Foam is an incredible thermal insulator. For the price and size, it's about the best insulation material you can get. But many people are concerned about the chemicals and process used to manufacture polystyrene.

I spoke with Curtis VanDyke from RL Adams Plastics about what they're doing to make foam 'green' and therefore make it an even greater building material.

http://homestylegreen.com/143
http://www.goadams.com/

Bamboo Technologies, LLC (Bamboo Living) design and manufacture structurally certified bamboo homes. Founded in 1995, Bamboo Technologies has produced over 350 homes in Hawaii and around the world. I spoke with founder David Sands about why bamboo is sustainable as a building material.

http://homestylegreen.com/142
http://www.bambooliving.com/

I love Rich Williams' enthusiasm for what he does. Even if you don't live in the temperate climate of San Diego, you can learn a lot about the relevance (or not) of concepts like Passive House for a better performing home.

Alliance Green Builders are dedicated to 'building tomorrow's homes for today'. As well as being Passive House designers, they also offer LEED, GreenPoint and Zero Energy Ready homes.

http://homestylegreen.com/141
http://alliancegreenbuilders.com/

In episode 10 of Home Style Green, I interview Carlin Archer, the creator of Ecobob. Now Ecobob has a completely fresh new look, and is still going strong as New Zealand's leading eco home forum. In this episode, I talk with new owner Kristy Hoare.

http://homestylegreen.com/140
http://ecobob.co.nz

The terms 'sustainability' and 'eco' are not obvious on Adam Taylor's website. They are there (see if you can find them). But perhaps the future of green design is embedded in good design. Not something separate.

http://homestylegreen.com/139

http://adamtaylor.co.nz

Dr Allison Bailes III has used his PhD in physics and background in teaching to educate the world about better buildings. Through his company Energy Vanguard, Dr Bailes has been recognised as a great communicator, turning complex ideas like relative humidity and psychrometrics, into understandable fundamentals for better home performance. 

Jeffrey Dinkle brings over two decades of experience in sustainable construction and renovation to his board service at the National Passive House Alliance. Founder and owner of Eco Custom Homes and its parent company ICON Development Corporation, Jeff has become a recognized leader in Atlanta’s green building scene. He holds degrees in economics and sociology from Emory University and has trained in EarthCraft principles at Southface. Through Eco Custom Homes, he builds and renovates incredibly efficient high performance structures that embrace comfortable and healthy living and function.

http://homestylegreen.com/137
http://ecocustomhomes.com/

Passive House vs Passive Solar with Lloyd Alter

Much of this comes down to two design principles which are similar in name and have some overlap in their detail, but are fundamentally quite different. As Lloyd Alter points out, the 'Superinsulated' house was really the origin and (along with airtightness) is the basis of Passive House design.

'Passive solar' design is what's in question here, in particular the reliance on thermal mass and sun angles.

http://homestylegreen.com/136
http://www.treehugger.com/author/lloyd-alter/

PIDCOCK - Architecture and Sustainability is focused on desirable, sustainable architecture.

http://homestylegreen.com/135
http://www.pidcock.com.au/

Sue co-founded Bioregional in 1994 because she wanted to develop and implement more sustainable ways of producing the products we need and of living our lives to reduce our human impact on the natural world.

http://www.bioregional.com/

http://homestylegreen.com/134

Polly Bart loves to get muddy. Despite having an undergraduate degree in architecture and a doctorate in city planning, Poly is not an architect. She's a builder and founder of Greenbuilders, Inc. She loves creating, lifting rock and building things.

http://homestylegreen.com/133

http://greenbuilders.com/

Smart, Green and Beautiful Homes with Ronn Lepage. 

If these can be built in one of the harshest inhabited climates on Earth, then what would it take to build one where you live?

http://homestylegreen.com/132

https://verecohomesinc.wildapricot.org/

Davie Philip feels and lives like a rich man. He's an educator and facilitator at Cloughjordan (pronounced 'clock-jordan'), rated one of the top 10 places to live in Ireland. 

Cloughjordan Ecovillage contains 129 energy efficient houses. It features a biomass-fuelled district heating system and the whole village is designed for biodiversity. 

http://homestylegreen.com/131

http://www.thevillage.ie/

Beautiful architecture and high performance thermal envelopes. What a great combination. 

This week I chat with Christine Alberstsson of Albertsson Hansen Architecture in Minneapolis. 

http://homestylegreen.com/130

http://www.aharchitecture.com/

This week I discuss Maharishi Vastu Architecture with Jon Lipman. Where ancient philosophy comes together with modern science to make spectacular and enriching buildings.

http://HomeStyleGreen.com/129

Eric Fisher is making green design less boring. Not that green design is necessarily boring in the fist place, but Eric believes in making buildings that are well suited to their location and are interesting for people.

