Picking up where we left off last episode...today's electrification deep dive takes us inside the mind of a designer or contractor looking to swap out gas furnaces and water heaters for all-electric systems and appliances. But wait - there are a few things to consider before signing on the dotted line: insulation, ducts, and breaker boxes, just to name a few! Did you know that until just a few years ago it was actually illegal to build a home in CA without hooking up to natural gas?! What...

The first installment in a 3-part "Series" on All-Electric Buildings, we explain why the push for electrification of the built environment has only just begun. We also explore some of the local regulation in California and shine some light on how energy mandates and "reach codes" are being used to inspire proliferation of the #electrifyeverything movement here in the US.   Did you know that until just a few years ago it was actually illegal to build a home in CA without hooking up to natural...

Our first Season 2 "deep-dive" into the emerging practice of building with laminated, pre-fabricated beams and assemblies explains how engineered timber paves the way for much taller wood buildings to be constructed across the globe. Tune in to learn about all the environmental and sustainability benefits of swapping in structural wood in lieu of concrete and steel.   Find out what's been holding things back in the US and how important sustainable forestry practices are if this building...

Wow! Matt (DiBara Masonry) decided to run his family's concrete/masonry business in a way that benefits both his clients and the environment, and he has started a campaign (www.theundercovercontractor.com) to increase transparency in the construction business and save homeowners money. Matt and I discuss how the shift toward "eco-conscious" practices and products requires a discussion of long-term value vs. upfront price. Also, find out how design-based solutions can often have the added...

Listen in as Susan Inglis and I talk about her organization’s mission to merge Health, Environment, and Profitability in the interior furnishings space. SFC advocates for eco-friendly products and educates consumers, retailers, and manufacturers about better practices in the industry. Other fun topics of conversation include: sustainable forestry, regenerative business practices, market-driven solutions to environmental toxins, and the circular economy. Why should we care about a circular...

John Semmelhack is a Passive House consultant, energy-efficiency expert and Founder of Think-Little in Charlottesville, VA. He works in a specific region of the country where 75% of new homes (2014) opted to receive a HERS energy rating despite the lack of local and state incentives for "high-performing" buildings.John and I discuss many of the benefits and challenges involved with the Passive House approach as well as nuances related to climate-specific and client-specific design. Fact:...

Jesse Russell, a "tiny home developer" in Bend, Oregon, and I discuss how efficiency and minimalism can go hand in hand when it comes to designing a space to live. Find out how many of the good ideas out there about smaller living are actually illegal and how Jesse was able to work within the system to create a one-of-a-kind community with shared interests and values. Fact: Smaller homes can help us reduce waste and embodied emissions while creating a space that encourages home-ownership and...

Architect Chris Kempel and I discuss adaptive reuse of old buildings and how his studies in Berlin, Germany, informed his desire to mix the old with the new. We touch on daylighting in older buildings, using the natural environment to inform design, and whether or not technology can replace humans when it comes to intuitive architecture (It can't!) One of the biggest ways we can affect climate change is to use existing buildings rather than tearing them down, and Chris and his firm work...

No one in Los Angeles is tackling the affordable housing quite like Habitat for Humanity LA! Erin (CEO) & Darrell (SVP of Community Development) discuss their 20-year tenure with "green-building", LEED certification, and other innovations in the single-family and community development space. From denim insulation and drought-tolerant landscaping to new partnership initiatives with for-profit developers, you'll be impressed and encouraged by how HabitatLA has used sustainability to...

Nate and I discuss everything HVAC in this fun and informative interview with "The House Whisperer" himself! Electrification of the home, including the use of electric air-source heat pumps, sets us up for an in-depth conversation about Comfort & Health rather than simply focusing on efficiency. Nate developed a system called HVAC 2.0 that helps educate homeowners and contractors alike about the many benefits of a right-sized heating/cooling system.It's worth mentioning that among his...

Kicking off Season 2 with Amber Richane, Senior Design Manager for the City of Santa Monica and the now-complete City Hall East - recently dubbed the "greenest" building in the world!!!We discuss the ins and outs of designing and building the first municipal "Living Building" in Southern California, including on-site water & energy systems, how to make a building "breathe", edible landscape design, and a deep dive into how sanitary foam-flush toilets can be! Episode...

Fact: Reducing Embodied Carbon in our buildings and building products is the number one way we can stop climate change in its tracks! First we need to know what it is and how it's been contributing to the rapid environmental degradation of our People & Planet. Then we can work together (quickly!) to turn things around.Did you know? The average residential solar panel takes a full year to offset the amount of carbon emitted during its production. About Ian:As the Managing Director of...

