The Building Sciology Poddie

In this conversation, Dr. Sarah Feiss shares her journey in building a passive house, discussing the principles of passive house design, the importance of energy efficiency in building codes, and the challenges faced in the Australian construction industry. She emphasises the need for better education and training for builders and designers, as well as the growing influence of homeowners in driving sustainable building practices. The discussion highlights the potential for improvement in building standards and the importance of understanding building physics for creating healthy living environments.Thanks for listening! Please leave a comment to let me know what you thought or if you have any questions!Useful links from our chatTrajectory for Low Energy Buildings -⁠ ⁠https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/energy-efficiency/buildings/trajectory-low-energy-buildings⁠⁠ Sustainable Builders Alliance - ⁠https://www.thesba.com.au/⁠Net Zero Ready Homes - ⁠https://netzeroenergybuilder.com.au/netzero/welcome⁠Tools app - ⁠https://buildingtools.co/⁠Little Pot of Gold - ⁠https://www.envirotecture.com.au/little-pot-of-gold/⁠Sarah’s Insta account - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sarahfiess_architect/⁠Chapters00:00 Introduction to Passive House and Sarah's Journey02:48 Building a Passive House: The Process and Principles05:42 Understanding Passive House Certification and Standards08:07 The Role of Building Codes in Energy Efficiency10:49 Challenges in Australian Building Practices12:53 The Importance of Education in Sustainable Building15:56 The Future of Building: Going Beyond Minimum Standards21:18 Building Healthy Structures23:32 Navigating the National Construction Code27:24 Future of Sustainable Building in AustraliaFollow Building Sciology on the⁠ ⁠gram⁠⁠ or get in touch as [email protected]!Visit the⁠ ⁠website⁠⁠ for show notes and a full transcript and sign up to the mailing list⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠! 

In this conversation, I interview Ben Walsham, an energy efficiency consultant, about his journey from architecture to energy consulting. We discuss the importance of sustainable building practices, the impact of evolving building codes, and the need for collaboration between architects and energy consultants. Ben emphasises a human-centered approach to energy efficiency, focusing on how buildings affect the occupants' comfort and well-being. We also touch on trends in renovations, compliance pathways for energy efficiency, and the future of energy standards in the building industry. Thank for listening! Please leave a comment to let me know what you thought or if you have any questions! Useful Links from our Chat www.arkata.au TED Talk - Unfortunately I couldn't find the exact video we talked about in this episode but here are some other great TED talks! What's a McMansion and how can we prevent more of them? How architecture can create dignity for allMinisterial Building Standard 013 Follow Building Sciology on the ⁠gram ⁠or get in touch at [email protected]! Visit the ⁠website ⁠for show notes and full transcript and sign up to the mailing list here!

In this episode, I interview Jackson Digney,  Director of Enduro Builders and South Australia's undisputed leader in energy-efficient building. We discuss Jackson's journey into sustainable building, the importance of education and quality control in the industry, and the challenges of maintaining high standards in carpentry. We chat about the performance gap in building practices and the need for continuous professional development among builders to ensure better outcomes for clients. Tune in for more! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Energy Efficiency in Building 00:45 Jackson's Journey to Sustainable Building 04:13 The Importance of Education in Building Practices 07:07 Quality Control in Carpentry and Building 11:26 Designing for Performance: Closing the Gap 15:09 Addressing the Performance Gap in Building 19:04 The Need for Continuous Professional Development 20:43 Understanding Construction Pricing and Value 23:11 Energy Efficiency in Building: Three Levels Explained 28:01 The Importance of Thermal Bridging in Construction 30:41 Navigating Mould Issues in New Homes 32:18 The Role of Energy Modeling in Building Design Useful links from our chat What is WUFI?  What is Passivhaus? Enduro Builders SA Passivhaus Display Home Website SA Passivhaus Display Home Airbnb What is NatHERS? What is Heat Recovery Ventilation? Follow Building Sciology on the gram or get in touch at [email protected]! Visit the website for show notes and full transcript! Join the mailing list here

I’m excited to introduce the The Building Sciology Poddie — in it I bring you a blend of building science and biology knowledge I have gathered over the last decade or so. I started in building design game and evolved very quickly into energy efficiency and sustainability. I like a pretty building as much as anyone else, but knowing how they work and how to get it right from the beginning makes way more sense to me. Through my years in this industry, I’ve realised how crucial good information is because the unfortunate fact is that what gets designed is not always what gets built and professionals in varying pockets of the industry not all the same in their skills and integrity. Some are super keen to learn and improve, others not so much so my mission is to improve communication around building codes and better building practices here in Australia! That’s why I’m thrilled to announce the launch of this podcast. It’s a space to fill those knowledge gaps and connect with everyone involved in the building industry—from designers and builders to homeowners and more. Head here for more information and our contact page. Click here for the Building Sciology Instagram page. Sponsors Thank you so much to Enduro Builders and Climasure for your support! Head to their social pages and follow along! Enduro - Facebook / Instagram Climasure - Facebook / Instagram Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Building Sciology Podcast 00:26 A bit of a backstory 02:05 A quick sponsor shoutout 02:29 Then came building biology 04:08 The Purpose of the Podcast 05:05 Upcoming Episodes and Guest Lineup 05:57 Get in touch! See you on January 6th 2025 for the official launch of the Building Sciology Poddie!! Jess xx