World House Radio

A weekly podcast bringing you interviews with leaders and innovators in the fields of housing and design.

Last refreshed: August 14th, 2025 at 8:35 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 8 Air Handling & Social Systems - The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family

Today we welcome Ernesto Fonseca to the program. He is an architect and energy consultant with the The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family, a project initiated by Arizona State University which seeks to promote housing that is affordable, dignified and environmentally and culturally responsive. Ernesto has been integral in the design, build and monitoring of the two homes created by the Stardust Center, the Nageezi House and the Guadalupe House. Both of these homes demonstrate th...

Jul 03, 2007

Episode 7 Waste System - The Ethics of Waste

Today we are discussing the waste system of the home. Sustainability is such a buzz word these days particularly as the idea of green design becomes more desirable and more profitable, whether its for the right or wrong reasons. There are many definitions of what it means to be sustainable; many involve our consumption and the waste we create, at the beginning, middle and end of a product's or service's life cycle. Our close, and often problematic relationship with the waste we produce is not a ...

Jun 29, 2007

Episode 6 Food & Identity Systems - South Central Farmers

This week we are exploring the intersection of two powerful systems at work both within and outside of the home. Food and identity are intricately linked. The saying, "You are what you eat.", reverberates now more than ever as the food we eat is produced and transported from farther away and made from ingredients that are synthesized and almost impossible to pronounce. A recent article in The New York Times highlights our increasing disconnection to our food system explaining that what you eat h...

Jun 19, 2007

Episode 5 Spatial System - Dr. Avi Friedman

Today we are discussing the spatial system of the home. We welcome a guest who is an internationally recognized advocate of flexible housing. Dr. Avi Friedman has written extensively on the connections we have to the space in our homes and how to make this space more efficient, more functional and ultimately more enjoyable. He is a professor at the McGill School of Architecture in Montreal where he co-founded the Affordable Homes Program. He has authored several books including, THE ADAPTABLE HO...

May 27, 2007

Episode 4 Energy System - NREL

This week we focus on the energy system of the home. Even though humans have relied on the power of the sun as a source of heat and light for thousands of years, it is only recently that solar energy has become a regular topic of conversation when discussing our dependence on fossil fuel burning power. The idea of placing solar panels on the roof once seemed out of reach for most homeowners but advancements in this technology are making it more efficient, more affordable and an increasingly attr...

May 21, 2007

Episode 3 Mobility System - SMART

The theme of this week's show is the mobility system of the home. With the most recent hike in gas prices, daily talk of global warming and climate change, and news about the latest hybrid vehicles, there are many questions about the future of mobility. Today we welcome a guest who is working to understand these issues and plan for the future. Susan Zielinski is the Managing Director of the SMART project, which stands for Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Research and Transformation. The SM...

May 05, 2007

Episode 2 Water System - AguaClara

Today we are focusing on the water system of the home. For most of us in North America, accessing water is as easy as turning on the tap. We think little of how the water gets to us and seldom worry about not having the water we need for drinking, cooking, bathing and our other daily activities. It often feels as if we have an endless supply, but in many parts of the world the reality is very different. Accessing clean potable water is a daily concern. Today I welcome two guests to World House R...

Apr 02, 2007

Episode 1 Construction System - Fab Tree Hab

Today we welcome Dr. Mitchell Joachim to World House Radio. He completed his doctorate at MIT in Architecture: Design and Computation. He also has two graduate degrees, a masters in architecture from Columbia University and a masters in urban design from Harvard. And he is the co-creator of the Fab Tree Hab. The theme of this week's show is the construction system of the home. The Fab Tree Hab offers a very interesting alternative construction system. Instead of building, this project offers us ...

Mar 24, 2007

Welcome to World House Radio

World House Radio: Stories of Home is a weekly podcast that brings you interviews with leaders and innovators in the fields of housing and design. Each week we will discuss the issues and solutions surrounding housing from the local and global perspective. The theme for each episode of World House Radio draws from the systems used by the Institute without Boundaries program to direct its research and design activities. The systems of construction, energy, food, water, waste, air handling, space ...

Mar 24, 2007

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