This Must Be The Place: The Building Science Podcast

In this episode of This Must Be The Place Shawna is joined by Shay Bulmer, the founder and General Manager of Northern Homecraft Ltd., an award-winning, net-zero certified custom home company based in Vanderhoof British Columbia. Shay also serves as the current President of the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) in Northern BC and is the presidential appointee at the CHBA BC level.

Highlights from this episode:

• Why Shay says that “energy performance is investment performance”.

• The importance of developing some sort of stimulus for smaller and rural markets to achieve higher performing homes.

• Why it’s worth the time to learn about the different types of comfort that high performance homes can provide.

Innovator and disruptor Jodi Huettner joins Shawna for this episode of This Must be The Place. Jodi is the driving force behind creating and supplying Inclusive Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, for women not only in the energy efficiency space but also for active and outdoor STEM positions. She is the President and CEO of Helga Wear Inc..

Highlights from this episode:

• PPE impacts many things for women, including mental health.

• The A-ha moment that Jodi experienced and why it was simultaneously “amazing and devastating”.

• Find out about the exciting new PPE products that Helga Wear is currently developing.

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna chats with Chris MagWood, a crusader for reversing climate change and for the past 25 years he has dedicated his career to inspiring and assisting others to do the same. He currently holds two positions—Manager in the Carbon Free Buildings program at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and as Director at Builders for Climate Action, an organization which he helped to establish.

Highlights from this episode:

• Find out why Chris “got really obsessed with metrics”.

• Learn about the tool that Chris created that measures embodied carbon that you can download.

• Hear what Chris has to say about moving the needle to meet our embodied carbon benchmarks by 2030 and beyond.

Shawna is joined by Lorrie Rand in this episode of This Must Be The Place.

Lorrie is the Sustainability Director at Habit Studio, a company she co-founded that specializes in sustainable renovations. Habit Studio is the leading authority on sustainable home design in Nova Scotia. Her company is also currently 8 women strong!

Tune in to find out:

• Why Lorrie decided to only work in Passive House.

• The huge retrofit project that she is documenting for a Youtube series!

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna chats with Kendall Ansell-sometimes referred to as a “Fairy Design Mother” and a “gender-smashing business owner”. Kendall is the owner of Belle Construction and Kendall Ansell Interiors located in Vancouver, BC.

In this episode:

• Find out the popular Google search term related to the construction industry that has changed in recent years.

• Learn what tired, gender-biased question Kendall received from a student in a recent lecture she taught and her response to it.

• How Belle Construction is pioneering the way for more women to work in the trades.

In this episode Shawna introduces the final theme of season 3—how do we inspire and disrupt the industry moving forward to meet our energy efficiency targets? Her guest Jesse Hitchcock, is a senior research analyst working in energy efficiency and climate change mitigation. She is dedicated to building a decarbonized future—one where communities are sustainable and supportive for all. She is recognized for her community leadership and has served on Canada’s preeminent leadership forums and has been featured in such publications as the Huffington Post, CBC Power and Politics and others.

In this episode:

• Why we need to break down silos to develop better climate change solutions.

• How lived experience and diversity is an essential lens to apply at the policy table.

• Why we have a broken ecosystem in energy retrofits and what we can do about it.

• Why Jesse has a different definition of “scale”.

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna is joined by fellow educator—Yasmin Abraham. A multi-award winner and recognized nationally and internationally for her work, she is the vision behind Empower Me -Canada’s only energy efficiency, education and behaviour change program designed specifically for underrepresented communities.

In this episode:

• Why language is important and helps to build trust.

• Why a social enterprise business model can have a big impact.

• Learn why Yasmin says, “Too often perspectives are not included in decisions and not included in policies."

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna covers a lot of important ground with guest Kirk Johnson. He has worked passionately over the past two decades in reimagining a Canada powered by low-carbon, net-zero, sustainable energy. He has spent his career designing transformative sustainable energy programs and has taught as a professor at Humber College.

Highlights from this episode:

• Find out about what he refers to as “perverse incentives”.

• For a long time he was the only person of colour in the room-why he says we need to “stand up for people that are not in the room”.

• He explains why “reinvention of the wheel” is one of the biggest industry myths.

Current Position:

President, Eco-Efficiency Consulting

For more background info:

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna is joined by Chelsah Thomas, the founder and owner of Sol Invictus, energy consulting for builders and homeowners specializing in high performance, net zero and passive house. Her home is central Alberta’s first Net Zero, Passive Solar Home. In 2020 she won “Business of the Year” for Young Entrepreneur.

In this episode:

• Chelsah discusses her social enterprise model vs a traditional business model.

• She explains why her own house is “a financially viable demo site for the community”.

• She shares the simple thing she recommends all builders and homeowners do in the early planning stages of projects.

