The Building Science Podcast

Homes and buildings are more than just boxes filled with air at the right temperature; they are complex thermodynamic environments deeply coupled with our bodies, minds, and emotions. We are lucky to be alive during this time of change in how the AEC understands what creates and delivers thermal comfort. Beyond the static “thermal blandness” model of the 1970s, we now realize that transient thermal dynamics can deliver both comfort and “thermal delight”. Join us for a lively and thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Dorit Aviv, an architect and engineer working at U Penn.

Dorit, a licensed architect and building scientist who now leads cutting-edge research on the design of thermal environments both indoors and out. Her work bridges the gap between the wisdom of ancient cooling and heating systems and high-tech 'future-casting' with spectrally selective materials to unlock membrane-assisted radiant cooling in humid environments. Along the way, we’ll dive into the mechanisms of thermal comfort, the human experience of thermal environments and recognize that society is due for an upgrade in the way we think about delivering comfort.

We conclude by pointing out the sobering reality that, thermal stress is increasingly becoming a health hazard for society. Just as society did with sewage and sanitation codes, we now face the need for a holistic approach to heat stress. Fortunately researchers like Dorit are setting us up to be able to prevent loss of life to thermal stress. Now is the time for all of us in the AEC to recognize the need for the 'Architecture of Public Health’ when it comes to our thermal environment.

Dorit Aviv
Dorit Aviv, PhD, AIA, is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the Weitzman School of Design, specializing in environmental performance. She is also a faculty member of the Material Science and Engineering (MSE) graduate group in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
She is the director of the Thermal Architecture Lab, a cross-disciplinary laboratory at the intersection of thermodynamics, architecture and material science. Her work examines paths to decarbonization of the built environment through design and policy. Specifically, she looks at the potential synergies between renewable environmental forces and architectural materials and forms, and their impact on buildings' energy performance, air quality, and human health.
Aviv's work has been supported by federal grants from the the National Science foundation, the National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Park Service, as well as by industry collaborations with Microsoft, Ripple, and Armstrong World Industries. In 2021 she was awarded a Holcim Award for Sustainable Design and Construction for a prototype of passive cooling in desert climate. In 2024 she received a Ramboll Foundation grant to investigate architectural applications of membrane-assisted radiant cooling. The resulting pilot heat shelter - KlimaKover, received the 2026 AIA-NYS project award in the infrastructure category.

Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker

An interview with Kelly Alvarez Doran

Why do our building codes encourage carbon pollution? How have we landed in a "progress paradox," where older buildings often outperform new ones in both operational and embodied energy? In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Alvarez Doran, co-founder of Ha/f Climate Design, to unpack the hidden impacts of the built environment—a sector responsible for nearly 40% of global emissions.
The good news is that architects and planners can use their agency to stop these "right now" pollutants. Meaningful decarbonization doesn’t have to cost a premium: Kelly shares how simple material swaps recently slashed a UK project's carbon by 26% (800 tonnes) with zero impact on the budget or schedule.

Kelly Alvarez Doran
Kelly is a father, architect and educator. His holistic approach to the design of the built environment has been shaped by his experiences working across the world - first in the resource development sector, and later as MASS Design Group’s East African Director where he led the design and implementation of several of MASS’s projects, notably the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture–winner of several international awards for sustainable design and construction. Working in these contexts brought about a profound sense of the scales of social and environmental impacts inherent to the built environment.
Kelly is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, a Senior Fellow of Architecture 2030, a founding member of the Bio-based Materials Collective, a winner of the Canada Council’s Prix de Rome for Emerging Practitioners, and a member of the RAIC’s Committee on Regenerative Environments.

Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker

In this episode, Kristof sits down with sustainability expert Josh Jacobs to demystify the ins and outs of Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Product Category Rules (PCRs) and ISO Standards that are causing a decarbonization to happen around the world.
Translating the complex data of an LCA into a standardized format, EPDs function as 'nutrition labels' for building materials, helping designers and specifiers count the 'carbon calories' of everything from steel girders to heat pumps. Josh and Kristof explore the critical shift from focusing exclusively upon operational carbon to including embodied carbon in the carbon reduction conversation, break down the cradle-to-grave phases of building materials, and offer actionable insights on using better data to make truly sustainable design decisions.

Apologies that Kristof’s mic was clipping.

Josh Jacobs
Josh has helped numerous AHJs develop and implement sustainable purchasing policies and requirements, including but not limited to: the US General Service Administration, the US Military through the UFGS, the State of California, the city of New York, the Building Construction Authority of Singapore, and numerous universities and private businesses. Josh has also helped develop influential materials, human health, product emissions, and indoor air quality criteria in numerous global codes and rating systems, including but not limited to LEED v4 and v4.1, Fitwel, Green Globes, CALGreen, IgCC, ASHRAE 189.1, and BREEAM. He also works with organizations investor relations and sustainability teams to understand ESG financial reporting tools such as SASB, GRI, and TCF along with looking at their carbon footprint.

