On his own, Steve blindsides Pete and Jake with this: how important is each of our backgrounds and how does that affect our approach to building? And how can each of our perspectives be shared to build better buildings?

Funny that we want to both make indoor spaces separate from the nasty outside but also connect to the outdoors when it's peachy. Jake kicks it off admirably by linking air quality to CONTROL (surprise, surprise). This podcast will be one in a bit of a mini-series on the broader topic of Indoor Environmental Quality (including things like thermal comfort and acoustics) and the connected topic of ventilation and its IAQ role.

Join us as we learn all about solar 101 with Dan Shifley of Dogwood Solar out of Columbia, MO.

Doors--tougher than windows, in terms of what we ask of them and proper installation. The boys talk about everything from deciding on swing/slide/pivot to thermal performance to triple-point hardware. And Steve gets pretty riled up, providing all of us a "door" into his thinking as an architect...

This week Jake & Peter are joined by Bob Kelly of Wickright. A long career in the construction industry has taken Bob from high-end woodworking to roofing artist. As the owner of general contracting business in Chicago focussing on low-slope roofs in split face block buildings Bob has developed system solutions for repeat problems. He now owns a materials company that can be found at wickright.com

UBIP LOVES Q&A! This episode is nothing short of far-ranging: passive cooling techniques for hot climates, the need for roofing underlayment underneath ZIP roof sheathing, several details for interior basement insulation, and finding high performance building professionals for different markets. And the best is saved for last: Pete tells a story connecting moisture, modeling, and pornography!

Steve and Jake take the lead describing how they communicate as builder and architect, BOTH of them sounding out the importance of EVERYONE spending quality time at the job site. Pete finally pipes up with a Scopes of Work program he and Steve worked on in the Building America program. All three wrap up with the idea of Balanced Building: run your job sites and your business as high performance operations.

No, Steve, the most challenging is not the one-armed paper hanger. Both HVAC & Insulation contractors need to up their game because their equipment and materials have become so much more advanced and complex. This session covers common HVAC and insulation problems and solutions.

Steve Baczek drives the discussion and he is fit to be tied regarding labels like high performance, sustainable, green—you name it. And he goes after “slackers” in our profession who need to up their game when it comes to building performance. Here is Steve’s premise, see what you think: Prioritizing for high performance means put on your big boy pants and meet the needs of your client and the planet. If you can’t figure out what those priorities are, find an easier industry to make hay…

What happens when a couple of UnBuild It contributors get invited to Switzerland by Siga to learn about how it’s done across the pond? You’ll have to listen all the way through this one to find out.

From the sun to wood to heat pumps, the UnBuildIt guys get all fired up about heat sources. The discussion ranges over thermal comfort, the importance of building enclosure performance, adding domestic hot water, and even teepees. You had no idea just how informative and entertaining heat sources can be with these guys…

In everyone's career, there is a turning point, a point in time that was "before" and "after." And for many of us, that point involves Building Science Corporation. Come hear some backstory on one of the most powerful and influential building performance companies in North America.

This is the first interview in our new Builder Interview series. Join Jake and Steve as they talk with Chad Gessin of First Dunes about the challenges he faces as a builder on Long Island.

What is affordable housing? The answer is more nuanced than you would think. Tune in this week to hear Steve, Peter, and Jake talk about their idea of affordable housing.

Going Against the Grain - Permanent Wood Foundations

Seriously? Aren't the terms "permanent" and "wood" used together below-grade a contradiction in terms? Turns out that if you honor the four continuous control layers below-grade on a foundation framed with pressure-treated wood, both the science and the construction actually work. Is the margin for error probably tighter than with concrete? Very well could be, but framing below-grade seems to bring more attention to detail, as Pete, Jake, and Steve attest.

Does that home need a floor? Of course. Does it need the assembly you were planning for? Maybe not. In this week’s podcast the crew discusses alternative means of construction that Jake and Steve have executed with great success.