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.

Here’s the HCC website and here’s the link to buy tickets.

Code to get $50 off is shared on the podcast!

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

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.

If you appreciate the ideas you hear on our podcast, Humid Climate Conference is the conference and the community you’re looking for.

Bernard Hornung

Head of Built Environment, Coltraco Ultrasonics Limited a technology firm in the UK.

Coltraco is manufacturer of a novel and powerful ultrasonic leak detection system.
An example of the types of innovative and trailblazing materials equip and tools that Source2050 is brining to the market. Major Bernard Hornung was educated at Ampleforth College and at The RoyalMilitary Academy Sandhurst. He served 15 years in the Irish Guards, firstly as a Platoon Commander in the Battalion and secondly at the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion. Bernard is fluent in Spanish and in Portuguese Bernard joined Coltraco Ultrasonics In May of 2020 (a good time to switch career focus to air quality and air barriers) as Head of the Built Environment at Coltraco.

John Knapp

Co-founder of Source2050.

Source2050 is the first mission-driven, curated marketplace of energy efficient and high
performance building products that lets builders find and purchase the best solutions for their projects. As you’ll hear he’s a force of nature who has done a lot, and played a varied of roles during his time on the planet.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

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!

Reference: Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer

BSPS, SIGN UP PAGE TO GET ON OUR MAILING LIST, WE NEVER SHARE IT.
https://positiveenergy.pro/the-building-science-philosophical-society

DONELLA MEADOWS BOOK
CHAPTER 6
https://donellameadows.org/wp-content/userfiles/Leverage_Points.pdf

Wiki on Donella Meadows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donella_Meadows

Donella Meadows Project - Academy for Change
https://donellameadows.org/

Check out the Systems Thinking Resources page!
https://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/

Book: Thinking in Systems
https://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-book-sale/

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker