It’s no secret that builders are regularly frustrated with the drawings they are handed. Often there’s either not enough or too much information, which leads them to working through the details on their own. Our guests Steve Baczek, Armando Cobo, and Barry Price take a more hands-on approach to their projects. They explain why and share a few common building details in their respective climate zones to demonstrate how they convey their plans to contractors and clients.

Roof venting is a perennially hot topic in building science, starting with whether a roof should be vented at all and with many fine points to consider depending on climate, assemblies, performance goals and other variables. Martin Holladay, Ben Bogie, and the Brew Crew will delve into the hows, whys and why-nots of roof venting.

The Brew Crew is joined by lighting expert David Warfel and Jeff Calkins for a conversation about energy-efficient lighting options, design strategies and best practices, and how lighting affects occupant health.

Brew Crew is joined by John Siegenthaler, Albie Barden, and Patrick McCombe for a conversation around the idea of heating with wood, which is something of a loaded topic in the green building community. The discussion revolves around making the most efficient use of wood as a fuel source, and because our guests bring to the table such varying approaches to wood heating, this episode has broad appeal.

The hosts of The Modern Craftsman Podcast join the Brew Crew to discuss the idea of craftsmanship in conjunction with building science. They will share a bit about their professions and how they have woven building science methods, technologies, and products into their work as craftsmen.

Michael Klement, Amanda Webb and Bob Burnside, the team behind Burh Becc at Beacon Springs Farm, the world’s second Living Building Challenge−certified home, give us an in-depth look at the complex project. In this episode, learn about what earning a LBC certification entails and the ways in which the team innovated to meet its stringent requirements.

This week, we thought we'd share the Pretty Good House presentation from the Fine Homebuilding 2020 Summit. Mike Maines walks through a way to use the Pretty Good House concepts to design and build a high-performance home, and architect Bob Swinburne shares a recent project that meets Passive House performance and Pretty Good tenets for the other aspects of high-performance homes.

Learn a bit about The Brew Crew. Michael Maines, Emily Mottram, Travis Brungardt, and Kiley Jacques share their personal and professional backgrounds, explaining their interest in building science, how they landed where they are, and where they hope to go.

Whether or not you’ve already read Healthy Buildings by Allen and Macomber you’re sure to gain some perspective and insight into the role our indoor environmental conditions play in human health and performance. This week we are joined by an excellent panel of guests with backgrounds in writing, sustainability, architecture, energy, materials, passive house and podcasts

Anyone buying/building a new house or doing remodels wants their home to perform as well as possible, but money is always tight. So, what are some things any homeowner can take on when remodeling/building their home to boost their performance but still manage their budget? Guest hosts Nick Burger and Dan Hines join us with a number of their local BS* + Beer members to discuss DIY and Home Performance with some of your regular Brew Crew.