Get It Right with Undercover Architect

Hello! This is Episode 423. This is Way #23 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and we’re continuing through Section Five: The Building Envelope.

Way #23 is: Choose Appropriate Insulation.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/423]

The things we’ve been discussing in Section Five are all about improving the energy eff...

Hello! This is Episode 422. This is Way #22 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and we’re continuing through Section Five: The Building Envelope.

In the last two episodes, we covered thermal mass and window selection. Before that, in Way #19, we talked about what building tight actually means: why you want a continuous air barrier, and why airtightness and ventilation have to be designed together. This epis...

Hello! This is Episode 421. This is Way #21 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and we’re continuing through Section Five: The Building Envelope.

Way #21 is: Review Your Window Selection.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/421]

In my experience, as people go to design their new build or renovation, it can be all about max...

Hello! This is Episode 420. This is Way #20 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and we’re continuing through Section Five: The Building Envelope, A Sustainable Skin.

In the last episode, Way #19, we covered airtightness and ventilation. We talked about what it means to build tight, why homes don’t need to breathe, and what ‘ventilating right’ looks like in practice.

In this episode, we&rsq...

Hello! This is Episode 419. This is Way #19 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and it’s the first episode in Section Five: The Building Envelope.

We’ve spent four sections of the ‘44 Ways’ series covering a lot of information for your sustainable renovation or new build. Site, orientation, breezes, passive design, energy and water selections, renewables, and the tools that help you model ...

Hello! This is Episode 418. This is Way #18 of the ‘44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home’ series. And this episode completes Section Four: Modelling and Measuring Your Sustainability.

Across this series, we’ve talked a lot about energy efficiency, and how, as we improve energy efficiency, we reduce energy use, which in turn reduces the carbon emissions associated with energy production. 

At the same time, ...

Hello! This is Episode 417. This is Way #17 of the ‘44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home’ series, and we’re continuing through Section Four: Modelling and Measuring Your Sustainability.

If you’ve been following this series, you’ll know we’ve spent the last couple of episodes looking at energy modelling, and how you can use it during the design process so its data-based findings can inform your...

Hello! This is Episode 416. This is Way #16 of the ‘44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home’ series, and we’re continuing through Section Four: Modelling and Measuring Your Sustainability.

Way #16 is: Use Other Options to Model Your Design Before You Build.

In the last episode, I talked about NatHERS energy modelling and why it can be so valuable as a design tool rather than simply using it as a late-stage complia...

Hello! This is Episode 415. This is Way #15 of the ‘44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home’ series. And with this episode, we begin Section Four: Modelling and Measuring Your Sustainability.

In Section Four, we look at the ways you can access data to inform your decision-making, beginning with energy efficiency assessments and modelling of your home’s energy use.

We’re beginning Section Four with Way #15: U...

Hello! This is Episode 414. This is Way #14 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. And this episode completes Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure.

It may seem strange that we’ve taken a while to get here, given this is where many homeowners will start in their sustainability choices for their project. ‘Let’s make sure we put solar on the house when we renovate or build new’...

Hello! This is Episode 413. This is Way #13 of the ‘44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home’ series. And we’re still in Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure, and reviewing our hot water supply.

For many homeowners, their decisions about their hot water unit can come in a flurry, and simply be based on what they know. Sometimes it can be handed to the plumber, as they recommend a system, you go wi...

Hello! This is Episode 412. This is Way #12 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. We’re continuing through Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure.

In Episode 411, we looked at where household water goes, especially in indoor use, and how to reduce consumption through fixture selection and design decisions. 

In this episode, we’re looking at the other side of that equation: not just ...

Hello! This is Episode 411. This is Way #11 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. We’re continuing through Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure, and today we’re looking at water.

In the last episode, we covered Way #10: reducing your energy use through your selections. In this episode, we’re looking at water efficiency. Where does water really get used in your home? What do the r...

Hello! This is Episode 410. This is Way #10 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. And with this episode, we also begin Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure.

If you’ve been following the series from the start, you’ll know that Section One was about designing for climate and site: orientation, breezes, passive heating and cooling, and climate zone. 

Section Two was about sustainable...

Hello! This is Episode 409. This is Way #9 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. This episode also closes out Section Two: Sustainable Design Strategies.

In this episode, we’re finishing Section Two with Way #9. Way #9 is: Improve Your Indoor Air Quality.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/409]

The ways I’ve been shar...

Hello! This is Episode 408. This is Way #8 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series. We are in Section Two: Sustainable Design Strategies. The ways I include in this section are about the strategic design decisions that have consequences well beyond the immediate project, and Way #8 is a strong example of that.

Way #8 is Future Proofing Your Design with Accessibility.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a ...

Hello! This is Episode 407. This is Way #7 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and we are continuing through Section Two: Sustainable Design Strategies.

The ways in Section Two are about the bigger-picture decisions that shape a project from a strategic level, before we get into the detail of specific systems, materials, or construction.

Way #7 is Creating an Efficient Structural Design, Collaboratively.

[For all...

Hello! This is Episode 406. This is Way #6 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series, and the second episode of Section Two: Sustainable Design Strategies.

In Episode 405, we covered Way #5: Designing a Smaller, Smarter Home. The case for asking what is enough, and building to that rather than to the status quo that drives a bigger home with more in it.

Way #6 is choose an aligned team.

[For all resources mentioned in t...

Hello! This is Episode 405. This is the first episode of Section Two of the 44 Ways to Create a Sustainable Home series.

Section One, which we completed in the last episode, covered the foundational climate and site strategies: orientation, breezes, passive heating and cooling, and climate zones.

We are beginning Section Two with Way #5: Design a Smaller, Smarter Home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downlo...