Episodes

  • Episode 12: Vlada Acimovic

    Episode 12: Vlada Acimovic
    Oct 3 2024
    In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Simon and Vlada delve into Vlada’s career as a European-trained architect and Certified Passive House Designer. Vlada, now based in Auckland, is passionate about promoting Passive House design in New Zealand. Vlada has completed multiple certified Passive House projects, as well as many other high-performance building projects throughout NZ. During the discussion, he shares some of the main challenges he faces, particularly misconceptions around the cost of Passive House design. He highlights the need to educate clients and consultants on the numerous benefits of Passive House design, while addressing common misconceptions, such as the belief that Passive Houses are prohibitively expensive or that windows can't be opened. Simon and Vlada also touch on the future of Smart Home Technology integration with Passive House design. Vlada sees great potential in using smart controls—like external shutters and roll blinds—to manage solar gains and air temperature, improving both performance and comfort in Passive Houses. Throughout the podcast, Vlada emphasizes the critical balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application in house design, stressing the importance of education and raising industry standards in construction. “It's easy to explain why Passive House is champion, because we know that it's arguably the highest possible standard in energy efficiency.” Special Guest: Vlada Acimovic.
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    27 mins
  • Episode 11: Murray Alcock

    Episode 11: Murray Alcock
    Sep 23 2024
    _Now is the time to press play on my next property development! _ This podcast conversation between Simon Cator and Murray Alcock explores Murray’s career in property development and construction, his experience with building techniques, and his current efforts to improve housing design and energy efficiency in New Zealand. Murray is committed to building homes that do not introduce long-term problems to the buyers, emphasizing the importance of keeping the right balance between individual elements such as for example mechanical ventilation & airtightness, choice of materials, maintaining cost efficiency while meeting higher environmental and livability standards. He aims to improve construction efficiency by standardizing designs, reducing custom elements, and using offsite manufacturing techniques. The focus is on scalable terrace housing projects designed for long-term investors, with an emphasis on reducing waste and streamlining the construction process. "If we continue just building to code, we're actually building problems into houses for people for the future." , says Murray when talking about what triggered his interest and what is his main driver when it comes to sustainable building. Special Guest: Murray Alcock.
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    32 mins
  • Episode 10: Steven Hughes

    Episode 10: Steven Hughes
    Sep 4 2024
    In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Steve shares his journey from living in a renovated 1860s villa in Ponsonby, Auckland, to building an off-grid Passive House in Coromandel. He recounts how the villa’s renovation revealed issues with heat retention, leading to high energy costs and discomfort. This experience, along with a desire to live more sustainably, inspired his family's move to Coromandel, where they began with minimal infrastructure, even living in a tent while constructing their new home. Steve discusses with Simon the process of building the new passive home, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency through careful design and the challenges of using unconventional building materials. He explains the significance of proper ventilation, airtightness, and thermal performance for a comfortable home environment and provides insights on energy modelling, cost considerations, and meeting Passive House standards. Steve also addresses the broader context of New Zealand’s housing, stressing the need for improved thermal performance and energy efficiency. Throughout the podcast, he shares valuable lessons from his hands-on experiences and encourages others to consider sustainable building practices, whether in new constructions, smaller dwellings, or retrofitting projects. Special Guest: Steven Hughes.
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    36 mins
  • Episode 9: Joe Lyth

    Episode 9: Joe Lyth
    Aug 13 2024
    In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Joe shares his personal journey in architecture, from his childhood in a 1890s farmhouse to pursuing a career in architecture and later moving to New Zealand for a better work-life balance. Facing unhealthy rental conditions in New Zealand, Joe and his wife decided to build their own house to ensure a healthier living environment for their family. They prioritized continuous insulation, high-quality windows, and proper ventilation while balancing budget constraints. Despite challenges, including high construction costs and bank valuation issues, Joe creatively managed to design and construct a functional, affordable, and healthy home by making various compromises. Joe and Simon discuss building code compliance and energy modelling in New Zealand. Joe highlights the limitations of the building code in ensuring thermal performance and comfort, and argues that energy modelling is the only reliable way to assess a building's performance, as it considers all building elements and the specific site and climate. Energy modelling helps ensure building performance outcomes are met, saving money and reducing carbon. Tune in for more. Special Guest: Joe Lyth.
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    36 mins
  • Episode 8: Chris Penk

    Episode 8: Chris Penk
    Jul 18 2024
    In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Simon Cator and Jon Davies speak to Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. The discussion revolves around the Minister’s desire to build “Simply, Cheaply and Quickly” - the recent controversial media furore regarding the government's signal to roll back the H1 insulation standards and other building and construction-related issues. The discussion also touches on easing the regulations for granny flats, developing well-qualified construction workers and revising regulations to maintain building standards. Special Guests: Chris Penk and Jon Davies.
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    43 mins
  • Episode 7: Jon Davies

    Episode 7: Jon Davies
    Jul 16 2024
    "I hope we'll see a change in the outcome for renovation work which has energy modelling and predicted energy demand for that building - for any building - in play during the design process; and then just put some minimums around that." In this podcast, Jon discusses his transition from teaching to the building industry where tangible results were more easily visible. He talks about a home renovation project, emphasizing the importance of creating a comfortable living environment by addressing common issues like drafts and poor insulation. Jon describes his Masters thesis - the use of Parka Wrap - retrofitting insulation onto existing walls - designed to improve airtightness and contribute to a more controlled indoor environment and energy efficiency in buildings. Jon advocates for continuous improvement and innovation in building practices. By staying updated with the latest technologies and methods, builders can enhance the quality and efficiency of their constructions. This is particularly important for the retrofit challenge, aimed at improving the performance of existing buildings to enhance the health of their occupants. Special Guest: Jon Davies.
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    38 mins
  • Episode 6: Sharon Robinson

    Episode 6: Sharon Robinson
    Jul 1 2024
    "Ask yourself, what is your house going to be worth in 2030. A certified Passive House is on the operating levels, energy-wise, of where we're going in 2030. So do you consider your house an investment? I think we put more consideration into the performance of the cars that we buy than we put into the houses that we are creating, and our homes are the largest financial investment that we make in our lives." In this podcast, Sharon advises homeowners to research the Passive House principles via the Passive House Institute of New Zealand (PHINZ) website, focusing on insulation, airtightness, quality windows, ventilation, and thermal bridging. She emphasizes the importance of discussing energy efficiency and comfort with building professionals early in the design process. Building high-performance homes from the start is more efficient than upgrading conventional homes later, and smaller, better-performing homes can also be more efficient. Sharon and Simon also discuss misconceptions about building codes often leading to minimal standards being mistaken for optimal performance; energy modelling and data-driven design are essential for achieving true efficiency and comfort, with professional designers offering long-term savings despite higher initial costs. Special Guest: Sharon Robinson.
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    32 mins
  • Episode 5: John Straube

    Episode 5: John Straube
    Jun 18 2024
    Dr. Straube explains the importance of the critical elements of the building structure, balancing insulation values with good airtightness levels and high-performance windows: "It's a rule of physics that you need to be able to match those three components of typical houses to get the value out of each one of those components." In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, John Straube emphasizes the importance of balancing components such as insulation, airtightness, windows and ventilation in building design to achieve optimal energy efficiency and indoor air quality. He explains that airtightness is often misunderstood but is crucial for maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Dr. Straube also discusses the principles of rainscreen design, considering the cladding, drainage, and water-resistant barriers, all tailored to local climates and building codes. Special Guest: John Straube.
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    44 mins