To find out more about Eric and his Pittsburg practice check out some of the great images on his website.

http://homestylegreen.com/128

Chris Hays likes to think of Architecture as 'the mother art', encompassing sculpture, mathematics, engineering, anthropology, ecology and more. Above all though, Chris likes the fact that architecture can help people create a better life.

http://homestylegreen.com/127

Green design, eco-architecture, passive solar design, energy efficient design, sustainable architecture, sustainability. 

Dominique Gettliffe and Alejandra Baltodano believe in the responsibility of architecture to make spaces that are good for people. Architecture shouldn't be about the ego of the artist. The responsibility of architecture is to be a catalyst for people to create amazing spaces.

http://homestylegreen.com/126

If you're at all interested in building a better place to live, you need to start with good foundations. There are other solutions out there, but MAXRaft offers the only complete system here in New Zealand that is fully insulated.

The resulting slab has an impressive R-value of up 4.5, about three times the standard. For an investment of only about 10% above the standard slab price, this is well worth the comfort and energy savings.

This week I have Henry Edney on the show to discuss some recent product developments.

http://homestylegreen.com/125

Dr Johann Bernhardt originally came to New Zealand, expecting to stay for a year. That was about 30 years ago. In that time, Johann has made his mark on the sustainable architecture landscape, producing an impressive portfolio of energy efficient homes, running the Auckland office of the Building Biology and Ecology Institute (BEE), lecturing sustainable design at the University of Auckland and producing the book 'A Deeper Shade of Green: Sustainable Urban Development Building and Architecture in New Zealand'.

http://homestylegreen.com/124

Eric Corey Freed is no stranger to being interviewed. As author of 11 books, an architect, keynote speaker, consultant and sustainability thought leader, he's appeared on numerous stages, screens and in written columns.  

In 2005 he was named "Best Green Architect" by San Francisco Magazine and in 2012 was named as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects".

I hope you too are inspired and find some useful tips from this conversation about organic architecture with Eric Corey Freed.

• http://HomeStyleGreen.com/123
• http://www.organicarchitect.com/

Elena Michel travelled to England to learn the art of sustainable architecture. Through her practice, Second Eden Studio, Elena now provides an alternative to the 'McMmansion' and is bringing a global perspective of sustainable design to North Carolina.

• http://HomeStyleGreen.com/122
• http://www.secondedenstudio.com

Ever noticed how people always seem to 'turn up' in the kitchen? Chris Larson definitely noticed this and has developed the concept of the sociable kitchen as a principle of his house design philosophy. He's also in to making passive solar homes beautiful, which I love.

• http://homestylegreen.com/121
• http://chrislarsonarchitect.com

Why is a regular developer interested in producing a zero energy house in New York?

http://www.kane-aud.com/

Kelly Hart is an amazing thinker and innovator. He's passionate about the environment and generous with the resources and learning he shares. 

http://homestylegreen.com/119

Jae Sabol is a man on a mission involving open source, community based, sustainable building for 'The Highest Good of All'. 

http://onecommunityglobal.org/

http://homestylegreen.com/listen

Lindsay Roberts is the show director for Greenbuild, the premier conference and expo for the green building movement. 

Organising Greenbuild is a 12 month long process, so running the annual event is pretty much a full time job for Lindsay. I thought I'd catch up with her just prior to registrations opening so you've got plenty of time to secure your early bird tickets and join the buzz. 

In 2015, Greenbuild is in Washington D.C. and will take place from November 18 to 20. Mark it in your diary now!

http://www.greenbuildexpo.com/

Concrete slab edge insulation is one my hot topics. It seems to spark debate, firstly about if it's worth doing, then secondly about how to do it. I recently spoke with manufacturer and experienced business owner, Mike Peters of Fort Wayne, Indiana who's come up with an easy solution for builders to cut heat loss at the slab edge by up to 88%.

http://homestylegreen.com/116

http://insulslab.net/

What's the difference between HRV and ERV? Grant Anderson is the National MVHR Manager at Fantech. (What's MVHR? Listen in to find out!)

Please feel free to contact me if you'd any help with choosing a ventilation system, matthew@homestylegreen.com

You can also find Grant and his team at Fantech, http://bit.ly/1FDK1PT

http://homestylegreen.com/115

Peter Olorenshaw has been developing his passion for passive solar design for over 21 in Nelson, one of New Zealand's sunniest spots. While has does practise architecture elsewhere, like his designs, he prefers to keep it local.

http://homestylegreen.com/114

http://www.peteroarchitect.co.nz/

How do you find the right products to build a net zero, LEED certified, Living Building Challenge, or simply a healthier, more sustainable home? Standardising product information and storing it all in one, easy place was the reason why GreenWizard was started. It's a Building product management solution to help you find sustainable products.

http://homestylegreen.com/113

https://www.greenwizard.com/

What's the link between durability and sustainability? Brett Little explains that there's no point in building a zero energy house, if it only lasts a few years.

