors. When most people think of a quality water heater (which rarely happens) they think of gas tankless or electric resistive tanked systems. But that's nowhere near the full story. Water heaters are...
Mar 09, 2018•33 min•Season 4Ep. 48
In this episode, Kristof interviews Kiel Moe of Harvard's GSD about the energy flows and multiple re-thinkings necessary to change the future of construction and design. You may remember reading about Kiel's inspiration to us at Positive Energy in our blog post about the thermally active surface system we installed in our office, compliments of the fine and wonderful people at Messana and SpacePak . This episode is definitely headier than most of ours, so buckle in and be ready to hit pause, rew...
Feb 23, 2018•45 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Concrete is everywhere. We all see it every day but what do we really know about concrete? This seemingly simple material is any but simple. Listen and learn about the past, present and future of this evolving technology. Prepare to have your mind blown in this episode of the show as we explore the incredible history and composition of concrete with Matt Carlton and Lee Lawrence of WJE. You'll never see concrete the same way again. Notes From The Episode Rheology ( /riːˈɒlədʒi/ ; from Greek ῥέω ...
Feb 06, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Yes. We're going to have a chat about humidity. If you live in a heating dominated, dry climate you might be thinking "what good is this for me to hear?" and I wouldn't blame you. But frankly, the more we know about humidity, the better we can understand how things work without it too. So dig in and think about how moisture affects the things we design and build. In this episode of The Building Science Podcast, we’ll explore the potential upside and downside of designing and building in humid cl...
Jan 26, 2018•30 min•Season 4Ep. 44
In our first episode of season 4, Kristof interviews James Geppner of Erase40 and Big Yellow Cab on the topic of behavioral change and market transformation. Building Science stands poised to change the way we deliver conditioned space to society. There are many angles by which we can dissect exactly how to do that. In this episode, we're going to explore how YOU can change the market. James Geppner James has advised and developed initiatives for nonprofits, new ventures and mature companies in ...
Jan 12, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants. In this episode we interview water engineering expert, Gary Klein of Gary Klein & Associates . Gary Klein Gary Klein, President of Gary Klein & Associates has been intimately involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1974. One fifth of hi...
Dec 22, 2017•42 min•Season 3Ep. 42
Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants. This episode features an interview with Dr. Jules Elkins of The University Of Texas at Austin and The East Wall Consulting . Dr. Jules Elkins Dr. Elkins’s research and teaching is in environmental health, and healthy indoor environments. She is particularly int...
Dec 20, 2017•14 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants. This episode features an interview with Peter Pfeiffer of Barley Pfeiffer Architecture . Peter L Pfeiffer, FAIA Peter Pfeiffer wears many hats. He is a LEED accredited professional Architect, a licensed Interior Designer, Building Scientist and Property Develop...
Dec 18, 2017•32 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants. This episode features an interview with Kristen & Michael Padavic of PSW Real Estate. PSW Real Estate PSW Real Estate, LLC is a Texas real estate developer that designs and builds communities of high-quality green homes in urban areas. PSW creates homes tha...
Dec 15, 2017•20 min•Season 3Ep. 40
Pour yourself a hot drink, grab a blanket and sit near the crackling logs for this holiday special episode. We're looking back at the last 3 years and looking ahead to our 4th season of the show. Be sure to check out our end of year survey and submit your ideas for episodes in season 4! Thank you so much for listening to our show for the last 3 years. We plan on delivering more great episodes in 2018 and hope you'll join us for the ride!...
Dec 12, 2017•9 min•Season 3Ep. 39
Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants. This episode features an interview with Darrell McMaster, a builder from Boerne, TX who runs a company called Sustainable Homes of Texas . Darrel has been building homes for over 40 years. He comes from a family of builders, with three generations still active ...
Dec 07, 2017•42 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Update: Apologies for the inconvenience with the last audio file - it appeared to be fine on our side, but was corrupted in the upload process. We appreciate all the feedback and are so thrilled you couldn't wait to hear more! As requested, a new file has been uploaded on a solid connection. Please let us know if you're experiencing any issues and enjoy the episode! ___________________________________________________________________ Positive Energy has built its success around deeply understandi...
