The Building Science Podcast

What is the future of dehumidification? Turns out this simple question opens up an exciting view of the future of IAQ generally. The goal of a low energy method for removing water molecules from a flowing airstream boils down to some way of identifying, grabbing and holding onto them. Essentially we are talking about a designer desiccant or molecular filter that lets the air pass through while it filters out water molecules. 

If we can do this, the next logical question is “Why stop there?” Why not identify a broad range of pollutants and contaminants in the airstream and also select and remove them as well? 

Enter molecularly sensitive filtration based on Metal Oxide Framework (MOF) technology. MOFs are a type of advanced material that scientists are developing to tackle a wide range of challenges, from clean energy, to environmental protection via direct air carbon capture (DACC), to health and drug delivery.. While the name may sound complex, the basic idea behind MOFs is relatively simple—they are materials made by combining metal ions (like zinc, iron, or copper) with organic molecules to create a kind of 3D structure that is highly porous, meaning it has lots of tiny holes or cavities - and they operate as a molecular sieve or filter. 

Join Kristof as he interviews Todd DeMonte of Madison IAQ to unpack the future of dehumidification and learn about desiccants, and the potential for metal oxide frameworks. Along the way we learn whether the “good old” compressor-based dehumidifier is likely to remain the preferred and appropriate approach for many years to come. This is an episode that will bring you up to date at this important edge of the industry. Enjoy!

Passive house has become synonymous with the rapidly arriving new normal for our homes and buildings and offers layers of positive outcomes. Thermal comfort, IAQ/IEQ, durability, and low energy use are typically the incentives for owners, architects, builders and trades. As it turns out, there may be broader societal benefits tied to thoughtfully managing heat flows in and out of a building as well. Good ol’ thermodynamics isn’t getting the flashy attention of solar PV, wind turbines and batteries, but the demand side may well be where we win this fight to protect ourselves and our planet from the worst, most devastating impacts of the climate crisis.

Join Kristof in this wide-ranging conversation with Lisa White, the Co-Executive Director of Phius, where they unpack the positive ripple-out impacts that passive buildings have on our energy grids, and our decarbonization efforts. Seen holistically, buildings are a powerful enabling technology for the ongoing energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Starting with a perspective on the current state of the grid and its ongoing evolution, the conversation here positions passive buildings in relation to the decline of the fossil fuel era and the dominance of renewables.

Empowering the practice of architecture to achieve consistent, predictable, positive impacts on human well-being and planetary health is perhaps one of the most pressing topics in the AEC today. Starting with a review of the history of the search for Bioclimatic Law, this conversation with Dr Bill Braham, FAIA is an invitation to architects to reclaim their power. 

Bioclimatic Law is the relationship between architecture and life. In practice “life” is more narrowly defined by architecture as “comfort” or “comfort, health and well-being”. At its core bioclimatic design asks “What are the climate opportunities?”. The basic principle is to start with a clear understanding of the ambient climate and map those inputs to the design of the building - its massing, orientation, enclosure systems, and window sizes, locations, and shading devices. Beyond these truly passive methods, there are always active systems involved in maintaining a balance between heat flowing into the building and heat sources within the building.

Our buildings mediate between the external climate and our lives. From a thermal perspective, actively managing the enclosure can lead to comfortable indoor conditions 60-80% of the time in most climates. From a well being perspective, as the external climate becomes more unpredictable and severe we have an opportunity to improve the quality of the lived experience of the buildings we deliver to ourselves to protect and shelter us. Join Kristof as he and Bill enjoy a thoughtful, wide-ranging discussion about the role of architecture in society and the role of buildings as extensions of our lives and goals. 

Big picture, we also want to thank you for being listeners who, in our increasingly soundbite world, appreciate the depth, breadth and subtlety of conversations like this. We’re happy that you’re noticing and valuing that we “go there” in these idea exchanges. Please keep your emails and comments coming.

The work of the AEC is broader than buildings. On a daily basis we, collectively and individually, make decisions that have broad and lasting impacts on our lives, our health, and our world. These impacts can be either positive or negative; the choice is ours. This is the perspective of Gina Ciganik and her brilliant and motivated team at Habitable. 

Armed with powerful minds and compelling data, they are working to help society rethink material supply chains altogether. Formerly the Healthy Building Network, Habitable exists to help people understand that we need to fundamentally shift the materials economy to protect ourselves and our planet's ecosystems. These are also the people who created the Pharos database. Now they are releasing a powerful tool, The Informed Tool, to make it easy to make good decisions for materials using a simple Green, Yellow, Red system. It’s time to start.

How can we build better supply chains for the built world?  When it comes to the inconceivably vast amount of wood we use in our buildings, one “simple” way is to use less virgin material and use more wood that would otherwise not make it to market. Instead it would be destined to decompose and emit its carbon into the sky. What if, instead, the forgotten trees were salvaged and turned into valuable, usable lumber?
This is a big idea whose time has come. Still, having a powerful idea is only the first step. Making it happen in the real world is the other side of the story. Starting with a focus on a smarter, more transparent wood supply chain, the ambitious team at Cambium Carbon are making powerful change happen in the human side of the wood ecosystem in the AEC. Their work is a key support for firms committed to sustainability. 
 Join Kristof in a thoughtful conversation with Ben Christensen to learn more about what Ben and his team are doing to find wood impacted by the four Ds: disease, decay, disaster, and development and keep it out of landfills. Instead of landfills the wood goes back into the built world for generations to come.

Today we’re continuing the conversation on modular construction w/ Rommel Sulit and Chris Krager. Buckle up for some quotable quotes and impactful ideas in this episode. A recurring theme from part 1 is present here. Could it be the case that because modular delivery must rethink basic assumptions, it may be the first area of the AEC to do what the rest of the AEC is not. At core, the role of architecture is to create the link between design intent and what is actually built. This is not easy, nor simple. It means managing multiple streams of expertise and action so that they are effectively coordinated and integrated into a finished livable space.

Modular requires a high resolution understanding of why we build the way we do, what are its strengths and weaknesses, and, particularly, where are the key leverage points to unlock change. Because as they say in this episode, there’s no way around the reality that when it comes to AEC practices, We have to Pivot at somewhere. Modular delivery is perhaps, at heart, a recognition of this truth.

How often do you think about modular construction? Is it an idea whose time has come? There are those who view it as the only path forward that realistically checks all the boxes - are they right? 

The potential is clear, modular project delivery can save time, save money, and positively impact our current and looming labor and skills crunch on the construction side of the AEC. There is no doubt that relative to the current norm, the “holy triumvirate” of owner, architect builder*, modular delivery represents a disruptive force within the AEC. Modular may be exactly the solutions we need but also one that we are not currently embracing at scale. Why is that? What are the challenges and the opportunities for modular design, construction and delivery? Join us today to unpack those questions and more. 

Who knew that an indoor pickleball facility could become a touchstone for high performance construction based on passive house principles? The backstory here is worth unpacking as it relates to a powerful force that is not often discussed - money. Return on investment is the aim of the game in the realm of real estate investment and this fact typically filters out high performance passive buildings - but not this time, and it is important to understand why. Our guest today is adept in both the financial and the construction realms and has been able to make a solid case for the value of passive construction in his latest development. 

Beyond the financial angle, this project aim to showcase high quality construction while also fostering community through sport. Plus with the heat and humidity of the Texas summers playing sports indoors makes it far more accessible to people. Join us in this thought-filled interview with David Komet of Urban Earth to hear about his journey and learn what he’s doing with his new pickleball facility as he prioritizes the health of the community, the local environment, and the planet.

At a fundamental level, passive house practitioners are engaged in a rebellion against poor quality design and construction. It’s becoming quite clear that this rebellion has legs and will endure. Given this, a question worth unpacking is whether the durability of the passive house movement is emerging as an architectural style. What are the defining principles behind architectural aesthetic decisions in the context of high performance homes and buildings?  What will the history books say about our little rebellion in the years to come? Join us in this rich and thoughtful discussion with two powerful voices at the top of their game in the passive house realm.

Big news! The Humid Climate Conference is coming back to ATX and it’s time for some appropriate FOMO. We’re just two weeks out. You will be so glad you made the decision to come to HCC in ATX. Both the technical knowledge and perspectives you’ll hear, as well as the realization and experience of the power, vitality and unstoppability of the growing community of folks in the AEC that are stepping up to move our industry and our society forward. 

The theme for HCC’24 is Transitions. The  work we do in the world as architects, developers, builders, trades, and even owners is important and it is also going through a series of transitions that together represent an altogether new way of delivering buildings to clients and communities. The Energy Transition, the refrigerant transition, the transition to lower carbon designs, both embodied and operational, are all “in play” right now. Now is the time to learn about them from visionary thought leaders and boots on the ground who are both showcasing these transitions and helping make them happen. 

Today’s episode opens up the system of systems that delivers the materials, equipment and tools we use to deliver high quality homes and buildings to ourselves. The focus is on an novel ultrasonic leak detection system. This is potentially game-changing technology that impacts the ability to confidently deliver Passive House quality air control layers. Along the way you’ll learn about the importance of the air barrier and get a glimpse of the vastness of the AEC. This is an expansive episode that covers the human side of what it will take to get us from high quality designs to high performance finished projects - and ultimately to high quality lived experiences for occupants and owners.