Links from the Episode
Organizations Mentioned:
MEP2040: An organization and steering committee focused on decarbonizing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
WAP Sustainability Consulting: A large life cycle assessment organization that helps manufacturers create EPDs.
SLR: A global environmental and advisory firm that owns WAP.
USGBC: The U.S. Green Building Council, associated with the LEED rating system.
ASHRAE: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
ISO: The International Organization for Standardization.
NSF: An organization with an EPD program (distinct from the National Science Foundation - originally focused on water certification).
UL: Underwriters Laboratories, an early EPD program operator in North America.
ICC-ES: The International Code Council Evaluation Service, an EPD program operator.
ASTM: An organization that features an EPD program.
ANSI: The American National Standards Institute.
CIBSE: The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers based in the UK.
NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders.
Standards and Financial Tools
ISO 14040 / ISO 14044: International standards that provide the framework and guidelines for conducting LCAs.
ISO 14025: The standard that governs how program operators run EPD programs and dictates what should be included in an EPD.
ISO 21930: The overarching Product Category Rule (PCR) for building materials typically used in the Americas.
EN 15804: The European equivalent to ISO 21930.
ISO 20400: The standard for Sustainable Procurement.
ASHRAE 189.1: A standard for the design of high-performance green buildings.
IgCC: The International Green Construction Code.
CIBSE TM65 / North American CIBSE/ASHRAE TM65: A standard that approximates an LCA to provide directionally accurate information when a full EPD is not available.
SASB, GRI, TCFD: Sustainable financial reporting tools used by organizations and investor relations teams.

Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker

An interview with Robert Bean and Lance MacNevin
In this episode we unpack the rapidly transforming world of hydronic heating and cooling. We are joined by two seasoned veterans of the industry, Robert Bean and Lance MacNevin. With many decades of real-world experience and hard-earned perspective between them, they offer a thoughtful and engaging look into why hydronics is at the forefront of modern, highly efficient building practices. Robert is (attempting to be) a retired engineering technology professional and ASHRAE Fellow, while Lance brings his extensive background serving as the Director of Engineering at the Plastics Pipe Institute.
This episode is packed with sound-bite worthy moments as our guests cut through the noise to discuss the realities of hydronic-based thermal comfort. Whether you are a homeowner, architect, or builder, you will find their independent, expert perspectives well worth listening to and holding on to. This is definitely an episode you will want to bookmark and share with anyone interested in the future of the HVAC industry!

Robert Bean
Robert Bean is a retired engineering technology professional who specialized in the design of indoor environments and high-performance building systems. Mr. Bean is an ASHRAE Fellow and ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, recipient of the Lou Flagg Award, Distinguished Service Award, and instructor for the ASHRAE Learning Institute. He has authored many papers, articles, and course curricula, and has served on numerous technical committees related to indoor environmental quality, building, and energy systems.

Lance MacNevin
Lance MacNevin, P.Eng. is the senior director of engineering for the Plastics Pipe Institute’s Building & Construction Division, with expertise on pressure pipes such as CPVC, HDPE, PEX, PE-RT, and PP. Lance has been in the plastic pipe industry since 1993, working as an R&D engineer, codes and standards specialist, and trainer for a major piping manufacturer for over twenty years before joining PPI in 2015. In this role, he focuses on plumbing and mechanical systems, coordinating research, education, and advocacy activities. He is an active member of ASHRAE, ASPE, ASTM, AWWA, CSA, IAPMO, ICC, IGSHPA, NSF, and RPA.

Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker

An interview with Dr. Eva King
Our homes are indoor environments of our own making. These environments exist to make our lives better but often unintentionally expose us to contaminants—chemical and microbial—that harm our health and wellbeing. For genetically susceptible individuals, these routine exposures can trigger a breakdown in the body's natural tolerance, leading to chronic inflammatory and neurological symptoms such as CIRS, TILT, and PANS/PANDAS. In a sadly apt metaphor, we are the canaries and our home is the coal mine.
Today, we are joined by a frontline expert in this field, Dr. Eva King. Eva holds a Masters in Biochemistry and a Doctorate in Immunology/Epidemiology from the University of Oxford. She has dedicated more than two decades investigating the intersection of indoor environments and human health. Her focus is helping clients with underlying medical conditions identify and address building-related issues that contribute to their health problems. This interview is fuel for the journey to flip our indoor environments from being a major contributor to chronic disease to becoming a primary solution. This is a central and sobering topic for all of us with agency in the AEC. Please listen and share.

Eva King
Dr. Eva King, principal and founder of AURA EnviroScience, has been involved in investigations and research into indoor environments and health, allergens, asthma and immunology for about 20 years. Her work has been published in many peer-reviewed scientific publications, and she regularly presents at conferences and workshops.
Her focus is helping clients with underlying medical conditions identify building-related problems that contribute to their health issues, often by direct physician referral.
Dr. King received her Master in Biochemistry in her native Germany, and her Doctorate in Immunology/Epidemiology from the University of Oxford, UK, and is a Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC, ACAC #180311).
She is a member of ASHRAE, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), and previously served on the Board of Directors and as Technical Conference Chair of the Indoor Air Quality Association.

Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker