
Our expectations of the performance of houses has changed faster than how we build to achieve that performance. So, at the beginning of a conversation in the construction industry, when I hear, “I have been building for 30 years” I think to myself, there are only two outcomes from this conversation. First, the person is putting up a guard and will not be receptive to an applied building science approach. You know, houses have to breath or you’re telling me to tighten up the house and then punch a hole in it for ventilation. On the other hand, the person may have amazing insights and experiences to share.
When I step back, I realize that I’ve almost been working in this industry for 30 years. With an emphasis on sustainable high-performance building, I still struggle to integrate what I do into mainstream building, yet I tend to learn something new every day that takes me one step closer. Having these difficult yet enlightening conversation is often where I learn the most.
At BuildTank, my mission is to use what I learn by applying building science in the field to affect meaningful change in the construction industry. This buildCAST is the next step. By having broad conversations with different players in the industry I learn something new from their story that will move us forward toward taking sustainable buildings to mainstream building.
I hope you will learn something as well. Enjoy!
A Scope of Loss Report is the insurance industry term for an estimate of the rebuilding cost of a lost house due to a severe event like fire, hurricane, or tornado. It does not reflect the cost of the house that will be rebuilt. It reflects rebuilding the specific house that was lost, exactly as…
Read MoreSteve Baczek is a nationally recognized architect, who has been designing and developing custom residential structures for over 28 years. After architecture school he had the opportunity to work with Joe Lstiburek and Betsy Pettit at Building Science Corporation. But since then, he has really honed his unique perspective, knowledge, and ability to be a…
Read MoreAmy Bach, Executive director of United Policy Holders and Lisa Hughes Marshall Fire Survivor and Marshall Fire Local Liaison for United Policy Holders are my guests on this buildCAST. We discuss the impact of fire specifically, but natural disaster and the destruction of home, its impacts on people and the insurance nightmare that they face.…
Read MoreC.R. Herro, Vice president of Innovation at Meritage Homes, leads Meritage’s Business Innovation Program which combines design, efficiency, sustainability, and new technologies to establish a new standard in home building that provide better comfort, healthier air, and cost less to own and operate. C.R. earned a Bachelor of Science at Arizona State University in Physical…
Read MoreChris and his team provide a variety of strategic services to both private and public sector interests related to buildings and building product performance. Their Specialties include Building Science; Building Science Education and Training; Building Performance and Product Research, as well as, Building and Energy Code Development; Fenestration and Insulation Performance, and Energy and Power…
Read MoreAbout 23 years ago I almost created a sister company to my energy rating company BUILTWright that I was going to call WasteWright. Construction waste recycling was all the rage and there were all kinds of ideas regarding how to offer production builders solutions that fit within there building process. I almost bought a Packard…
Read MoreA Scope of Loss Report is the insurance industry term for an estimate of the rebuilding cost of a lost house due to a severe event like fire, hurricane, or tornado. It does not reflect the cost of the house that will be rebuilt. It reflects rebuilding the specific house that was lost, exactly as…
Read MoreSteve Baczek is a nationally recognized architect, who has been designing and developing custom residential structures for over 28 years. After architecture school he had the opportunity to work with Joe Lstiburek and Betsy Pettit at Building Science Corporation. But since then, he has really honed his unique perspective, knowledge, and ability to be a…
Read MoreAmy Bach, Executive director of United Policy Holders and Lisa Hughes Marshall Fire Survivor and Marshall Fire Local Liaison for United Policy Holders are my guests on this buildCAST. We discuss the impact of fire specifically, but natural disaster and the destruction of home, its impacts on people and the insurance nightmare that they face.…
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