Why do we design indoor spaces the way we do? What are the unseen socio-cultural impacts involved and how do they impact other aspects of the indoor environment that we can not see? Today, we're unpacking the idea that our indoor environments are not just passive shelters - they are complex, multifaceted situations with competing goals and perspectives. As our guest, Dr. Liz McCormick shares, our relationship with indoor space is a rich, interdependent web of circumstances that stretches well beyond the boundaries of any single discipline. 

We'll be bringing together insights from architecture, anthropology, and ecology to explore the substantial footprint of our built environments—physically, on a scale equivalent to global grasslands and tropical forests; psychologically, as we experience thermal blandness and a disconnect from nature; and ecologically, as we grapple with a misplaced sense of separation from the "dirt" and the world outside our carefully conditioned spaces. This conversation will challenge us to rethink outdated ideas and address why the air we live in—this "material" we are in constant contact with—matters so much for our health. We'll be looking at a comprehensive model for indoor air quality, considering the crucial interactions between pollutants, their pathways, and our exposure. Buckle up for another thoughtful adventure on the Building Science Podcast!

Links from the Episode:

Buildings don’t use energy: people do

Entomological Happenings

The Architecture of Vector Control

Liz McCormick

McCormick is a licensed architect, educator, and researcher whose work explores healthy, climatically sensitive, and contextually appropriate building design strategies that connect occupants to the outdoors while also reducing the dependence on mechanical conditioning technologies. Her recent book, Inside OUT: Human Health & the Air-Conditioning Era (Routledge), tells the rich story of both the social and technological drivers of the conditioned indoors while making an argument for thoughtful interventions in the built environment. It brings together a multi-disciplinary group of experts of the indoors, including scientists, anthropologists, engineers, and architects, to discuss the future of human habitation with a dominant focus on human health in a post-pandemic world. Liz is also the lead-PI for the NSF-supported research study abroad program to Tanzania (through 2026).

Liz is a WELL and LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Passive House Consultant. With over 10 years of experience as a practicing architect, she has worked on a variety of project scales from single-family passive houses to LEED-certified commercial office buildings and campuses. She received a PhD in Design from North Carolina State University, Master of Science in Building Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as bachelor’s degrees in architecture and fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Liz was the recipient of the 2021 AIAS/ACSA New Faculty Teaching Award, which “honors architectural educators for exemplary work in areas such as building design, community collaborations, scholarship, and service,” the announcement reads. Liz is also an active member of numerous professional and academic organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), AIA Charlotte Committee on the Environment (COTE), National Passive House Alliance (PHAUS), the Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE). Additionally, she is an invited board member of the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and the president-elect for the Building Technology Educators Society (BTES)

Commissioning Matter - Establishing a Culture of Collaboration

Who on the AEC team can deliver strategic guidance, direction, and leadership for the functional aspects of homes and buildings? This is the role of a Commissioning Agent (CxA) and it’s a role that matters now more than ever. The term "commissioning" itself means to "entrust into the safekeeping of someone", with its origins dating back to the mid-14th century, signifying "authority entrusted to someone, delegated authority or power". When it comes to home and buildings, who do we entrust to make sure everything functions as intended and in a way that meets w/ owner satisfaction? This podcast will explore how commissioning plays a similar vital cohesive role in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.

Today, we'll delve into what Commissioning is, and what a Commissioning Agent (CxA) does. We'll also cover how commissioning works in practice and where this role is headed in the future. Join Kristof and he and Wes Van Rite unpack this important and timely topic.

Wesley Van Rite

Wesley Van Rite is Principal at Engineered Projects Consulting, LLC. 

EPC fills in the gaps where most consultants operate. Wes performs in the grey area between architects, engineers, owners, and contractors. He uses his experience in various aspects of construction to facilitate conversations, resolve issues, and improve performance. Ultimately, his role builds a better project through the trust and cooperation of the project team and by being non-adversarial, respectful, and understanding. Offering Commissioning, Consulting, and Passive House Services.

With over two decades in Building Science, he has had the privilege of learning from and collaborating with some of the best in the field. His passion lies in working on high-performance building projects, and he believes professionals in the construction industry have an ethical responsibility to build better. With current technology, resources, and knowledge, it's possible to create more resilient, efficient buildings without significant cost increases.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

How do we expand the positive impacts of our buildings? Now is the time. 

