Jason Quinn used to be a NASA rocket scientist. Now he's New Zealand's one and only Passive House Certifier. He's just published a book summarising the first 24 Certified Passive Houses in New Zealand.

http://warmhealthyhomes.co.nz

In 2012 Ben Adam-Smith founded House Planning Help to collect and share all the information he started to learn on the way to designing and building his own home. His mission is to encourage people towards the "...houses we should be building in the 21st Century."

Six years on, Ben and his family are enjoying their very own Passive House.

Sam Rogers thinks we've reached a tipping point where more people are seeking high performance homes and are willing to invest a little extra for a much better result. Sam and his team at Land Homes are on a mission to make high performance homes mainstream.

Felicity and Marc Bernstein met at architecture school in Germany and have been working together since. During the last twenty years they've worked in Germany, Arabia and Australia. They now want to use modular design to bring high performance, zero-carbon homes to the masses. Felicity and Marc have recently launched Hütt - Tomorrow's House Today to achieve their vision. Through the crowd equity funding platform Birchal, they're inviting everyone to join the movement.

When Prof. Dr. Hartwig Künzel was studying Chemical Engineering, his father was a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute. Hartwig followed in his father's footsteps after becoming interested in the preservation of heritage buildings. He soon discovered that he could apply his engineering training to diagnosing the moisture problems that occurred after buildings were insulated.

When Prof. Dr. Hartwig Künzel was studying Chemical Engineering, his father was a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute. Hartwig followed in his father's footsteps after becoming interested in the preservation of heritage buildings. He soon discovered that he could apply his engineering training to diagnosing the moisture problems that occurred after buildings were insulated.

Terry Brennan literally wrote the book on managing moisture for improved indoor air quality. He is a lead author of a landmark 2013 Environmental Protection Agency book titled “Moisture Control for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance” which has since become a standard reference document in the industry in the US.

In November 2018, Terry visited Australia as a keynote speaker for The Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) and Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH). We took this opportunity to bring Terry to New Zealand for a short visit and workshop at the pro clima HUB, where I caught up with him for a chat about building science, mould and how to build better.

Tedd Benson refers to stick framing as pretty basic shelter. It went up almost overnight, but the legacy continues as a 'worse form of building that then become a standard'. Today, Tedd runs Bensonwood, Unity Homes and Tektonik. He is a passionate about combing the skills and values of traditional craftsmanship with cutting edge technology to make better places to live.

In Episode 145 I spoke with Dennis Dowling of DCD Construction. On the episode, I talk with Annabelle Numaguchi who has a PR and marketing background. Why has Annabelle recently become a Homestar Assessor and what is her vision for DCC Construction? Find out in this episode of Home Style Green. http://homestylegreen.com/177

Bert Sarkinnen has been building homes since he was 16, firstly alongside his Father who was also his teacher and mentor. Along the way Bert fell in love with the craft and beauty of timber framed buildings, so much so that he created Arrow Time Framing to specialise in this type of construction. As creators of beautiful, high quality buildings, Arrow Timber Framing is now 'the enemy of ugly'. In this conversation, we discuss the importance and value of a craft, how being encouraged to makes mistakes helped Bert to learn, and the challenges of building a business.

The Headwaters in Glenorchy, just 45 minutes drive from Queenstown is a magical place and now home to another Living Building Challenge project.

I caught up with lead consultant, Tricia Love recently to discuss how she got involved and what the Headwaters is all about.

The Headwaters doesn't aim to re-invent the wheel. It is however a leading example of how we can learn from what's being done overseas and contribute our own expertise towards a positive effort of creating better places to live, work and play.

Karen Manson likes thinking about and designing housing, not just houses. With over 15 years of international experience, Karen now has her own practice in Christchurch. She focuses on high performance houses, including Passive House. I had the opportunity to chat with Karen at the pro clima HUB about her journey. In this episode we discuss the urban design, keeping it simple and what can be learnt from the process of designing standard, code compliant buildings.

Nearly all building elements (roofs, walls, floors, window and door joints etc.) will leak at some point. Problems only occur when moisture gets in, and stays in. If moisture is allowed to accumulate for extended periods, then mould grows, timber rots and metal corrodes. Ultimately, people get sick and our buildings start to fail. This can be incredibly disruptive, stressful and expensive!

WUFI® was created to allow designers to check their designs before those designs become real buildings. By running scenarios with different combinations of products we can fail in the virtual world until we optimise the design. Then we can build with confidence that our real structure will stay dry, healthy and strong for decades.

How do you make eco, affordable?

As project manager for the proposed Lotus Eco Village in Paraparaumu near Wellington, Simon Wallace has some good ideas.

In 1971, Eric Doornekamp led a group of yoga enthusiasts to establish the Lotus Yoga Centre and Retreat in Aro Street, Wellington. Almost half a century on, the Lotus Yoga Centre Charitable Trust is branching out and developing an Eco-Village.

The Lotus Eco Village will be built in on a 3 hectare site purchased by the Trust back in 1985. Project Manager Simon Wallace shared with me how he plans to create affordable, healthy houses alongside a yoga and community centre in a great location.

http://homestylegreen.com/172

Russell Baillie describes the Baillie Eco-Home as a modern, contemporary house that's green under the skin. It's a two storey, three bedroom home in Mt Eden completed in 2016. The house is a showcase of efficiency, sustainability and universal design.

http://homestylegreen.com/171

Harpal Kler comes from an accounting background, but during the last four years he's learnt a lot about building and living in a Passive House. Now, he's a big advocate.

Their multi-generational family home was completed in December 2015 by ehaus and is one of a growing number of Certified Passive House homes in New Zealand.