From Triple Bottom-Line Accounting to Human-centered and nature-inspired (biophilic) principles in design to Indoor Air Quality and Embodied Carbon, this Season Finale is a look back at all we've learned and a look forward at where the built environment is headed when it comes to prioritizing Sustainable solutions to environmental and social justice.We (still) strongly believe that collaboration is the key to inspiring future innovation in the Design/Build space. Join the conversation...

Tune in as Brett Little and I talk innovations in building science, electric heat pump retrofits, building certification programs, and how to be a "sustainability ninja" when it comes to proving cost savings. We also discuss IAQ (indoor air quality) and how we've had the answers for stopping viruses, VOCs, and indoor contaminants for many years...perhaps now the world will choose to listen! Episode Sponsor: www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host: [email protected] About Brett:Brett...

How do you design a sustainable single-family home for a luxury market? No biggie…just bump into a sustainable architect at your local Starbucks! Listen in as Drew Pedrick, Ginger Matthews, and I delve into project specs on energy modeling, passive heating/cooling, triple-pane windows, greywater recycling, rain screen technology, home automation, stone selection, carbon and more!Fact: You can have a team of highly-skilled experts with analytical minds and great ideas and you'll still run into...

From visiting Earthships in New Mexico to watching marble blasts in Italy, Aly and I take a virtual trek across the globe to talk about the health of the materials we choose to use in our buildings. We also discuss the importance of educating clients, lawmakers, and others in the industry about healthier and more sustainable practices so we can pass a thriving planet on to the next generation of humans! Episode Sponsor - www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host - [email protected] Aly...

Basically a primer on the different certification options out there, we use this episode to discuss the history, how-to, and pros/cons of our Top 5 programs (in no particular order): LEED, EnergyStar, PassiveHaus, Living Building Challenge, and WELL.Hint: It should be no surprise that a good project team and integrated approach to design yield the best results no matter which program you choose!!! Season Sponsor: www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host: [email protected] Show...

"Citizen-architect" Angie Brooks (FAIA) joins the podcast to discuss the importance of beauty and equity in our pursuit of sustainability. She recounts the high honor of receiving an award from Michelle Obama, talks about gender diversity in architecture, and explains why we need federal leadership here in the US to create a smartgrid rather than the "stupidgrid" we have today! Episode Sponsor: www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host: [email protected] Angela Brooks, FAIA, LEED AP,...

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) matters quite a bit for encouraging productivity, ecological sustainability, and human health. How do we get there? By focusing design efforts not only on the materials inside our buildings but the materials that we actually use to build! We highlight design tools and processes that can help us build with healthier materials, better manufacturing, and a lighter carbon footprint.  Season Sponsor: www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host:...

Josh is an Energy Service Technician for a federal weatherization program making homes safer, healthier, and more comfortable. His work in the energy and weatherization space has helped him focus on efficiency in his own home in addition to his work helping the lower-income population of Buncombe County, NC. Tune in to learn what a blower-door test is and why blown fiberglass insulation may sometimes be a more sustainable option than cellulose!  Episode Sponsor:...

Sean, a cost-efficiency expert and self-proclaimed climate activist, joins the podcast to talk about all-electric construction and the endemic problems with natural gas infrastructure here in California. He shares a very moving story about the personal ramifications of decades of fossil fuel use (thank you Sean!) and we eventually get around to brainstorming some ways to fix what's broken by focusing on universal goals like human health and building efficiency.  Episode Sponsor:...

We knew 50 years ago that humans needed to curb pollution in order to save our planet. Today's discussion is about tools, programs, and an all-electric approach to reducing "embodied" carbon in construction...the only real way to stop the climate crisis. Also, find out how efficiency in building design could save us the equivalent of 13 million cars driving on the road for a year and why methane doesn't just come from cows!!!  Season Sponsor - www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.comContact Host -...

Join in as we discuss Energy-saving (and cost-saving) design strategies, a necessary follow-up to our last episode on water conservation. As long as the building industry remains addicted to fossil fuels there are few ways to avoid the ongoing damage done to our waterways and other "renewable" natural resources. We need to learn to design buildings with energy-efficiency as our top priority and advocate for an energy-positive future.Translation: It's not enough to just slap solar panels on...

Learn how Drew Pedrick (AIA, LEED AP), Founding Principal of McTigue Architecture, figured out how to use cost savings as leverage for energy savings before efficiency was even a thing. He and I discuss his work designing everything from award-winning cruise ship terminals in Hong Kong to the LEED Gold-certified LAPD headquarters in downtown LA (and everything in between!) How can we design buildings with a higher purpose in mind? What does building “flow” really mean? How do we work together...