BUILDTank / buildCAST

Robby Schwarz
  • 5.0 (5)
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At BuildTank, our mission is to use what we learn applying building science to affect meaningful change in the construction industry. The buildCAST is the next step. Through broad conversations, we learn something new from our guests’ story that could be the catalyst to take sustainable buildings to mainstream building. Concentrating on the quest's “story” as much as on their expertise revealing a journey and key information that can help us attain our goal to move our industry forward and make high performance building mainstream building . buildtankinc.com

  1. MAR 29

    #7-2026 Kelly Davies Grace – The Nontoxic Architect on Instagram

    Kelly Grace is an accomplished architect based out of Washington DC, and the Managing Principal of Travis Price Architects, an award-winning architecture firm, widely applauded for their visionary aesthetics, informed by ecology, mythology, and technology.    Kelly is known to many as the “NONTOXARCHITECT” on social media, where she shares her advice on material selections, design details, indoor air quality, water filtration, biohacking, EMF mitigation, moisture control, and much more.  She is dedicated to designing healthy buildings, using non-toxic products, to promote wellness habits and optimal living.   Kelly is also a Founding Member of the Healthy Building Alliance, an up-and-coming platform to connect healthy building professionals; architects, builders, engineers, homeowners, consultants, and product manufacturers, to provide a network of resources and educational tools, based on proven building biology and building science principles.  Kelly Davis Grace on LinkedIn Travis Price Architect Healthy Building Alliance Indoor airPLUS Vibrant Air ERV 2030 I-Code Development Committees & Process

    1 hr

  2. MAR 29

    #6-2026 – Adam Berry on Colorado’s New State Wide Energy Code

    Adam Berry, Building Codes Advisor with the Colorado Energy Office spoke with me about Colorados path to its 3rd statewide code.  Following plumbing and electrical the state energy code is a significant step for a home rule state where building codes are normally adopted, amended, and enforced at a jurisdictional level.  In this case, through legislation Colorado has adopted a new Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (MLECC) which becomes the States mandatory minimum standard for new and renovated buildings after July 1, 2026. After that date, all cities and counties in Colorado must adopt the LECCwhenever they update any local building codes. Amendments to the adopted code are only allowed to make the code more efficient than the LECC. Currently the State has jurisdictions that have no codes, and are likely to stay that way, and jurisdictions that are currently adopting the 2021 or 2024 IECC before the July 2026 implementation date so they don’t have to adopt the LECC. There are also some jurisdictions moving straight to the LECC, so in reality it is currently all over the place with a plan to get unified over time.  The Low Energy and Carbon Code is Based on the 2024 IECC with amendments to prioritize energy efficiency, fuel neutrality, and pre-electrification or electric ready requirements, such as EV and PV readiness, to address affordability, lower utility bills, and reduce carbon emissions. Adam Berry on LinkedInColorado’s Low Energy and Carbon Code Resources Colorado's LECC Tools Building and Energy Resources at the Colorado Energy Officeincluding Codes

    1h 7m

  3. MAR 1

    #5- 2026 David Heslam Executive Director Earth Advantage

    David Heslam is the Executive Director of Earth Advantage. A nonprofit based in Portland Oregon that works to ensure the U.S. housing market recognizes the elements of a home that create climate risk and values the characteristics of a homes that provide climate solutions. David spent 15 years designing, building, and remodeling homes in Portland. His award-winning company, Coho Construction Services, became known as a local and national leader for adopting new technologies and striving for high levels of sustainability. As his company migrated to working on more existing homes, he helped found Earth Advantage and became their director, where he has become a national leader in the effort to develop and deploy energy labeling systems into the residential market. Home performance labeling system put data in the consumers hands helping them better understand what they are purchasing and the value of better performing homes.  As you will hear toward the end of your conversation, David and I went down a rabbit hole of if the IECC requires a builder to heat or cool a house because of its hyper focus on the building thermal envelope.  I was able to find on Section R325.8 Required heating of the IRC where there is a requirement to every dwelling unit is required to maintain a room temperature of not less than 68 degrees.  There is no requirement in the IRC for cooling of a home David Heslam on LinkedIn Earth Advantage The Green Building Registry Appraisals Will Look Very Different in the Near Future—AreYou Ready?

