#01 How much it REALLY costs to build a passive house

Join us on the Outlier & Adapt Podcast as we delve into the ground-breaking story behind TS Constructions, a company that's reimagining the face of homebuilding with a focus on energy efficiency. This episode takes you through an inspiring dialogue with a leading figure from TS Constructions, unpacking the company's origins, its dedication to crafting homes that elevate living standards, and the broader benefits of such projects. Discover how these endeavours have reshaped the construction landscape, offering insights into the industry's evolution and the strategies that have enabled TS Constructions to make high-efficiency homes accessible to more people. We'll also explore the transformative shift from volume to efficiency-driven projects, the hurdles and milestones encountered, and the profound impacts on the company and beyond. Plus, don't miss the visionary wish our guest has for the industry's future. Perfect for innovators, eco-conscious listeners, and anyone curious about the next wave of home construction, this episode is a must-listen for those interested in how mindful building practices can influence our world.

We are kicking the new year off with a super interesting topic: sustainable property developments. We have Jess Cuman on, designer and thermal assessor in his own business Adapt Design Group, who has done a lot of work for The Cape, Australia's most sustainable development. We talk about his own personal journey that brought him and his family to focus on more sustainable and energy efficient house design, and what design approach he is taking in his projects. Jess also gives his thoughts on the future of housing developments and shares his wishes for improvements in the building code. After our previous Highlights episodes, we thought this chat with Jess about the Cape was the perfect follow-up. In the episode, we discussed What the weakest areas are when doing a thermal assessment, if they perform As Built Verifications during the builds, what the future holds for developments, and everyone's favourite question; what would Jess change in the NCC? As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

We are kicking the new year off with a super interesting topic: sustainable property developments. We have Jess Cuman on, designer and thermal assessor in his own business Adapt Design Group, who has done a lot of work for The Cape, Australia's most sustainable development. We talk about his own personal journey that brought him and his family to focus on more sustainable and energy efficient house design, and what design approach he is taking in his projects. Jess also gives his thoughts on the future of housing developments and shares his wishes for improvements in the building code. After our previous Highlights episodes, we thought this chat with Jess about the Cape was the perfect follow-up. In the episode we discussed The Cape development, why Jess decided to move into The Cape, what it was like for him to design his own house, how many homes he has designed for The Cape, his design process, how being a Thermal Assessor assists his design process, and his varied client base. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube. Shownotes Cape Paterson: https://liveatthecape.com.au/ Adapt Design Group Website: https://www.adaptdesigngroup.com.au/ Adapt Design Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adaptdesigngroup/

Erika Bartak is an ESD consultant and sustainable housing researcher with a background in architecture and a passion for designing and promoting better housing. She is particularly interested in narrowing the gap between discourse and practice in sustainable housing. This has provided motivation for her doctoral thesis investigating energy efficiency culture, and practice within the Australian volume home building sector. We caught up with Erica to chat about how we can support the industry in building 7-star homes. And she provided some valuable insight into what she believes the changes to the NCC will involve in terms of home design for different housing types across Victoria. We also had an opportunity to discuss the requirements around ensuring new builds are actually being constructed to this new standard With The 7 Star Minimum commencement date looming, we thought this would be the perfect time to revisit our chat with Erika Bartak. In Part 3 of our highlights, we discuss why Erika chose this topic for her thesis, how we can support each other during the transition to 7-Stars, what she would change in the NCC, and what energy rating software she uses. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

Erika Bartak is an ESD consultant and sustainable housing researcher with a background in architecture and a passion for designing and promoting better housing. She is particularly interested in narrowing the gap between discourse and practice in sustainable housing. This has provided motivation for her doctoral thesis investigating energy efficiency culture, and practice within the Australian volume home building sector. We caught up with Erica to chat about how we can support the industry in building 7-star homes. And she provided some valuable insight into what she believes the changes to the NCC will involve in terms of home design for different housing types across Victoria. We also had an opportunity to discuss the requirements around ensuring new builds are actually being constructed to this new standard With The 7 Star Minimum commencement date looming, we thought this would be the perfect time to revisit our chat with Erika Bartak. In Part 2 of our highlights, we discuss builders managing external contractors, verifying the build as it progresses, how renovations will be affected, surveyors' discretion, and Whole of Home assessments. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

