It’s not often that you get to have a discussion with someone who has uncovered a fundamental physical law of the universe, but that’s exactly what we got to do in this unmissable episode. In a very entertaining and fascinating departure from our usual discussion of building science, we dive deeply into the concepts underlying Contstructal Law with its discoverer, Professor Adrian Bejan of Duke University. Our conversation ranged from HG TV, to the golden ratio in architecture, to the evolution ...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 86
Engineers can fulfill a vital role in their communities through civic activism, proactive engagement in shaping public policy and leading in the civic realm. This segment of the Ideas Institute will explore the future of civic activism and leadership in the public realm for engineers. It is time for the engineering community to contribute to this re-examination in the spirit of technological and environmental stewardship. Increased leadership from the engineering community is needed to help soci...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 85
Join Kristof as he interviews Zack Semke and Michael Ingui of Passive House Accelerator on all the great work they’re doing to build community in the building science field. Passive House Accelerator Mission Together we can make a difference! We have seen the power of collaboration. The Passive House Community is creative, driven, and Collaborative. Passive House Accelerator has been created to make it easier for others to learn about Passive House, to support the community by allowing them to s...
Apr 03, 2020•47 min•Season 6Ep. 85
Allison Bailes is writing a book! Allison writes the popular Energy Vanguard Blog. With a PhD in physics and thousands of hours spent in attics and crawl spaces, he knows a thing or two about houses. Join Kristof in a discussion with his old friend and colleague as they explore common myths about houses and talk about your next book purchase. Dr. Allison Bailes III With a background in physics and nearly twenty years of experience in many facets of the residential buildings industry, Allison Bai...
Mar 31, 2020•54 min•Season 6Ep. 84
Now, more than ever, there is a tremendous amount of attention on how interconnected we are to our immediate environmental conditions (and to each other). As building science consultants. Our family, friends, colleagues and clients have asked us for years about information that will help them reduce their exposures to pollutants, like viruses, in their homes, offices, and other indoor spaces. So as we began contemplating this episode, we heavily considered talking more about the Novel Coronaviru...
Mar 24, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 83
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It’s been an incredible year. Let’s unpack it together and take a look at what’s coming your way in Season 6 of the show. Join producer Miguel & host Kristof for a fireside chat as the winter settles in around us.
Dec 20, 2019•35 min•Season 5Ep. 82
It’s time to fundamentally reevaluate the way we build - not just at the level of detailing, but at the scale of the city. What are the decisions we make about density and how do they affect our daily lives? Why do we orient our urban infrastructure around cars when they’re incredibly inefficient ways to move people around? Why can’t you get to 90% of your daily needs within a 15 minute walk? Join Kristof as he interviews Ruchi Modi of the architecture and urbanism firm, PAU on a range of topics...
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 81
Architects and engineers have great power because they make decisions that influence resource and energy use in their buildings. With great power comes great responsibility and now is the time to become fluent in the language of embodied carbon. In this episode Kristof has a lively conversation with Z. Smith and Kelsey Wotila from EskewDumezRipple on this and some adjacent topics.
Nov 23, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 80
While insulation and airtightness are critical elements of a high performance building, they also can significantly increase the risk of health and moisture failure issues. In addition, if using high "embodied carbon" impact materials then high performance buildings can have a higher net carbon impact by 2050 than conventional buildings. Come join us to learn how to create truly healthy, durable, comfortable, and low carbon impact buildings. Join Kristof as he interviews Lucas Johnson in a discu...
Nov 09, 2019•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 79
As houses get tighter, we know they need to be ventilated (hopefully). But many in the building industry don’t understand ventilation well. We know about the less than ideal ways to do it, like raw fresh air intakes. We’ve heard of ERVs. And it seems like everyone thinks they want them, but nobody understands them or cares enough to actually bring them into a project. Well wonder no more friends. This episode is a two part series and a deep dive into the V in HVAC - demystifying the ventilation ...
