The Building Science Podcast

“Engineering and science is poised to deliver a whole new thing to the world but the world isnt ready to ask” - Luke Leung (Not sure about adding the quote?) As a society, we have entered a time where the roles of architects and engineers are converging; form and function inextricably interwoven. The role of the engineer, in particular, is due for an upgrade. It’s time to rethink norms, retool design processes, and reimagine the appropriate. Fundamentally, the role of the engeering in the AEC is poised to both expand and deepen. In this episode Luke Leung of SOM shows us all what it’s like to approach one’s role in society with an expanded and deepened perspective. Luke is an”engineeers engineer” who is also gifted speaker who thinks deeply and expansively. If you haven’t heard him speak recently you’re in for a treat today. Chances are good that you’ll leave this episode thinking “if only more engineers could channel their inner Yoda or MLK like that”. Starting with a century old quote about the importance of teaching and understanding entropy, Luke and Kristof expand on LCA concepts in a way that shows their full potential, breadth and significance. Along the way exploring ideas like these: What if the concept of entropy was actually central to understanding the life cycle impacts of buildings? What if the best thing “to do” to help move society forward in regards to the way we deliver buildings to ourselves was “to understand” the decisions we make more fully? What if humanity’s interaction with the geobiosphere involves far more than just carbon emissions? What if our homes and buildings directly supported human thriving; both for the outer environment and for our inner lived experience?

What’s old is new again. This episode shines a light on the current industry move back toward biogenic building materials, with a specific focus on the wood products we use for the construction of homes and buildings. The core question we explore here is “Is wood good, always and in all cases? “ What are the right perspectives to have regarding forests, trees, wood, and carbon accounting?  The basic situation is clear: Wood comes from trees, and trees come from forests. But forests are complex ecosystems with interdependencies that are inextricably woven into a rapidly changing set of climate patterns, forest management practices, and societal demands for building materials for both today and for generations to come. Guided by two deeply knowledgeable and thoughtful industry leaders, Chris Magwood and Jacob Racusin, we unpack the seemingly simple question of “Is wood good?” With this as a starting point other questions logically follow. What would be the carbon outcome of not cutting the tree down?  Where is carbon stored in forests?  How much of that forest-sequestered carbon ends up in our lumber yards and homes?  Are current forest management practices appropriate?  Are the certification programs trusted to protect our forests up to the task?  These are relevant questions that are not asked frequently enough to inform decisions about wood and other biogenic materials.  More broadly this episode is about selecting building materials. These decisions have gotten more complicated for all involved in recent years - impacts to the geobiosphere and human health impacts are now top of mind - expanding an already vast range of material considerations that includes aesthetics, thermal and moisture properties, strength and durability, availability and cost. Still, the overarching fact of the matter is that we have arrived at a time in our industry where carbon accounting is an important new normal and tools like BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials) are here to stay so now is the time to engage.

How do we design and build affordable net-zero, carbon-negative homes? That important goal is the subject of today’s episode and is the focus of a multidisciplinary team that includes PNNL, Virginia Tech, and Green Canopy NODE. On the podcast today you’ll hear from Patti Gunderson with PNNL who is working with a talented team who are taking a thoughtful approach to this ambitious goal. One that focuses on modular design, carbon sequestering materials, thermal/energy efficiency, and a forward-looking circular approach that relies on cleverly designed, factory-built, bio-based materials right from the start. The outcome is a home that supports an owner’s right to repair (we need this with so many so-called durable products in our world today) and also allows the materials in the home to be disassembled and reused and the end of the home's lifecycle.

Could it be that Air-to-Water Heat Pumps (AWHP) using hydronic distribution are poised to become the new normal for residential HVAC systems? Can simply switching the thermal distribution fluid from refrigerant to water/glycol have significant positive impacts? As you will learn in this interview with Jim Bashford from SpacePak, the short answer to these questions may well be, simply, Yes. 

Knowing that what we don’t know about our homes matters a lot, they took on the challenge of creating a TV show on home performance for mainstream audiences. Their show, now in it’s third season makes it clear that a “good home” is far more than what it looks like and how much it will sell for in the market. In the process, Corbett and Grace have become leading voices in the role of educating us about the many and hidden dimensions of home performance. Join us in this episode as they unpack the why, the what, and they created the Home Diagnosis TV show on PBS.

Moving heat with a heat pump is an unsung superhero in the global energy transition.

As a society we are learning, slowly but surely, how to design and build healthy indoor spaces for ourselves and our loved ones. Seeing the need to both guide and accelerate this learning process, Paula Baker LaPorte and her wingman John Banta and Erica Elliot MD dedicated themselves to write a book. This happened 35 years ago with the 1st Edition of Prescriptions for a Healthy Homes, last year (in 2022) the 4th Edition was published and it is a richly updated treasure trove of motivation, guidance and actionable information that we all need to know more about. What we need now is a step change of sorts in the way society thinks about and delivers housing to itself. We need a Healthy Home Revolution.

Designing and building a sustainable passive house is a powerful moment for all involved - the client, the architect, and the planet. How we talk about it matters a lot.

“The pen controls the backhoe” is a slogan (from Part 1 of this series) that clearly expresses the power and deep impact of architecture on our world. Given that it is the architect’s pen that controls the backhoe, it makes sense to ask “What is it that controls the pen?” In this episode Corey Squire makes the case that it is the practices that each architecture firm employs that controls their pen. 

This two part interview on air filtration, air filters and filter media with Mark Davidson from Camfil covers a range of topics, from basic to advanced.

This two part interview on air filtration, air filters and filter media with Mark Davidson from Camfil covers a range of topics, from basic to advanced.

Join us for this engaging and somewhat nerdy discussion with Dr Pawel Misztal, an assistant professor from the University of Texas at Austin’s Civil Architectural and Environmental Engineering department. In this conversation Pawel unpacks the story of indoor air emissions and their impact on us. The emissions come from many sources including what we do, who we are (our bodies are highly active emission sources), and the microbes that live on every surface indoors.

There are few roles in society with the broad and lasting power of Architecture. Architecture both reflects and directs the story of a civilization and its cultural milieu by signaling what’s important, who has value, and how society functions. Recognition of the power of architecture in society sets the stage for today’s discussion with Corey Squire, a skilled sustainability consultant, a member of the AIA’s COTE Advisory Group, and an architectural optimist if there ever was one. Join us in this episode as Corey and Kristof start to digest the feast of ideas in Corey’s new book that will be coming out in the Fall of 2023.

In a Seattle neighborhood, close to public transportation, Dan Whitmore and his associates are putting the money where their ideals are and making affordable housing happen.  Not just affordable but high-performance Passive House affordable per the Phius standards, plus they have an onsite PV array that unlocks the benefits of onsite power generation. This episode is an interview with Dan as he unpacks the topic and asks Why is this compelling social issue considered to be only one that can be addressed by governmental programs and non-profits? 

Today we are going to dig into The Future of Homes with two home builders intent on delivering that future in the present. How do we make truly healthy, exceptionally durable homes that also respect the environment, the new normal?