Mon, 22 December 2014
Phase change materials and how to add thermal mass to light weight buildings. After learning to build cob houses, Chris Brookman now supplies some very cool, modern clay and timber material products to building industry.
Direct download: 96_Back_to_Earth_with_Chris_Brookman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:47am NZST |
Tue, 16 December 2014
The Homestar Mandatory minimums are a series of benchmarks that have to be achieved in order to progress up the Homestar scale. They're important because if they are are not achieved, your score will be held back. So what are the Homestar mandatory minimums, and how can you achieve them? |
Thu, 11 December 2014
There are eco labelled paints, and then there are eco paints. What's the difference? |
Tue, 2 December 2014
So, you know you want a sustainable (healthy, efficient, affordable and desirable) home, but where do you start? I've covered the fundamentals of what makes a good energy efficient home, but these are details. What's the big picture? Where do you start a sustainable house?
Direct download: 93_Where_to_Start_a_Sustainable_Home.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43pm NZST |
Tue, 25 November 2014
Group or volume builders get a bad rap sometimes for perpetuating bad building practise. But it is possible to get a good home from a group builder. This week I talk with someone who's doing just that and her explains how. |
Tue, 18 November 2014
Glenn Murdoch was a regular house designer until he watched Simon Sinek's TED talk. Then Glenn asked 'why'? In this week's show we talk Passive House and how to architecture can create a better society. |
Tue, 11 November 2014
Duncan Firth feels 'compelled' to do what he does - designing environmentally functional homes. How can architecture truly respond to the environment?
Direct download: 90_Solarei_Designing_Environmental_Functional_Homes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:30am NZST |
Tue, 4 November 2014
Homestar is New Zealand's comprehensive environmental rating tool for homes. It's Green Star for the residential sector and is not some crazy Kiwi start up idea. It's very closely related to successful international precedents such as LEED and Code for Sustainable Homes. But how much does it add to the cost of building a home? There are some inaccuracies out there that I think need addressing. |
Wed, 29 October 2014
Something a little different this week. I’ve had some excellent questions sitting in my inbox for a while and I thought that many could benefit from them. In this Q&A session I cover Homestar, thermal mass, heating and cooling options and small, affordable home design. |
Tue, 21 October 2014
Do you need a professional project manager for either the design stage or the construction stage of your building project? I discuss the basics of good project management with podcaster, engineer, business owner and soon-to-be author, Cesar Abeid. |