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna chats with Ian Scholten, Program Director at Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise, or ICE. He is leading Bringing It Home, a major initiative which is responsible for driving community-scale energy efficiency projects.

Tune in to find out:

• Which of Shawna’s past guests “lit the fire in him” to get into energy efficiency.

• Why we need to empower communities to lead, not just receive.

• Learn the most important thing he’s learned from connecting with Indigenous leaders across Canada.

Shawna chats with Nate Adams in this week’s episode of This Must be The Place. When it comes to making your home more comfortable and efficient-Nate Adams is your house guru. Author, speaker, subject matter expert and content creator.

In this episode find out:

• Why he says building scientists are fundamentally “magicians”.

• The reason we need a “sales mindset” in energy efficiency.

• Why he’s known as the ‘House Whisperer’.

Recommended Book: Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore

Andy Cockburn joins Shawna for a deep dive into theme 2 of Season 3:

We’re kinda stuck.

What do we need to do to get out of our own way?

Tune in to find out why:

• We need to back off bespoke buildings.

• Andy says, “There has to be some room within reason to allow for mistakes to happen.”

• Communication is key.

In this episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna chats with the inimitable Ross Elliot. Known as “Mr. Energy”, he is an award-winning and sought-after energy design consultant for contractors and homeowners (even in retirement!). In 2014 he received the EnerQuality Hall of Fame award for lifetime achievement in making a lasting impact on energy efficiency and green building.

In this episode:

• Why building better is actually cheaper.

• What he learned while building his own LEED Gold, R-2000, Net-Zero Ready homestead that uses 73% less energy.

• The common myth about houses and efficiency that still baffles him.

In this episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna’s guest is Vancouver-based architect, Richard Kadulski. Most recently he was inducted into the Greater Vancouver Homebuilders’ Association “Hall of Fame”. And in 2020, he was awarded the“Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Canadian Home Builder’s Association.

In this episode:

• Find out why Shawna refers to Richard as “The absolute rock star of the industry.”

• Why his archived newsletter, Solplan Review that he published for 30 years is still filled with building science information gold.

• Richard explains the biggest challenges in the industry right now and what to do about them.

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna is joined by industry trailblazer and natural born teacher Gail Lawlor. She has worked in a variety of capacities the past four decades—including as an air sealing contractor, auditor, retailer, researcher, consultant and of course—trainer.

Tune in to find out:

• How a computer glitch set her on the energy efficiency career path.

• Why she has a retirement business card and why her byline states, “Connector of Dots.”.

• About her important clean energy work with First Nations and why she believes this will lead the way for future generations.

Indigenous Clean Energy

In this episode of This Must Be the Place, Shawna’s guest is award-winning building science researcher Don Fugler. He spent 25 years leading research projects for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in the areas of residential energy use, ventilation, and indoor air quality. His findings are some of the most important in building science research in the world.

Tune in to find out:

• The simple and economical technique that filters air in a room.

• About the important work he is still doing (in retirement) involving indoor air quality monitoring in Pittsburgh houses.

• Why one of the biggest building science myths he mentions involves foil bubble wrap!

Senior Researcher (Retired), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Shawna catches up with long-time friend and colleague, Oliver Drerup in this edition of This Must be The Place. He is one of the top experts in Canada and internationally in promoting innovation and best practices in the design, construction and renovation of housing.

In this episode find out:

• Why Oliver says the first thing the industry needs to think about is codes and why we need standards.

• How Canada was progressive 40 years ago.

• Though retired, CMHC came calling. Find out about the important work he continues to do.

Guest Tex McLeod returns to kick off Season 3 of This Must Be The Place! We’re back with an exciting new format that continues to deliver industry insight, decades of collective knowledge, a little humour peppered throughout, and informed direction on where building science is heading.

Season 3 is comprised of three themes. Each theme begins with an essay by Shawna. The first is about history and context; the second is about getting out of our own way, and the final theme will be about inspiration and disruption.

Tex McLeod is one of North America’s leading presenters and trainers on energy, housing, and indoor air quality. Shawna and Tex dive into the first theme of “How Did We Get Here? The historical context of cold climate building science and how we lean on this to create high performance housing in Canada.”

AUDIO ISSUES WITH TEX

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks with architect, Donna Sink. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana Donna has worked on urban design, at cultural institutions, and art exhibition design projects for over 25 years.

In this episode find out:

• Why Donna brings up the recently discovered and publicized footage of an 11-year-old Prince. Yes-that Prince!

• What is was like to be a female architect 30 years ago vs now.

• How her work with People for Urban Progress inspires creativity and innovation to reuse and repurpose and divert from filling our landfills.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to Monica Rokicki, founder and CEO of Better Building Works. In addition to running her business and being an innovator in the industry, Monica is a passionate and sought-after presenter.

In this episode find out:

• The importance of coming out of silos.