What if it’s true that “We can not solve our problems using the same level of thinking that created them”? - Attributed to Albert Einstein

Could it be that our building science understanding is limited? Could it be that even the clarity of understanding we gain by viewing homes and buildings as a systems of systems, assemblies, materials and products interacting according to the laws of science and nature - is necessary but not sufficient to cause us to build that way? 

Building science is a necessary understanding but it is proving insufficient to cause the change we want at the pace we need. What do we need to add to the building-as-a-system perspective? What will it take to get past Knowing How to get us to Actually Doing what it takes to design and build for the outcomes we need? Using that concept as a lens, this episode seeks to expand the building-as-a-systems view into the society-as-a-system view in order to find ways to allow the power of building science to have proper impact in society.  Anyone working in the AEC knows that the barriers to change are solid and weighty. This is what motivates our search for Leverage. 

Leverage is a force multiplier. Leverage creates a large powerful force using a smaller force. We need leverage to multiply the force we can exert to cause change to happen in the AEC. Following the insights from Donella Meadows(2), we focus on the concept of Leverage Points - those “places within a complex system where a small change in one area can have pervasive positive impacts”. What we will discover is that according to Donella our mental models of the world, our industry, and our role in it - our deeply held, often unexamined, paradigms, are points of power that bring leverage. 

Please join us for this rich and thoughtful exploration to find sufficiency. What will it actually take to bring the future we want into the present we have. Bring your caring hearts and curious minds and let’s have some fun!

Residential builders are where the rubber meets the road when it comes to delivering houses to society. Because of this, the builder perspective in the industry is tremendously important and impactful. Then again, it’s also true that, even within the same market, builders don’t all build the same way - why is this? How do we, as a society decide between the option? Are there ways of building that are objectively better than others? In this episode Kristof sits down w/ Josh Salinger of Birdsmouth Construction to attempt to unpack that question. The answers may surprise you - enjoy!

Our society has entered a time where the roles of architects and engineers are converging; both form and function are of consequence. When viewed through the all seeing eye of LCA, it becomes clear that it's time for all involved in the functional side of the design to rethink what matters, retool design processes, and reimagine appropriate design. The roles of the architect and the engineer are due 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 from an expanded and deepened perspective. 

Luke is an”engineeers engineer” who is also gifted speaker that thinks deeply and expansively about his both his work and his role. 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 unpack LCA concepts in a way that shows their true potential and breadth.

This podcast uncovers questions that can expand our understanding and inspire action.

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?”

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. 

You don’t have to be a building nerd or an engineer for a question like this to be relevant and important to consider. There are many reasons why AWHP systems make an attractive alternative to our batch of current “normal” heat pumps that rely on refrigerant for thermal distribution. Some of the reasons AWHP are appealing include: (1) reduced refrigerant volumes, thus reduced refrigerant leakage into the atmosphere; (2) larger selection of indoor unit options relative to refrigerant based systems; (3) the ability to support comfort via thermally active surfaces (aka radiant heating/cooling); (4) your home is better future-proofed and more technology-agnostic, and (5) these systems affordably unlock thermal storage (for thermal loads), which can provide energy resilience for their owners as well as dispatchable grid-level energy storage This episode is why you listen to the Building Science Podcast, somehow this multifaceted emerging story has still not hit the mainstream. 

We spend the vast majority of our time inside yet we actually know very little about what it means to live indoors. This is the case even though what happens indoors impacts us in nearly every way. Our comfort, health and overall well-being all are deeply impacted by what's in the air we breathe and what’s happening in and on the surfaces all around us. 

Enter Corbett and Grace Lunsford. 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. Chances are nearly 100% that you’re using a heat pump right now - to heat or cool yourself, refrigerate your food, or keep your car comfortable while you drive. The vapor compression process may be the thermodynamic engine of a heat pump, but where the rubber meets the road is the heat exchanger, aka “the coil”. 

Getting heat exchanger coils right is a balancing act. On one hand we want the coils wall material to be as thin as possible so they move heat efficiently, on the other hand we don’t want the working fluid, typically a high GWP refrigerant, to leak out into the sky. This is a costly hassle for us as well as a tragic outcome for the atmosphere. 

This is the backdrop for today’s conversation with Todd DeMonte on coils, coil failures, and the future of refrigerant based heat ex. Todd has been one of many smart folks around the world working to help society move past the vexing issue of formicary corrosion. Enjoy the feast of ideas in this episode!

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.

With that in mind, Kristof sat down with Paula to have a conversation about her journey exploring and understanding the connection between the built environment and our health. After hearing her stories and absorbing the understanding and knowledge in her book, it is clear that homes can be so much more than we currently ask them to be. Homes are more than a visual-spatial-economic situation, more than a place to hold ourselves, our families and our stuff, more than an exercise in energy efficiency and resource use; The places we live are in truth highly immersive and tactile experiences for our bodies and minds, and profoundly impactful opportunities to promote our health and the health of the planet.