I asked Harpal how he came across Passive House in the first place, and what he's learnt from building and living in one. 

What can we learn down here in the Southern Hemisphere, about the growth and success of Passive House in Canada? CEO of Passive House Canada, Rob Bernhardt shares his inspiration. 

This week I'm discussing skylights and roof windows. They're great for both light and ventilation, but what should you look out for?

A building surveyor is trained to investigate potential issues and provide a prioritised list of maintenance for a building. When looking to buy a property, don't take the real estate agent's word for it. Find your own, reputable building surveyor to get an honest assessment of the building. You'll still need to make the decision yourself whether or not to buy, but at least you'll be more informed when you make that decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

Wolfgang Feist is attributed as the co-founder of Passive House along with Bo Adamson. Feist, a German physicist collaborated with Adamson from Sweden in 1988 to developed a number of ultra-low energy research buildings.

Passive House is now 25 years strong and at the time of recording, Wolfgang was preparing to attend the 20th International Passive House Conference back where it all began in Darmstadt, Germany.

http://homestylegreen.com/156

It’s tempting to say that Prefab’s time has come, but I don’t think this does justice to prefabricated building. As Pamela Bell has explained previously on the Home Style Green Podcast, Prefab is not new. But the enthusiasm shown during this week’s PrefabNZ CoLab event here in Auckland suggest that prefab will play an increasingly important role in the delivery of buildings.

Some would even go so far as to say, there’s a revolution about to happen!

Here are some of my highlights from a well attended and inspiring conference.

http://homestylegreen.com/155

Adaptive architecture and innovative insights from California, with Matthew Baran of Baran Studio Architecture.

http://www.baranstudio.com/

http://homestylegreen.com/154 

Paul Dowsett and his team at Sustainable.To are dedicate to creating affordable, healthy and energy efficient homes, because that's what Paul believes is 'the right thing to do'.

And as for the extra cost? Listen in to find out...

http://www.sustainable.to/
http://homesteylgreen.com/153

Remember when the main choice you had for light bulbs was 60 Watts or 100 Watts? Things have progressed a long way since then, and mostly for the better, especially when you consider that the average incandescent light bulb is only about 10% efficient. Most of the energy ends up as heat rather than light.
Now we've transitioned through compact fluorescents (CFLs) to light emitting diodes (LEDs), there's a lot more to understand about what makes a good light.

In this episode, I speak with David Maunsell from Switch Lighting to uncover the details about why some LEDs are much higher quality than others. Unfortunately it's still the Wild West out there in lighting retail land. Hopefully this can help you figure out what's important for lighting.

http://www.switch-lighting.co.nz/
http://homestylegreen.com/152

There's so much that could be said about two days of great Passive House presentations in Melbourne, but I've challenged myself to boil it down to one point per presentation. If there was one takeaway from the second South Pacific Passive House Conference, it was that Passive House has arrived in the Southern Hemisphere and it's going to grow, because it works!

http://homestylegreen.com/151

Glenn Harley is a builder of energy efficient homes in Canterbury. After being attracted to the natural, healthy feel of strawbale construction, Glenn now produces high performance homes with lots of insulation and airtight envelopes.

http://harleybuilders.co.nz/

http://homestylegreen.com/150

In the town of Invermere, about 3 hours west of Calgary in British Columbia, there's a workshop where high performance, energy efficient homes are constructed all year round, regardless of the weather. 

http://collectivecarpentry.com

http://homestylegreen.com/149

Graham Hunt goes into a lot of detail when researching the local climate that will impact the comfort of a home. Designing for your climate includes an analysis of both the macro - the temperature, rainfall and humidity of the region, but also the micro - the local wind, shading and exposure of a particular site.

We discuss why this is important and how to do some of the basics.

http://homestylegreen.com/148
http://gehunt.com.au

Who's the most influential person in a real estate development, the architect, the owner, the builder...? What about the developer?

Real estate developers are often seen as the bad guys, out to make a bunch of money without really caring about the quality of homes of lifestyles resulting from their work. Steve Glenn's philosophy however is that developers have a huge potential to control what gets created in real estate and he's passionate about creating a good product. The mission of Living Homes LLC is "...to create homes and communities that inspire people, foster family and community interaction, and make modern life easier, healthier and more comfortable..."

http://livinghomes.net
http://homestylegreen.com/147

Angus Crowe believes that you definitely can afford an architect. In fact, you can't afford not to have one.

Learning from design homes in the tropics, Angus now uses a combination of orientation, cross flow ventilation, thermal mass and above all - 3D modelling to produce healthy, comfortable homes.

http://homestylegreen.com/146
http://truenortharchitects.com.au/

Dennis Dowling creates finely crafted, passive energy homes that you’ll love. From energy efficiency and budgeting advice, through to high quality, Passive House standard construction, DCD offers a turn-key approach to building.

I initially contacted Dennis for a comment about why he choses to use pro clima products, but when he started to describe his approach to building homes, I had to turn on the microphone!

http://homestylegreen.com/145

http://dcd.co.nz/

Beattie Passive is a complete system for a high performance home. I love the idea of thinking of a house as a system. I also love the idea of making it simple and easy to get right, and that's exactly what Ron Beattie has done. 

http://homestylegreen.com/144

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...

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. 

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?

There are eco labelled paints, and then there are eco paints. What's the difference?

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?

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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.

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.

Duncan Firth feels 'compelled' to do what he does - designing environmentally functional homes. How can architecture truly respond to the environment?

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. 

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. 

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. 

Eaves are the classic case of form following function. In this podcast I lay out my three key reasons for having them, but a key question is, 'how big should eaves be?'