Home Style Green - Sustainable Design and Building

The building code is the worst house you're legally allowed to build, yet it's often treated as the target.

In this episode, I walk through some building envelope basics and discuss where I think you should invest the most to improve the health and comfort of your new home.

http://homestylegreen.com/166

Direct download: 166_building_envelope_basics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:09pm NZDT

I usually interview designers and builders about what's going on overseas, with a focus on what the New Zealand industry could learn. In this episode, I speak with Damon Gray and Andrew Chapman of NZ Builders. They've turned this idea on it's head and have taken some NZ techniques to British Columbia, with some stunning results.

http://nzbuilders.com
http://homestylegreen.com/165

Direct download: 165_NZBuilders.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:11pm NZDT

I love it when I find new companies that are looking at the design and building process a bit differently and who want to provide healthy, energy efficient homes. That's what Nook is all about. I caught up with their designer, Warren Clarke recently and asked him why he does what he does.

http://nook.nz
http://homestylegreen.com/164

Direct download: 164_Nook.mp3
Category:Sustainable Design -- posted at: 5:46pm NZDT

163: What are the layers you need in your wall?

Walls (and roofs and floors) of buildings have become complicated. As we’ve increased the level of insulation, we’ve created some new problems, like condensation. This has been aggravated by the addition of layers into the wall that reduce air movement. So how do you create a wall that keeps you warm but will also stay dry? I spoke to Jon Davies from Pro Clima to get some facts about airtightness.

http://proclima.com
http://proclima.co.nz
http://proclima.com.au
http://homestylegreen.com/163

Direct download: 163_Airtightness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:52am NZDT

When I first saw the LUNOS is didn't really believe it was a true heat recovery ventilation system, so I sought out some answers.

Wayne Delport is Sales and Technical Manager at The Heating Company International.

http://bit.ly/HSGLunos
http://homestylegreen.com/162

Direct download: 162_Lunos.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:13am NZDT

Imagine having a Fitbit for your home and being able to see, in real time, how it's performing. You could also be notified of any hazards like high levels of CO2 and VOCs as they occur - before you start to get a headache or start having respiratory problems.

This week I speak with Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng, a cofounder of uHoo, an exciting new product that could be the Fitbit for your home.

http://uhooair.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/161

Direct download: uhooair.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:52pm NZDT

A first step in making a home healthier is to understand and quantify what might be making it unhealthy. Through her website, Caroline Blazovsky has made it very easy for homeowners to test indoor air quality and test for mould.

http://www.healthyhomeexpert.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/160

Direct download: Healthy_Home_Expert.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:18am NZDT

Darryl Sang is one of only a few Certified Passive House Designers in Auckland. We discuss why he went through this gruelling training and why more of his clients are demanding Passive House standards.

http://homestylegreen.com159
http://sangarchitects.com/

Direct download: Darryl_Sang.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:25pm NZDT

Why should we be watching China and what does the growth in uptake of Passive House there mean for the rest of us? We also discuss near zero energy regulations in Europe, developments in the US and Passive House examples from Spain.

Passive House expert and architect Elrond Burrell give us his highlights from the 20th International Passive House Conference.

http://elrondburrell.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/158

Direct download: 158_IPHC16_Review.mp3
Category:Passivhaus -- posted at: 6:00am NZDT

I originally contacted Hitesh Mehta to talk about sustainable landscape architecture, but he offers a lot more than that. Hitesh has travelled the world advising and helping designers of ecolodges. He enjoys all aspects of architecture as well as photography, environmental planning and writing.

To find out more about his recent work, visit Hitesh Mehta Design.

http://homestylegreen.com/157

 

Direct download: 157_Hitesh_Mehta.mp3
Category:Sustainable Design -- posted at: 9:05pm NZDT