Erika Bartak is an ESD consultant and sustainable housing researcher with a background in architecture and a passion for designing and promoting better housing. She is particularly interested in narrowing the gap between discourse and practice in sustainable housing. This has provided motivation for her doctoral thesis investigating energy efficiency culture, and practice within the Australian volume home building sector. We caught up with Erica to chat about how we can support the industry in building 7-star homes. And she provided some valuable insight into what she believes the changes to the NCC will involve in terms of home design for different housing types across Victoria. We also had an opportunity to discuss the requirements around ensuring new builds are actually being constructed to this new standard With The 7 Star Minimum commencement date looming, we thought this would be the perfect time to revisit our chat with Erika Bartak. In Part 1 of our highlights, we discuss how home design will be affected, what Erika's thesis covered, what the cost implications will be, and if there were any repeating themes within her interviews. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

We have met Anthony Stagg a few months ago when we picked up our very own Retrotec blower door test kit. Anthony is the director of 2 businesses: Fire Protection Technologies and Energy Conservation Technologies, a company that sells blower doors and provides training to perform residential blower door tests. We are so happy he took the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and have a chat with us about what a blower door test really is and how it can be useful for not only newly built homes, but also existing houses. He even shared some of his own experiences with his current renovation and how he utilised a blower door test to help identify the major weak points in his home. Now, for anyone looking to have a blower door test and some thermal images done to their home, please feel free to reach out to us at Outlier Studio as we do offer this service. But first, let's get into this episode with Anthony Stagg from Energy Conservation Technologies. This episode was filled with an incredible amount of information. In the second part of our highlights, we cover where you can find more info on blower door tests, the various packages OUTLIER offers, whether Anthony S believes blower door tests should be mandatory, how a thermal camera can give you new insight into your home, and what Anthony S would like to see changed in the NCC. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

We have met Anthony Stagg a few months ago when we picked up our very own Retrotec blower door test kit. Anthony is the director of 2 businesses: Fire Protection Technologies and Energy Conservation Technologies, a company that sells blower doors and provides training to perform residential blower door tests. We are so happy he took the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and have a chat with us about what a blower door test really is and how it can be useful for not only newly built homes, but also existing houses. He even shared some of his own experiences with his current renovation and how he utilised a blower door test to help identify the major weak points in his home. Now, for anyone looking to have a blower door test and some thermal images done to their home, please feel free to reach out to us at Outlier Studio as we do offer this service. But first, let's get into this episode with Anthony Stagg from Energy Conservation Technologies. This episode was filled with an incredible amount of information. In the first part of our highlights, we cover Anthony's beginning in the industry, his own experience of renovating his home, the different results a blower door can provide, and when you should perform a blower door test. As always, these are only the best bits, so if you would like to know more, check out the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, or our Podcast Playlist on YouTube.

Are you unsure of the benefits of ventilation for your home? Then this episode is for you! We sit down with Joel Seagren from Fantech to dive deep into the topic of ventilation. Joel has a tonne of knowledge and experience working with different systems for all types of homes. He explains the benefits of having a controlled ventilation system, and how the different setups work. He also talks about when to involve an HRV engineer like himself, and how much you will have to pay for the different systems. This episode is a bit technical, but Joel does a great job at explaining complex setups and terminology in a simple way, and using facts and data to support his arguments. There was so much information in the episode, that it was hard to pick the highlights. In the third and final part of our highlights, we discuss the "Boost" system in a HRV, how loud the systems are, what the ongoing costs are, and ask "What about those that are totally against HRVs?"

Are you unsure of the benefits of ventilation for your home? Then this episode is for you! We sit down with Joel Seagren from Fantech to dive deep into the topic of ventilation. Joel has a tonne of knowledge and experience working with different systems for all types of homes. He explains the benefits of having a controlled ventilation system, and how the different setups work. He also talks about when to involve an HRV engineer like himself, and how much you will have to pay for the different systems. This episode is a bit technical, but Joel does a great job at explaining complex setups and terminology in a simple way, and using facts and data to support his arguments. There was so much information in the episode, that it was hard to pick the highlights. In the second part of our highlights, we discuss whether every house needs mechanical ventilation, when Fantech get involved, How much a system will cost, what the installation looks like, and how they commission their systems.