Oct 05, 2019•50 min•Season 5Ep. 78
As houses get tighter, we know they need to be ventilated (hopefully). But many in the building industry don’t understand ventilation well. We know about the less than ideal ways to do it, like raw fresh air intakes. We’ve heard of ERVs. And it seems like everyone thinks they want them, but nobody understands them or cares enough to actually bring them into a project. Well wonder no more friends. This episode is a two part series and a deep dive into the V in HVAC - demystifying the ventilation ...
Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 77
Architecture that interacts skillfully w/ the sun is needed now more than ever. Beyond just light and heat there are broader implications and deeper relationships between the building skin and aperture that are not always transparent during the design process. It's time to develop a sympathetic understanding of interrelated decision factors. Enter Matt and Dason and their new book that seeks to fill a void in the understanding and practice of designing around the Sun. This is an architects resou...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 76
Join Kristof as he interviews Amit Gupta, CEO of AeroBarrier and Aeroseal Technologies. The discussion dives into the particulars of a unique and fascinating technology company at the helm of the architectural and construction industry change.
May 07, 2019•58 min•Season 5Ep. 75
David Escobedo is a fascinating character with a deep connection to his own heritage in the construction industry. Join Kristof as he interviews David for a conversation that outlines not just the path of a builder, but the path of someone who wants to leave behind a legacy. ______________________ David Escobedo is the active founder of Escobedo Group where he leads a six-division, vertically-integrated luxury home building company that self-performs their work. Escobedo’s focus on solid constru...
Apr 05, 2019•53 min•Season 5Ep. 74
If you’re ever wondered what kind of salt it takes to move the needle for multi-family passive house projects, look no further than the story of architect and developer Hank Keating. We all have under utilized power in our professional roles. Join Kristof for a discussion with Hank about the work he’s done in Massachusetts to make way for passive house buildings - from codes, to renter occupants, to design - this episode’s got it all. __________________________ Hank Keating, AIA Mr Keating is a ...
Mar 22, 2019•56 min•Season 5Ep. 73
Refrigerants are all around us and we barely ever notice. They are a hidden force in creating the comforts we have grown to think of as normal and yet many of us know little about them. Rethinking refrigerants is considered by many experts to be the #1 way to to combat and draw down climate change given how much carbon they can add to the atmosphere when not created and handled correctly. This episode features John Miles of Sanden Water Heaters in a ranging discussion of the effects and behavior...
Mar 08, 2019•53 min•Season 5Ep. 73
The state of our current housing industry’s understanding and treatment of HVAC systems in in quiet crisis. Systems are routinely installed incorrectly to the detriment of the environment both on a macro scale and on the micro scale of the air quality inside people’s homes. In this episode, Kristof interviews Sean and Ian Harris, the owners of IAQ Texas. You'll hear discussion on why quality duct installation is crucial for good indoor air quality outcomes. Also, we talk about Aerobarrier. It’s ...
Feb 15, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 72
Is Dallas, Texas ready for the state’s first internationally certified Passive House? Kyle and Connor Fagin think so and they’re betting on it. Join Kristof as the Fagin Partners tell us their unique story of operating in the developer driven construction world to sacrificing profit for the principled push forward in industry transformation. Kyle Fagin The first home Kyle ever built was a tree house for his three awesome kids. Sometime after that he began a major remodel on a mid-century home fo...
Jan 31, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 70
Modern building materials are generally feats of engineering marvel - we’ve managed to manufacture countless high performing systems, yet it has often been at the cost of human exposure to harmful chemicals. But it’s not a hopeless situation. There are people who are helping the average consumer understand what’s what. Join Kristof in a wide ranging conversation with Gina Ciganik and William Weber from the Healthy Building Network. Gina Ciganik Chief Executive Officer Gina has been growing and s...
Jan 14, 2019
Live from The HIVE Conference held in Austin, TX in 2018, we’re proud to bring you one of the brightest minds in the discipline of indoor air quality research, Dr. Brett Singer from Lawrence Berkley National Labs. Join Kristof as he discusses a broad array of topics that affect every single person who breathes inside a house (so, ya know, most people). It’s our last episode of 2018 and season 4 so we made sure it’s extra long (almost an hour and a half!). Enjoy it and we’ll see you next year! __...
Dec 21, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 68
We just wrapped an unthinkable season 4 of The Building Science Podcast. We hope you'll join us for season 5 in 2019. Hear more about what we'll be discussing.
Dec 17, 2018•12 min•Season 5Ep. 67
To support the 2030 Challenge, the American Institute of Architects created the 2030 Commitment Program , aimed at transforming the practice of architecture to respond to the climate crisis in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project-based, and data-driven. Over 400 A/E/P firms have adopted the 2030 Commitment, and firms from all over the country have been tracking and reporting projects since 2010, with over 2.7 billion ft2 of project work reported in 2016 alone. Join Kristof as he interviews...
Dec 07, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 66
What do heat pump water heaters, ERVs, and low static VRF systems have in common? You’re picturing them and we’re talking about them! 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 ...
Nov 16, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 65
If your house could go down a highway at 70MPH, would you trust your architect and builder to make sure it’s not going to fall apart? Let’s face it - most people can’t build custom homes just like most people can’t afford a Lamborghini. It’s just not a financial reality for so many of us. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t want a car that doesn’t work well and it doesn’t mean we don’t want a high quality home to live in. It sure as hell doesn’t mean we don’t want a healthy environment for ourse...
Oct 26, 2018•51 min•Season 4Ep. 64
Healthy, efficient buildings shouldn't leak. Leaky buildings are unfortunately a staple of our industry norm. As you know, making change in the construction industry is like turning a super tanker. It doesn’t happen quickly, but super tankers do turn. They use a trim tab to enable the large rudder to turn the shift. What is needed now is a fresh take on the societal forces resisting change in construction practices and energy code. We need a trim tab to start the process of countering these stuc...
Oct 05, 2018•55 min•Season 4Ep. 63
This week’s episode features an interview with Corbett Lunsford on the HOMEChem experiments that were being conducted alongside the filming of a brand new, building science focused show called Home Diagnosis TV (be on the lookout for that). Of course, we're really excited about the potential of Indoor Air Quality education coming to the masses. It's the future fulcrum point of housing and health care. The HOMEChem experiment (House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry) took plac...
Sep 20, 2018•42 min•Season 4Ep. 62
Health is the new green - this message is seemingly everywhere these days. It's clear that a shift is underway in the way we think about our homes and buildings. A quality building does more than just use energy efficiently, it needs to provide for the occupants. This means recognizing that our clients will spend their time immersed in the air we create for them and that indoor air is a dominant exposure. Now is the time to get clear on how our homes and buildings relate to health , comfort and ...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 61
We got so much great feedback from listeners who loved the last crossover episode. So much so that we figured why not do it again? This week we're proud to present to you one of our favorite building-centric shows, The Edifice Complex . Hosted by our colleague Robert Bean (who has been on our show before) and our new friend Adam Muggleton, we're thrilled to bring you an episode of their show in which they interviewed our beloved Building Science Podcast host, Kristof. In this episode, topics dis...
Aug 17, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 59
Kristof is away in Europe visiting his family so today you get me - your ever faithful producer Miguel. I’ve got a treat for you today - a surprise, bonus if you will, short episode of the podcast. It’s summer and it’s been a long hot summer here in Austin so we wanted to do something new and fun with a bonus episode so here it is. Today, my friends, we’re doing a CROSSOVER EPISODE. The Building Science Podcast proudly presents a crossover episode with The Build Show . If you haven’t heard of Th...
Jul 31, 2018•21 min•Season 4Ep. 58
The perspectives of each team member in construction matter a lot - especially when we're striving to integrate our processes and delivery efforts. One voice that's often missing from the conversation is the voice of the HVAC contractor. So we decided to give a little love to our HVAC contractor compadres and interviewed two of the best in Central Texas. Explore the inner workings of two excellent HVAC contractor's challenges, joys, business realities, and aspirations for the future of the indus...
Jul 27, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 57