The building sector is looking at a once-in-a-generation opportunity to flip from being a major contributor to both chronic disease and climate disruption to becoming one of the primary solutions. The key is provide training and perspective to the professionals involved. Why is it that so few architects base design decisions on the known health impacts of buildings at both the personal and community levels? Similarly, why is it that the role of buildings as determinants of health and disease in society is so frequently overlooked by epidemiologists and other public health professionals? 

In this interview Adele Houghton (FAIA, DrPH, LEED AP) explains how architects, developers, real estate teams and community groups can use their role power and agency to improve outcomes at many levels and scales, for the benefit of all involved. While no single building can entirely transform a neighborhood's character or its susceptibility to environmental factors, thoughtful design can enhance the health and well-being of residents and businesses, reducing financial risk and contributing to local policy goals.

Adele Houghton

Adele Houghton, FAIA, DrPH, LEED AP, works at the intersection of buildings, public health, and climate change. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows and received a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she also teaches. Her book, Architectural Epidemiology (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024), co-authored with Professor Carlos Castillo-Salgado of Johns Hopkins University, proposes a novel method for architectural design: combining neighborhood-scale environmental health data with participatory community engagement to maximize a building's positive ripple effect on community and planetary health.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

“It’s time to rethink the idea that architecture does not sully itself with social or ecological ills.”

Jonathan Feldman (in conversation w/ KI)

The practice of architecture is a place where ethics and aesthetics converge. We make decisions and lead our lives based on ethics. As such ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society. Aesthetics is a set of principles that are involved with the nature and appreciation of beauty - the aspect of an object that makes it pleasurable to perceive. Join us in this interview with two thought leaders whose work locates them at the convergence of ethics and aesthetics. As a Founder and a Principal at Feldman Architecture, Jonathan and Anjali care about the craft of architecture and recognize the importance of the role power of architecture in society. This shows up in their design work on projects as well as how they design firm culture and practice. Being “thought leaders” is no walk in the park, it puts you in situations where you feel lonely, overwhelmed and disheartened at times, it asks you to take a stand. As you’ll hear in this interview, moving the industry forward with design thinking that includes carbon accounting, human health, and regenerative practices starts with a willingness to be humble and recognize that risk and reward are often two sides of the same coin.

Anjali Iyer

Anjali, LFA, CPHD, LEED AP, hails from Mumbai, India, where she obtained her Bachelor of Architecture from the Sir J.J. College of Architecture. Prior to joining Feldman in 2014, Anjali developed skills in domain-specific technologies while exploring the possibilities for a paperless office and accrued over thirteen years of experience in the design and detailing of high-end custom residential work. As an associate architect at a small firm with a deep focus on details, Anjali offered her expertise in both architecture and interior design for small to medium scale projects first in Bangalore, India and then from Prague, Czech Republic. After she moved to the Bay Area, Anjali worked as a consultant and assistant principal architect at a small design studio specializing in residential projects.

Jonathan Feldman

Jonathan, FAIA, LEED AP, is Feldman Architecture’s Founding Partner and CEO. Since establishing the firm in 2003, he has led its development into a residential and commercial design practice recognized for creating warm, light-filled spaces with an understated modern aesthetic. Jonathan is passionate about design that solves complex problems and is committed to creating solutions that significantly improve the way we live and interact with our planet.

Initially interested in filmmaking, Jonathan moved to California in the 1990s, where he worked on feature films and commercials.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

Risk is real in the AEC. True risk management isn't about avoidance, but about informed engagement. Homes and buildings today measure success in many ways, each of these represent a potential failure mode. Managing risk means recognizing and embracing it, this is a core message from our guest today. Joe Basham is a seasoned construction industry attorney with decades of experience, a keen mind, clever wit and the ability to cut to the heart of the matter.

Join Kristof and Joe as they delve into the critical role of risk management in the design and construction process and unpack real world ways to navigate challenges with demanding clients, the importance of clear contracts, the power of proactive project management. The discussion also focuses on the impact of new project delivery methods, the rising costs of professional liability insurance and evolving liability concerns in the larger context. Discover how architects are adapting by focusing on design leadership, leveraging consultants, clear contract language and the importance of having open and respectful relationships with all stakeholders. 

