Topics include the basics of particulate capture, the tradeoffs between filtration efficiency, clean air delivery rate, and energy use, filter media types, and electret degradation. If you want to learn about the role of filtration in delivering clean indoor air for your self, or if your role in society has agency in making sure your clients are breathing healthy air, you will appreciate what you learn here. Mark is a filter nerd with the ability to break things down and communicate clearly....
Nov 07, 2023•55 min•Season 9Ep. 115
Topics include the basics of particulate capture, the tradeoffs between filtration efficiency, clean air delivery rate, and energy use, filter media types, and electret degradation. If you want to learn about the role of filtration in delivering clean indoor air for your self, or if your role in society has agency in making sure your clients are breathing healthy air, you will appreciate what you learn here. Mark is a filter nerd with the ability to break things down and communicate clearly....
Oct 18, 2023•55 min•Season 9Ep. 114
The 2020’s have so far been a decade of abundance and progress for society’s awareness and understanding of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Beyond and before the pandemic put IAQ on everyone's mind, researchers have been enjoying well funded support from various organizations, both public and private, to better understand the impacts of indoor air on our health and well being. Plus cutting edge technologies from novel mass spectrometers to real-time PCR and next-generation DNA sequencing are both expa...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 9Ep. 113
There are few roles in society with the broad and lasting power of Architecture. Architecture both reflects and directs the story of a civilization and its cultural milieu by signaling what’s important, who has value, and how society functions. Recognition of the power of architecture in society sets the stage for today’s discussion with Corey Squire, a skilled sustainability consultant, a member of the AIA’s COTE Advisory Group, and an architectural optimist if there ever was one. Join us in th...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 9Ep. 112
In a Seattle neighborhood, close to public transportation, Dan Whitmore and his associates are putting the money where their ideals are and making affordable housing happen. Not just affordable but high-performance Passive House affordable per the Phius standards, plus they have an onsite PV array that unlocks the benefits of onsite power generation. This episode is an interview with Dan as he unpacks the topic and asks Why is this compelling social issue considered to be only one that can be ad...
Aug 25, 2023•53 min•Season 9Ep. 111
Today we are going to dig into The Future of Homes with two home builders intent on delivering that future in the present. How do we make truly healthy, exceptionally durable homes that also respect the environment, the new normal? What are we doing in residential construction today that we’ll look back on and say “Remember when we used to do that?” Conversely, what are we doing that is “new” and unconventional today but will come to be a widespread, mainstream practice? These are the opening to...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 9Ep. 110
Why is the AEC industry still mostly ignoring hempcrete? There are a host of good reasons to use this renewable and low environmental impact material in homes and buildings - including indoor air quality, acoustics, thermal comfort, and energy performance - yet the mainstream market is still largely uninformed and continues to deliver today’s houses with yesterday's material palettes. With industrial hemp coming online fueled by new legislation, favorable economics and strong market potential - ...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 9Ep. 109
The best place to generate electrical power is where it’s used. We all know that solar PV adds value for both owners and society by improving resilience, reducing energy costs and decreasing carbon emissions and climate impact. Yet traditional design practices and compressed schedules make it challenging for project teams to include integrated solar on their designs. The solution is Architectural Solar and the Architectural Solar Association knows that the key moves are early engagement and inte...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 9Ep. 108
There has never been a better time or opportunity to completely rethink the way we approach the practice of architecture and construction. With climate change looming over us, becoming more visible by the day, a critical look at the materials we use and their impacts on emissions is needed. Enter natural building materials. Which ones are legit? How can we use them? Join Kristof as he interviews architect and builder, Greg Esparza, with a sweeping introduction to mass timber construction, as wel...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 9Ep. 107
We live in the information age. The quality of the information we receive determines the quality of our decisions and the effectiveness of our actions. It is also no secret that money holds influence, and the methods through which we obtain information, as well as the economic dynamics of the building science and construction industry, are undergoing constant change. We invite you to join us in exploring the significance of Building Science Journalism in today's world. Our conversation features ...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 9Ep. 106
You’re in for a feast of ideas here. Join us as Kristof talks with Bruce King about his work as a stubborn optimist and powerful motive force in the realm of low carbon buildings. Bruce joins a wise heart with a clever mind and a deep understanding of the technical aspects and implications of the role of energy and carbon in how we, as a society, deliver buildings to ourselves. Today’s interview discusses themes from Bruce’s new-at-the-time book Build Beyond Zero written along with friend and co...