Nov 11, 2017•Season 3Ep. 37
Special Edition - Just Released. Listen and learn why you don't want to miss this event! Coming up next Friday 10/13/2017 here in Austin. Join Kristof Irwin and guest experts Matt Carlton and Brian Roeder for lively discussion on the surprisingly rich topic of stucco cladding systems. You'll never look at a stucco wall the same way again. Special thanks to UltraAire for their generous support. Symposium Details Hosted by: AIA BEC: Austin & RCI, Central Texas Date & Time: Friday, October ...
Oct 06, 2017•59 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Join Kristof for a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Zoltan Nagy on intelligent environments and how building science principles are guiding predictive analytics to shape the future of building and home operations. As more intelligent buildings emerge, occupant-centric solutions to IAQ issues, mechanical issues, and energy issues can be addressed. The Intelligent Environments Laboratory (IEL), led by Prof. Zoltán Nagy, is an interdisciplinary research group within the Building Energy &...
Aug 18, 2017•46 min•Season 3Ep. 35
It's time to find the reset button. Time to re-examine our view of what we know about delivering conditioned space to our clients, to ourselves. The upside potential in buildings is staggering. From some vantage points, it's astounding and inexplicable why the very places we live continue to be held in a laggard state of performance relative to what's possible. Our industry transition is held captive to an outdated vision. Without a proper vision, our mission, strategy and tactics are ineffectiv...
Aug 07, 2017•45 min•Season 3Ep. 34
Join us for a fascinating conversation with Stephen Colley on earthen construction. Stephen currently practices architecture and runs his own architecture firm and is a long-time practitioner of green design and sustainable living. From 2010-2012 he served as the Program Manager in Green Initiatives for Palo Alto College in San Antonio developing training courses related to sustainable design and construction. Stephen also participated in the Alamo Colleges Chancellor’s Council on Sustainability...
Aug 01, 2017•52 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Noise can have an adverse impact on people in offices, classrooms, hospitals and other commercial buildings ( European Agency for Safety & Health at Work, 2005 ), interfering with their daily activities at work or school and at home. People’s performance levels and ability to concentrate can be negatively affected by noise and it can make it harder for them to share knowledge with one another.Join Kristof in this continuation of our IEQ series as he discusses acoustics and sound quality acro...
Jun 19, 2017•55 min•Season 3Ep. 32
How good should the building envelope be? How much energy should a building use? Finding answers require putting the building in context with the complex, interconnected, global networks of materials and resource flows in which they exist. Join Kristof for a wide ranging and slightly geeky discussion w Dr William Braham on systems ecology, exergy, emergy, and why a climax forest is a model for power and efficiency. Dr. William W. Braham FAIA is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Pe...
May 23, 2017•57 min•Season 3Ep. 31
In this episode, Kristof interviews Sean and Ian Harris, the owners of a duct sealing company called Aeroseal of Austin in Austin, TX. You'll hear discussion on why duct sealing is such a crucial component of healthy delivered air and energy performance of mechanical systems. Sean Harris has been developing his interest in residential home construction since participating in a remodel project, certified by Austin Energy’s Green Building Program in 2005. With a degree in business administration, ...
Apr 25, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 30
Join Kristof in a wide-ranging discussion of building science topics with consultant John Semmelhack of Think Little . John Semmelhack is the owner of Think Little. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant, a member of the Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) Technical Committee, and is a PHIUS Trainer for the Certified Passive House Consultant and PHIUS+ Rater training programs. He sits on the boards of the Passive House Alliance U.S. (PHAUS) and the Passive House Alliance U.S. – Capital Chap...
Apr 04, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 29
In the continuation of our Indoor Environmental Quality series, Kristof discusses Indoor Light Quality with Keith Simon and Matthew Tanteri. This episode is sponsored by Risinger & Co. Keith and Matt are so appreciated for being such rock stars and for appearing on the podcast more than once. We couldn't do it without your expansive minds!
Mar 06, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 28