We explore the arriving potential of AI to revolutionize the design profession, offering increased efficiency and informed decision-making - recognizing that this is also a deep change and one that comes with implicit risks and rewards. 

One final thought is that the ultimate de-risking move is to design thoughtfully, build carefully and maintain open communication and realistic expectations at all times!

Joe Basham

Joe Basham is Allensworth’s Co-Managing Partner. In addition to being responsible for the vision of our firm, he has twenty years’ experience in guiding construction industry clients in the preparation, negotiation, and revision of the contracts that govern their work. Contracts are the foundation of any project, and Joe’s job is to make sure that foundation is solid. From there, Joe counsels clients in the full range of project-related legal issues, strategies, obligations, and risks that arise from preconstruction to closeout.

As a seasoned construction contract attorney, Joe is well versed inthe industry-standard contracts, including AIA, EJCDC, ConsensusDocs and DBIA templates, which he customizes for each specific project. He drafts and negotiates contracts with an emphasis on market-based risk management and practical solutions—all in furtherance of getting the deal closed. Because he represents a broad range of clients, from owners and developers to contractors and design professionals, he understands construction and design contract issues from all angles and is particularly skilled at getting projects underway by getting parties to “yes.”

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

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.

Understanding climate action through the words we use

Keep an ear out for an easter egg after the outro on this one.

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.

Kjell Anderson

Kjell is LMN’s Director of Sustainable Design and leader of LMN’s Green Team, spearheading initiatives into energy modeling, materials + health, and water use reductions. With 24 years of experience, Kjell is well-regarded at local and national levels as a sustainability expert. He is a founding part of Seattle’s 2030 Roundtable, an inaugural member of AIA’s National Energy Leadership Group, and in other roles in setting practical and innovative directions for the profession. Kjell has contributed to the design of dozens of LEED New Construction projects, plus Pilot projects under USGBC’s Neighborhood Development and Commercial Interiors programs, including several Gold and Platinum-certified projects. He is the author of Design Energy Simulation for Architects, published by Routledge in 2014, and has guest taught Arch 533 (Advanced Environmental Systems) at the University of Washington. Kjell earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington State University.

Some of Kjell’s representative projects include the Hyatt Regency Seattle, Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion, and the Eastside Tech Tenant East Campus Modernization and RedWest South project.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

“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.

Greg Eparza

Greg Esparza is a designer and builder with over a decade of experience in custom residential design and construction as a co-founder of Moontower Design Build in Austin, TX. In 2021, Greg immersed himself in designing and building a prototype project called Cross Cabin, a “plant-based” home made of hemp, cork, and cross-laminated timber for himself and his family in Austin. Inspired by this experience. Greg established Cross Cabin Build & Supply to represent and distribute healthy, high-performance, and low-carbon building materials in Texas. Greg has a passion for building with natural, plant-based materials rooted in the commitment of the AIA Architecture & Design Materials Pledge to support health at three scales–human, social, ecosystem–and to prioritize climate impact and circular economy considerations with all material specifications. The Cross Cabin has been featured on the Build Show Network, Dwell+, Passive House Accelerator, The Architect’s Newspaper, as well as the 2023 AIA Austin Homes Tour where the most frequent feedback on the home was “I love the smell!”.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

The tension between aesthetics and performance in architecture is a critical and complex issue in contemporary design. Architects are increasingly and appropriately being tasked with designing buildings that are not only beautiful but also functional in terms of impacts on owners, occupants, resources, and planetary ecosystems. The contrasting view, one where architecture is principally form-making comes at its peril. As Juhani Pallasmaa cautions, following this path  “The world becomes a hedonistic but meaningless visual journey”

Navigating the path between form and function is central to the role of architecture in our society. It is also the backdrop to the daily routine for our guest in this episode. Keith Simon FAIA is both an architect and an enclosure consultant, two roles that move him from one vantage point to the other continually.

As Keith says in this interview Architects could be leading many of the changes society needs now but are not. I think we should all look introspectively and ask “Am I prioritizing the right things?”. This episode is both a tribute to the importance of architecture and an appeal to prioritize the lived experience of homes and buildings over the hedonic sculpture on the cover of the glossy magazine. The themes touched on here will ripple out through the AEC for the rest of our careers. It’s both important and captivating to reflect on them now. Enjoy!

