Pro Clima Podcast

In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Simon sits down with Hartwig Künzel, who shares his journey with Fraunhofer—from accompanying his father at the test fields as a child, through his studies in chemical engineering, to his pivotal role today at the Institute. Hartwig dives into the critical role of understanding vapour permeability in construction, highlighting the creation and impact of th...

In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Barry shares with Simon his journey from studying engineering to transitioning into airtightness testing with ATTMA (Air Tightness Testing & Measurement Association) where he has worked for 10 years. Simon and Barry discuss the process of Blower Door testing and emphasise the importance of airtightness testing for energy efficiency, citing that homes w...

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 dis...

_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 prob...

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 Coro...

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 pri...

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 a...

"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 renovat...

"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 o...

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...

"We moved into a brand new house in Taupo, it was double-glazed and looked good, but it was blimmin' cold. I couldn’t understand why people would put up with it. Because of this environment, we decided we wanted to live in a more comfortable house." In this episode of the pro clima Podcast, Simon Cator interviews Kim Feldborg, a builder from Denmark who moved to New Zealand in 2007. Shocked by the...

"Modelling approach is the most accurate way of looking at a building. The overall performance really needs to be modelled." In this episode of pro clima podcast, Darryl shares insights from his experience with energy-efficient building projects, including the Piha EnerPHit renovation and the Legacy House. He talks about the importance of improving the performance of existing homes in New Zealand,...

“We accept a lot just because we don’t know any different.” In the second episode of pro clima podcast, Natasha explains how seeing her relatives work in construction sparked her interest in architecture, which she sees as a combination of art and science. From her experiences with leaky buildings to addressing challenges in the industry, we discuss the current state of the New Zealand constructio...

"It's not a rocket science, it's a building science!" In the first episode of the pro clima podcast, we're talking to Joe Lstiburek, the Godfather of Building Science. He delves into his journey from designer to advocate for improved building practices, emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes, like weathertightness issues seen in the US or Canada. He reckons the New Zealand const...