The Green Home Institute is focussed on empowering people to make healthier and more sustainable places to live. Working closely alongside the the USGBC, the Green Home Institute offers services to help with LEED for Homes Certification and other third party verification provides to help prospective home owners meet their sustainability goals.

http://homestylegreen.com/112

http://greenhomeinstitute.org/

Andrew Stephenson has always seen architecture as a unique opportunity to turn people's dreams into reality. 

Living in a luxury bus with a family of five, and studying permaculture, has given Andrew some great inspiration for multi-function spaces and features. He now incorporates this thinking into his designs to make stylish and sustainable homes. 

http://homestylegreen.com/111

http://www.bellstephenson.co.nz/

How do you make a power plant in the middle of an urban setting, look interesting and attractive? And what's that got to do with designing sustainable homes?

Peter Hogg and Toby Reed are award winning, Melbourne based architects and I spoke with Peter about why he does what he does. 

Be sure to check out there website for more about their recent projects, including the spectacular Precinct Energy Project in Dandenong.

http://homestylegreen.com/110

Marnie Oursler used to sell houses. Now she designs and builds them and runs a successful company doing so.

What I found most inspiring talking to Marnie, was that she knows how to have fun while creating a spectacular home.

http://www.marniehomes.com/

How do you make a house sustainable? Talking to the team at Sustainability House would be a good start. 

Sustainability House believe that all buildings should aim to have low embodied energy, use energy efficiently, generate electricity, collect and recycle water, be passively thermally comfortable and provide safe indoor air quality.

Sounds reasonable. 

But how do you do it?

I spoke to Business Development Manager, Mark Clayton about their services and the growing demand for sustainable buildings. 

Green Tomato Energy, based in Hammersmith London, is another example of a company fulfilling a fantastic need. They help people get set up with renewable energy technologies and they provide advice on low energy and Passivhaus building design.

http://homestylegreen.com/107

http://greentomatoenergy.com/

Wally is a wireless water leak detector, and temperature and humidity sensor for your home. As CEO of SNUPI Technologies, Jeremy Jaech told me, this isn't particularly sexy, but it could be really valuable.

What is a blower door and why would you want to use one?

We've discussed the benefits of airtightness previously. In this episode, we're jumping straight in to look at the blower door and airtightness testing.

Net zero homes, tiny Houses, 'Cargotecture', pocket neighbourhoods and straw bale homes. Matthew Swett likes to experiment with design. He's also an incredibly thoughtful and award winning architect. 

Matthew Swett co-founded Taproot Architects, LLC in 2001 with his wife and business partner Sarah Birger. Together they operate an integrated architecture and landscape design firm on Whidbey Island. 

Prior to starting his own practice, Matthew researched and developed sustainable design guidelines for Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum; pioneered cluster development and pocket neighbourhoods with Ross Chapin Architects; and served as a founding member and co-director for the Solar Information Center at the University of Oregon.

http://homestylegreen.com/104

Derek Ward's strength is the science that connects good design with good performance. Clioma House specialises in 'airtightness and effective insulation'. They help bridge the gap between the drawing board and the construction site.

Matthew Vande and partner Amy Musser created Vandemussser Design to help with 'the technical side of building green'.

They found a great problem when they moved to North Carolina - builders who wanted to do right thing, but didn't know what the right thing was. Matt, Amy and their team now help builders and their clients to find the most cost effective and easiest way to make energy efficient buildings. They help builders to avoid a costly 'trial and error' approach.

http://homestylegreen.com/102

Paul Testa lives in beautiful Sheffield in the UK. He introduced me to the concept of 'vernacular construction' - designing and building to the local conditions. 

Is the Home Style Green Podcast turning into the Passive House Podcast? 

http://paultestaarchitecture.co.uk/

Thanks to NUDURA for supporting Home Style Green:

http://energyefficientbuilding.co.nz/

It's episode 100! In this week's special show, I turned the microphone around to hear from past (and future) guests, listeners answering the question "What would you do to make a better place to live?"

As a founding member of PassivHaus Main, I should have guessed that Chris Corson would be pretty passionate about why and how we should build better homes. A quick look at EcoCor's website suggests they are a good place to start for achieving a practical solution to a sustainable home. I caught up with Chris to talk about prefab, Passive House and Passion!

So, you've decided you'd like a really good home. One that's comfortable, healthy and energy efficient. That's great, but unfortunately it's not (yet) standard practice. Hopefully you can find a good designer to help (try this list if you like). But you'll also need some good, non-standard products. This week I spoke with Ken Levenson about how 475 can help you achieve a high performance home.

Three years ago, John Donovan built a demonstration log house on his property in Waitakere. The images in a recent newspaper article caught my attention, as did the mention of 'eco' and 'efficient'. So I tracked John down to get his thoughts on sustainable building with logs. And we talked about pyramids...