So the design team has done all of the hard work.  Detailed construction drawings are signed off.  Specifications have been agreed.  The constuction team is in place and its all systems go.  It’ll get pretty frenetic on site.  Deadline pressures and budget constraints will be kicking in from the get-go and all the while you need to deliver building performance to the most demanding standards in the world (Passive House or NZEB).  This is going to be the challenge for many construction professionals in the near future – well in places like Dun Laoighire-Rathdown and Manhattan its already a reality !  So how do you go about meeting this challenge ?

I have to thank Tomas O’Leary at Passive House Academy for this one.  He came up with the ASS acronym recently.  If you’re on site with a low-energy build then you’re going to need an Airtight Sealing Specialist – ASS.  Sounds good.  It’s a great hook for remembering this critical role on site.

As usual, this got me thinking.  I’ve been involved in several projects where there have been some fantastic airtight sealing specialists.  They’ve worked minor miracles to seal electrical and mechanical penetrations, complicated junction geometry and structural members that really insisted on making (sealing) life hell.  It takes a special kind of person to do this work.  They need to be patient, tolerant, forgiving, meticulous, stubborn, persistent and respected !  Now, I don’t know about you but the last time that I looked around a building site there were too many of these people around.

Just wrapped up a very eventful Day 1 at the 20th International Passive  House Conference.  Still buzzing with excitement after the experience.  It is now possible to see Passive House in the context of COP21 as a vital part of the arsenal that will be used to combat climate change.

Over 1,000 delegates here with 200 from China…………..can you believe that.  It demonstrates how China is changing the way it thinks in an effort to combat their environmental problems as well as their commitment to COP21.  This is all very heady stuff.

There’s a growing acceptance in the construction industry that breathability is a very important issue.  All right thinking men and women now consider that it is vital that we are aware of the issue and that we manage it effectively.  Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it gets for the majority of the industry.

The common perception is that breathability refers to the ability of air to move through the structure of a building.  WRONG !  Its a whole different issue.  I stumbled across a remarkable individual called Neil May when researching this blog post.  This guy really has it nailed.  Its worth placing the first two paragraphs of his respected paper – Breathability: The Key to Building Performance –  so that we can begin to understand what its all about:

I found a great article on the Houzz website the other day that I think is worth sharing with you.  I found my head nodding frequently in agreement while I read the advice given.  As a former builder I could readily identify with all of the suggestions and pit-falls identified in the piece.  Read it carefully.  It could really help with your build project.

I want to be part of the revolution that will transform how we generate and use energy on this planet.  To be part of the revolution that will lead to the demise of the current linear… 

This post is centred around the impact that I would like to have on the world during my lifetime.  It makes me pause for some serious thought.  We live in a time when there seems to be no end of portentous events, or so the mainstream media would have you believe.  Wars, global warming, financial crises, austerity and everything in between.  It would drive you crazy if you listened only to these voices.

I see the time we live in as offering wonderful opportunity.  Opportunity to do more with less, to live lives of passion and purpose.  Modern communication and technology holds the keys to realising such goals in an inclusive way.  I’ve seen examples of this in my time as a builder and developer.  In the last 3 years I have seen how we can reduce the carbon emissions of our homes by 90% by applying know-how (scientifically proven) and modern building materials – all at little or no additional cost compared to building a conventional house.  These environment friendly homes are more comfortable and healthier than their contemporaries.  Its hard to believe that such a win-win is possible.

Elevator pitch take 1 I’m excited about helping people build their dream homes.  I’m excited about it because I can see how my unique experience and knowledge can help them to do this.  It will…