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 chat

Trajectory 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/welcome

Tools 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/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Passive House and Sarah's Journey

02:48 Building a Passive House: The Process and Principles

05:42 Understanding Passive House Certification and Standards

08:07 The Role of Building Codes in Energy Efficiency

10:49 Challenges in Australian Building Practices

12:53 The Importance of Education in Sustainable Building

15:56 The Future of Building: Going Beyond Minimum Standards

21:18 Building Healthy Structures

23:32 Navigating the National Construction Code

27:24 Future of Sustainable Building in Australia

Follow Building Sciology on the ⁠gram⁠ or get in touch as jess@buildingsciology.net!

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 all
Ministerial Building Standard 013

Follow Building Sciology on the ⁠gram ⁠or get in touch at jess@buildingsciology.net!

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 jess@buildingsciology.net!

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