Keith Simon

An expert in building enclosure technology, Keith Simon addresses the critical and often unmet need for ensuring and improving building performance, resilience, and durability by guiding design teams, educating future architects, and facilitating interdisciplinary exchange. Keith is the Vice President of Design Phase Services at Salas O'Brien. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), Legacy LEED AP, Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider (BECxP), and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) with over 20 years’ experience in architectural design and building enclosure consultation. His experience includes peer review, design assistance, durability analysis, construction administration, testing, and forensics of building envelope issues. Keith was the founder of the AIA Austin Building Enclosure Council (BEC: Austin) and currently serves as chair for BEC: Austin and board member for the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Alliance Austin Chapter. He also serves as the Vice Chair for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) executive committee. Keith has been adjunct faculty at the University of Texas School of Architecture since 2011 teaching Environmental Controls, Building Science, Detailing, and Design Studio.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker

Join Kristof and Corey Squire in this third and final installment of their interview series discussing Corey’s book People Planet Design. In Part 1, they opened the discussion at the logical starting place of the important Why questions. Why design matters to society and Why architecture is the place to address so many important issues we face today. Part 2 addressed How to make good design happen by focusing on often overlooked dimensions of the design process. These include company culture, communication and information flow, and the importance of positive incentives.

Here in Part 3 is where the rubber meets the road in the form of the What question - What types of systems do we actually design? What do we actually do during the design process? This conversation flows across ten different architectural systems that each correspond to a chapter in Corey’s book. The systems covered are (1) Scale; (2) Windows; (3) Air; (4) Roof; (5) Electricity; (6) Structure; (7) Embodied Energy/Carbon; (8) Interior Finishes; (9) User Behavior, and (10) Access/Equity.

Corey Squire

Corey Squire is an architect and nationally recognized expert in sustainable design. Working as both a sustainability leader within architecture practices and a sustainable design consultant through his firm, Dept. of Sustainability, Squire has empowered multiple award-winning design firms to achieve high-performance projects across their portfolios. He lectures nationally on a range of sustainable design related topics and was a lead author of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, a resource that’s actively redefining excellence in the built environment. Squire is an Associate Principal and Director of Sustainability at Bora Architecture and Interiors in Portland Oregon, where he lives with his Family.

Helena Zambrano, Illustrator

Helena Zambrano is an architect, licensed in the United States and Mexico, with over a decade of national and international experience. She practices with a passion for environmental systems and is a strong advocate for the use of evidence to inform design. Emphasizing the design of daylit spaces, Helena’s work has been recognized with local, national, and international design awards. Her advocacy work includes leading the development of both the COTE Super Spreadsheet and the AIA Common App, two tools that raise the status of sustainability metrics and reframe the way design awards recognize architecture.

People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential

If you were asked to close your eyes and envision where you are happiest, would you picture somewhere inside a building? North Americans are inside buildings for more than 90% of the day. Meanwhile, the indoors are stifling us, sometimes even killing us. Buildings, and the materials that make them up, expose us to materials linked to negative health impacts. The construction and operation of buildings is responsible for 40% of climate-changing carbon emissions. 

In the US, the design choices made by the typical architecture firm employee each year can reduce emissions by about 300 times that of an average American. But the promise of sustainable architecture will not be realized if sustainability remains a secondary consideration for architects. What if great design were defined by its ability to cool the planet, heal communities, enhance ecological functioning, and advance justice?

In People, Planet, Design, architect Corey Squire builds the case, provides the data, and lays out the practical tools for a transformative human-centered architecture. This approach integrates beauty and delight with an awareness of how every design choice impacts the community, the planet, and the people who will use the building. Outcome-focused with a deep dive into practical design strategies, the book showcases ten building systems that embody design excellence.

Squire centers the idea that by focusing on the desired outcomes—that buildings shelter us from the elements without disconnecting us from the world, that buildings provide the quality of air, light, and views we now know to be essential to health, productivity, and joy—we can move beyond the checklist mentality that has captured much of the design community.

Essential reading for architects who want to transform what the profession means, People, Planet, Design pioneers a new vision and sets readers up with clear guidance on implementing it. Only when design prioritizes people, as it should, can architecture realize its full potential.

Team

Hosted by Kristof Irwin

Edited by Nico Mignardi

Produced by M. Walker