#2-2025 Rob Howard, of Howard Building Science

Rob Howard began his construction career with Habitat for Humanity where he built ENERGY STAR homes through Advanced Energy’s System Vision program. When he became director of construction at Habitat he built the first Net-Zero Energy Home in North Carolina in partnership with the Appalachian Energy Center in 2005. He now only builds DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes and was a 2024 Housing Innovations award recipient.

Uniquely and parallel to Rob’s building career is his career as an academic.  Rob holds a bachelor’s degree and a renewable energy technologies diploma from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in sustainable technology and building science from Appalachian State University where he now serves as a full-time faculty member.

Rob’s practical and academic background made our conversation particularly fun as he was able to interweave his passion for building science into mainstream applications which, to me, helps better explain why everyone in the construction industry should embrace applied building science in the proustite of our modern everyday home.

Rob Howard on LinkedIn

Howard Building Science

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home

Advanced Energy

South Face

Pocket Neighborhoods