by Positive Energy
<p>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.</p>
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/27/2015
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April 10, 2025
In this special episode of the Building Science Podcast Kristof is joined by Ilka Cassidy of Passive House at NESEA's BuildingEnergy Boston '25. Ilka and Kristof are joined by the following inspiring speakers and organizers of NESEA 25: Jacob Deva Racusin, New Frameworks Natural Design/Build Andrew Himes, Carbon Leadership Forum Laura Bailey, Vermont Council On Rural Development Heather Ferrell, Prism Design Lab They dive in to the conferences main take aways, lessons learned, and calls to action.
March 20, 2025
Keep an ear out for an easter egg after the outro on this one. The Significance of Buzzwords in the AEC Industry The words we use matter. Terms like "sustainability”, “net zero” and “resilience” signify our industry's evolving priorities and concerns. These “buzzwords” reflect current cultural circumstances within the AEC industry and larger society while also actively shaping how we approach and address these issues. In this episode will be exploring the meanings and relationships between many of the current buzzwords that are alive in the AEC today. If you’ve ever wanted to deepen your understanding of words and terms like “sustainability”, “net zero”, “embodied carbon”, “circular economy”, “resilience” or “adaptation” you’ll appreciate this interview w/ Kjell Anderson of LMN Architecture in Seattle. Yes, buzzwords come and go. We routinely air quote them somewhat irreverently. But do not be fooled - buzzwords are also important. Far from being superficial, these trends in language mark the emergence, acceptance, and eventual integration of new, often significant, ideas. When a word gains prominence, it often signals a collective reckoning with the issue it represents. Conversely, when it fades, it may indicate that the idea has either been absorbed into the mainstream, superseded by more urgent concerns, or—sometimes quite worryingly—been deprioritized. Dictionary definition of “Buzzword”: (pejorative) A word drawn from or imitative of technical jargon, and often rendered meaningless and fashionable through abuse by non-technical persons in a seeming show of familiarity with the subject.
February 26, 2025
“The world is not made of atoms, the world is made of stories” Muriel Rukeyser “Where do buildings come from?” is a question that comes with a story. Less often asked, “Where do buildings go?”. The evolving story human society tells itself in answer to those questions is worth unpacking thoughtfully. That’s what happens in this episode. Join Kristof as he shares a conversation with Greg Esparza on the power of storytelling and the connection between stories and the materiality of buildings. The power of storytelling is clear in the ability to connect people, foster empathy, and transmit knowledge and shape cultural values. The materiality of buildings is itself a response to storytelling. Every building belies the presence of an underlying story about our relationship with nature. At every step of the design and construction process we make decisions. What are those decisions based on? Unfortunately the answer is not often evident and is likely tangled up in outdated ideas based on stories that no longer make sense. The importance of biogenic building materials as an emerging theme in the AEC is not just their materiality, it’s deeper. It is the story of us all coming to our senses - both literally and figuratively - our senses of sight (of course), sounds, smells, and textures - while also thinking about where buildings come from and where buildings go. Ultimately the choices we make in how we deliver homes to ourselves impacts our felt sense of life altogether. Why not curate materials for our homes that actually make us feel good? Turns out when we do this we find that these same decisions support the AEC’s ultimate triple bottom line of healthy homes, healthy people, healthy planet.
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