    1h 12m

  4. FEB 14

    #4-2026 Grahm Davis - Senior Building Performance Specialist with IBACOS

    Graham Davis is a Senior Building Performance Specialist at IBACOS, where he has dedicated the bulk of his career training and coaching large production home builders to understand how to maintain quality and achieve fewer warranty callbacks through focused attention on applied building science. Before joining IBACOS, Graham served as the Senior Technical Advisor at Habitat for Humanity International, where he launched a national building performance education network and took those skills to become the Quality Assurance Manager at John Laing Homes and Training Program Manager at Quality Built, a now defunct third party construction inspection company. I saw that Graham was honored by Pro Builder Magazine’s 2025 Young Guns & Legends award which prompted me to reconnect and have this conversation that I am sure you will enjoy. Gramham Davis on LinkedIn IBACOSPro Builder 2025 Young Guns & Legends Award

    59 min

  5. FEB 2

    #3-2026 Chris Laumer-Giddens LG2 Architects - Zero Air Leakage?

    Chris Laumer-Giddens works for his wife Jodi at LG2 Architects. They are both Architects, but Chris’s specific interest in applied building science and high performance has shifted their work from solely providing the architecture for a project to providing performance designs including water management, air tightness, HVAC, efficiency and more. This in turn has led Chris and LG2 to a more integrated construction oversight role in the projects that he works with.  LG2 is not a traditional design build firm, but rather an architectural firm that stays involved and gets their hands dirty in the day-to day construction details to ensure that their design is executed and that the house is performing.  Chris has a ton of knowledge and experience to share and is starting to do so through Instagram and YouTube So be sure to go to the show notes to learn more. Chris Laumer-Giddens on LinkedIn LG Squared LG Squared on YOUTUBE LG Squared on  INSTAGRAM Matt Hoots Sawtooth Design Build

    1h 7m

  6. JAN 18

    #2-2026 Rachel Wagner is the Impact Driver at Just Housing

    In this conversation I introduce Rachel Wagner as the Impact Driver at Just Housing as that is the professional title she chose in her company, but we seem to have never specifically talked about what that meant to her in our conversation. Now reflecting I see that she is impacting the design and construction industry and driving it toward meaningful and sustaining change.   Rachel sought opportunities to learn from some of the best building science educators in the business, internalized the message and is now pushing it back out there through standardized and repeatable methodologies which better ensures cost effective performance. She is also focusing on empowering her community through education, and like many of her mentors, she is giving insights and information away so others can succeed in their construction projects.  Please check out all the available resources on the Just Housing website.  Thank you, Rachel, for your building science and sustainability passion and for this wonderful conversation. Rachel Wagner on LinkedIn Just Housing - Dig deep into the BUILD section for free details Training Resources, for video, and more Thought Design Blog Building Science & Energy Management Wester Technical College in Lacrosse Wisconsin

    1h 2m

  7. JAN 4

    #1-2026 Clint Shireman- Manager of Training and Certifications Knauf Insulation

    Clint Shireman is the Manager of training and certifications at Knauf Insulation. He works with buildersand installers nationwide, teaching building science, spreading best practices, and building a respected training network. He’s also heavily involved with High-Performance Insulation Professionals, an insulation trade group that’s making good progress towards improving the quality of residential insulation work.  Installing insulation is not easy work, but as the IECC continues to push against diminishing returns on investment we need to turn our attention away from first cost and othereconomic obstacles to better performance in our homes to figuring out how we get basic proper installation of efficiency measures like insulation. I admire Clint and am grateful for the work that he continues to do concentrating on the fundamental basics of performance. Clint Shireman on LinkedIn Knauf Insulation “So, You Think You Know How Insulation Works” By Marcus Bianchi as published in Building Energy Magazine Thermal Metric Summary Report - BSC Knauf Online Training Center Tips & Tricks: Why Getting Insulation Right Is SoImportant Video Knauf Tips & Tricks: How to Install Roll Insulation video

    1h 6m

  8. 12/22/2025

    #26-2025 Alex Meaney - Mean HVAC Consulting and Design Part 2

    In Part 2 Alex speaks to commissioning, what to look for in HVAC design to indicate if there is a problem, and what does it mean to design HVAC system with Heat Pumps vs Gas forced air systems. Alex Meaney on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Mean HVAC⁠ ⁠Mean HVAC Free Stuff:⁠ Articles, Vides, and more ⁠Mean HVAC BS Tools⁠ on the app store

    45 min
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About

At BuildTank, our mission is to use what we learn applying building science to affect meaningful change in the construction industry. The buildCAST is the next step. Through broad conversations, we learn something new from our guests’ story that could be the catalyst to take sustainable buildings to mainstream building. Concentrating on the quest's “story” as much as on their expertise revealing a journey and key information that can help us attain our goal to move our industry forward and make high performance building mainstream building . buildtankinc.com

Information

  • Creator
    Robby Schwarz
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Robby Schwarz
  • Show Website
    BUILDTank / buildCAST

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