In this conversation, Dr. Sarah Feiss shares her journey in building a passive house, discussing the principles of passive house design, the importance of energy efficiency in building codes, and the challenges faced in the Australian construction industry. She emphasises the need for better education and training for builders and designers, as well as the growing influence of homeowners in driving sustainable building practices. The discussion highlights the potential for improvement in building standards and the importance of understanding building physics for creating healthy living environments.

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Useful links from our chat

Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings - ⁠https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/energy-efficiency/buildings/trajectory-low-energy-buildings⁠ 

Sustainable Builders Alliance - https://www.thesba.com.au/

Net Zero Ready Homes - https://netzeroenergybuilder.com.au/netzero/welcome

Tools app - https://buildingtools.co/

Little Pot of Gold - https://www.envirotecture.com.au/little-pot-of-gold/

Sarah’s Insta account - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfiess_architect/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Passive House and Sarah's Journey

02:48 Building a Passive House: The Process and Principles

05:42 Understanding Passive House Certification and Standards

08:07 The Role of Building Codes in Energy Efficiency

10:49 Challenges in Australian Building Practices

12:53 The Importance of Education in Sustainable Building

15:56 The Future of Building: Going Beyond Minimum Standards

21:18 Building Healthy Structures

23:32 Navigating the National Construction Code

27:24 Future of Sustainable Building in Australia

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