Jul 05, 2023•56 min•Season 9Ep. 105
Producer’s note: after a regrettably long COVID-19 disruption, this fun bonus short episode (recorded live in 2018) finally gets to see the light of day Are you open to rethinking how you provide lighting to your home? What if there were a lighting system that not only saves you time, money and energy, but also enhances your experience of the living space? I think we all already know that running 120V AC around a home to power DC LEDs leads to a lot of warm AC-to-DC transformers and wasted energ...
Jun 30, 2023•21 min•Season 9Ep. 104
Is a building more like a river or a rock? A building seems to just sit there*, so in that sense it seems to be more like a rock. But in reality every building material, and thus the entire building itself, is a snapshot in time of a river of resources and energy flowing from natural ecosystems into our use, and then, ultimately flowing back into the environment All along the way, this flow of energy and resources emits carbon and other molecules into the sky, changing atmospheric chemistry and ...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 9Ep. 103
Gary Klein is in hot water and that’s a good thing. Hot water is the often-overlooked aspect of energy use in our homes and buildings and that makes zero sense. Energy for water heating is either the second largest, or in some cases the largest single energy use and does not get enough attention. As if that were not motivation enough, hot water is also the place where convenience and energy savings align perfectly because no one wants to wait for hot water and no one (arguably) wants to needless...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 9Ep. 102
Knowing how to build fantastic high performing buildings is not enough; we need to cause that to actually happen. We need high performance buildings to exist. Knowing how is necessary, but also clearly not sufficient. During this time of increasing urgency to realize new performance outcomes, we need new skills in order to fulfill our roles in society as architects, engineers, builders and trades. What this means is that we need to think about what actually works and then do a lot of that right ...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 101
Join Kristof as he interviews architect and Passive House nerd, Trey Farmer, in a wide ranging discussion about remodeling his personal residence. The ambitious project was an endeavor to prove to the Austin architecture and construction community that beautiful, well designed single family passive houses were not only possible in the market, but also quite practical and able to be built without breaking the bank or special products. Trey’s emphasis on community and his own business endeavors al...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 8Ep. 100
Happy New Year! Welcome back to the 8th season of our little show. We can hardly believe it. In this episode, we ask the question “what is it actually like to run a business that focuses on building science?” Turns out, we know something about that. Join Kristof and Miguel in a discussion about the challenges, joys, and future of business model innovation as building scientists and entrepreneurs. You can learn more about our Performance Consulting and Residential MEP services on our company webs...
Jan 12, 2022•59 min•Season 8Ep. 99
The famous astronomer and educator Carl Sagan once said, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe.” What Sagan was pointing at is the fact that for us to really do anything from scratch, we have to understand the system in which we exist. The planet and all its inhabitants exists as a massive, complex system of interconnected systems that we don’t always see. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us that public health is part of a global we...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 7Ep. 98
Do we really need dehumidifiers when we’ve got VRF units? How do dehumidifiers work? Why do we need dehumidifiers now when we’ve never had them before? These are valid questions that deserve scientific answers and we’re here to dig in. Join Kristof as he interviews David Treleven and Nikki Krueger of Madison Industries (makers of dehumidifiers, ERVs, and many other innovative indoor air quality products). Team Hosted by Kristof Irwin Edited and Produced by M. Walker...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 7Ep. 97
One of the most uncomfortable topics for anybody to wade through is the nearly ubiquitous and constant exposures to hazardous chemicals and compounds which we all encounter in daily products. The construction industry is no different - many building products are chock full of chemicals that are known health hazards to humans. As the body of scientific knowledge about these chemicals and their health impacts grows, it’s important that professionals and consumers have a sufficient understanding of...
Nov 04, 2021•53 min•Season 7Ep. 96
The world of indoor air quality monitoring can feel like the Wild West and it’s high time we sort it out. Join Kristof as he interviews Stanton Wong, President of RESET Standard, about the landscape of sensor technology, accuracy, data reliability, how SARS2 moves around public spaces, and a range of other indoor air quality topics. You may be surprised by how deep this field of applied science can go. Team Hosted by Kristof Irwin Edited and Produced by M. Walker...
Jun 23, 2021•59 min•Season 7Ep. 95
Industrial hemp is poised to proliferate across many verticals in the construction materials marketplace. It’s a raw material with an unfortunately politicized history and so many potential applications it’ll make your head spin. Join Kristof and Miguel in conversation with Mattie Mead and Henry Valles as we explore the many intersections of industrial hemp and the built environment. Team Hosted by Kristof Irwin Edited and Produced by M. Walker...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Season 7Ep. 94
Valentines Day 2021 began a hellacious week for Texans as not one, but multiple critical infrastructure grids failed amidst prolonged record low temps. Join Kristof as he interviews Dr. Joshua Rhodes and Dr. Charles Upshaw, of IdeaSmiths (and of Positive Energy if you don't mind the bragging). In this episode we discuss what happened in Texas, separating myth from fact and understanding the role of buildings in the equation. Team Hosted by Kristof Irwin Edited and Produced by M. Walker...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 93
We’ve talked a lot about indoor environmental quality on this show, but what how do we measure that and how do we know that our measurements were consistent and accurate? Turns out, data quality in the built world can be quite opaque and challenging to reign in. But there’s hope. Join Kristof as he interviews Anjanette Green, Director of standards at RESET about the nature of data quality in the built world and how it impacts the daily lives of practitioners and occupants across the planet....
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 7Ep. 92
This Old House has been the gateway experience for countless numbers of building science enthusiasts and we’d wager many of you listeners have intersected with the show at some point in your life and career. Media, whether television or podcasting, is about so much more than sharing information - it’s about telling stories. And the important stories are the ones that change paradigms and facilitate progress in the world. Join Kristof as he interviews Chris Ermides of This Old House and the Ask T...
Nov 20, 2020•59 min•Season 6Ep. 92
When Ken Gehring began his career servicing dairy equipment, who would have guessed that he would go on to pioneer some of the most important equipment to hit the HVAC market? But that’s exactly what he did, leading the charge in the development and creation of the Therma-stor product lines, which include the Santa Fe and Ultra-Aire dehumidifiers that you’ve heard us talk about many times. Join Kristof as he and Ken explore a range of topics on human health, indoor air quality, dehumidification,...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 91
What do we actually know and have available to us in the United States market when it comes to high performance windows? The answers may surprise you. Join Kristof as he interviews Sam McAfee of Zola Windows in a wide ranging conversation of window performance, market dynamics, and the future of high performance windows. Sam MacAfee Sam McAfee has been a student of green building ever since buying his first Earthship books back in 1988. Since then, he has received an MFA in Sculpture from UC Ber...
Sep 23, 2020•59 min•Season 6Ep. 90
How well do we understand the behavior of the novel coronavirus in our homes? What can we do to make our homes healthier? What is a CERV? These questions open the door to a rich exploration of the role of ventilation in healthy indoor environments. And you’ll be surprised to find how intimately connected ventilation is to a future powered by solar PV. Join Kristof as he interviews Ty Newell in a broad exploration of topics relevant to any building science aficionado. Ty Newell, PhD, P.E. Profess...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 89
For the first time in its 24 year history, the Westford Symposium on Building Science was forced to take a hiatus by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (it would have began as of the release of this episode). If you’ve never heard of this conference, you’ve been missing out. It’s one of the most incredible hubs of building science knowledge exchange and community building in North America. Obviously, we were sad about missing it so we decided to ask the founders and hosts of the conference for an interview...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 88
The world’s climate is changing and so the way we think about design needs to change with it. But before we know what that looks like, let’s dig into the science and understand how it might change. And as we think about expanding humid climate zones in the era of climate change, what does the cutting edge dehumidification technology look like? You’re going to find out. Join us as Kristof interviews Pamela Cabrera about the expansion of humid climate zones in the future and the development of pas...
Jul 18, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 87
