The Building Science Podcast

Dec 07 2024 141 ep. 54 mins 2.5k
The Building Science Podcast artwork

The Building Science Podcast is a show hosted by MEP engineering firm Positive Energy principal Kristof Irwin. The show covers everything from the basics of building science to adjacent scientific disciplines to more fully understand how the built environment shapes our lives as human beings on planet earth.

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Architecture Out of Balance

Dec 07 2024 75 mins  
The tension between aesthetics and performance in architecture is a critical and complex issue in contemporary design. Architects are increasingly and appropriately being tasked with designing buildings that are not only beautiful but also functional in terms of impacts on owners, occupants, resources, and planetary ecosystems. The contrasting view, one where architecture is princi

An Architectural Optimist Wrote a Book - Part 3, Causing Good Design to Happen

Nov 18 2024 74 mins  
Join Kristof and Corey Squire in this third and final installment of their interview series discussing Corey’s book People Planet Design. In Part 1, they opened the discussion at the logical starting place of the important Why questions. Why design matters to society and Why architecture is the place to address so many important issues we face today. Part 2 addressed How to make

Designer Desiccants, Molecular Filters, and the Prospects of Dehumidification

Nov 04 2024 66 mins  
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 t

Unlocking Electrification with Passive Buildings

Oct 09 2024 74 mins  
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

More Influence, More Impact, More Satisfaction

Sep 08 2024 85 mins  
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

Tools For a Habitable Future

Aug 16 2024 79 mins  
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

Rethinking The Wood Supply Chain

Jul 29 2024 48 mins  
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

Modular Part 2 - Working Skillfully Within Constraint

Jul 09 2024 46 mins  
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

Modular Part 1 - It doesn't have to be so *$%! Hard!

Jul 02 2024 52 mins  
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. T

Pickleball Goes Passive

Jun 11 2024 58 mins  
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