• How climate change is interconnected with human rights.

• To breathe or not to breathe? Shawna and Monica discuss whether a house needs to breathe or not.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to Gaby Kalapos— the Executive Director at Clean Air Partnership in Toronto. Her hard work and dedication is changing the energy efficiency landscape at the community level. For more than 25 years she has been advocating on behalf of communities for local governments to take action in their sustainable advancement.

In this episode:

• Gaby explains why it’s so important to have more diversity in energy efficiency.

• Learn about the important work that Clean Air Partnership is doing.

• Learn about two the home programs in Ontario that help guide residents in making their homes more energy-efficient and climate-friendly.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to Tex McLeod—one of North America’s leading presenters and trainers on energy, housing and indoor air quality.

In this episode:

• Learn why his favourite, delightful and nerdy building science thing is understanding moisture.

• Listen to Tex and Shawna exchange their extensive knowledge about what to tackle and when in your home when it comes to retrofit upgrades.

• Learn about Tex’s Spring Training Camp 2022—advanced building science training for professionals. Check it out for this year’s incredible line up!

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to Lloyd Alter- author, teacher, and keynote speaker at conferences across North America and internationally. He is also the Design Editor for Treehugger-the award-winning sustainability website.

In this episode:

• Lloyd says that he learned he was a “better writer than a prefabrication salesman!” Why? Hint: it started with with a 2002 blog!

• We learn why embodied carbon is the elephant in the room.

• Learn how many tons of carbon each individual needs to stay under in their lifetime in order for us to stay under 1.5 degrees of warming.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to

Megan Bennett-the Director of Program Operations at Summerhill—an organization that helps people and businesses across Canada use energy more efficiently. She is a passionate advocate for making energy efficiency equitable for all.

In this episode:

• We learn what she means by “democratizing energy efficiency” and why it’s so important.

• Megan explains how a job in central America inspired her dedication to the green space.

• A podcast host herself, Megan uses this platform for advancing gender equity.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to passionate climate advocate Emma Norton. She is the Director of Government Relations at the Climate Emergency Unit ( a project of the David Suzuki Institute). Not afraid to “pound the climate emergency drum”, she is working tirelessly to reduce emissions through deep-energy retrofits and more responsive policy.

In this episode:

• We discover why her passion for the environment was ignited in university.

• We learn that she has TWO jobs-including a non-profit that she cofounded.

• Learn why she doesn’t think governments are acting fast enough and what she’s doing to sound the alarm on the climate emergency.

In this week’s episode of This Must be The Place, Shawna speaks to

Betsy Agar, Senior Analyst in the Buildings and Urban Solutions Program at the Pembina Institute, Canada’s leading clean energy think tank.

In this episode:

• Betsy talks about just how many Canadian homes need to be retrofitted by 2040 in order to meet our 2050 emissions goals.

• She explains the mistakes made and lessons learned from retrofitting her own home.

• We learn why her favourite, nerdy building science thing is “wetting patterns”.

In this edition of This Must be The Place, Shawna has a spirited conversation with Luke Dolan, the CEO of Capital Home Energy-an energy design firm in Vancouver, British Columbia. Luke is a force for sustainable energy change in the industry.

In this episode:

• Find out the surprising participants in his courses.

• Learn his prediction for Net Zero by 2025.

• Why his favourite nerdy, energy efficiency thing is when his students understand the difference between “air barrier vs vapor barrier”.

In this conversation of This Must be The Place, Shawna chats with the Senior Director of Net Zero Energy Housing at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), Sonja Wilkelmann.

Tune in to find out:

• Why Sonja says, “Marketing is going to be taking a bit of a turn from production of collateral to leveraging of that collateral.”

• What she says is her most nerdy, favourite thing in building science and why she says it’s a “quality of life difference”.

• The important and innovative initiatives of CHBA and what’s ahead for 2022.

In this conversation of This Must be The Place, Shawna catches up with Sean Kelly, Director of Energy at the Clean Foundation in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Tune in to:

• Learn about Clean’s innovative programs, including recent initiatives that Shawna collaborated on.

• Gain insight as to why Sean says, “We need more diversity across all kinds of metrics in the industry.”

• Learn about the energy-financing program called PACE.

• Understand that many factors contribute to the comfort of a home, including mental health.

In this episode of This Must be The Place Shawna talks to Dave Butterwick. He is the Managing Partner at Butterwick Construction and Carpentry Ltd. and Butterwick Projects Ltd.. He specializes in Net Zero and Passive House building.

In this episode:

-Dave explains how he went from carpentry to high performance-buildings.

-Learn about the innovative Retrofit Roadmap tool that Butterwick is developing to work with clients.

-Find out what building science myth Dave works hard to dispel.

In this episode of This Must be The Place Shawna exchanges deep insights on energy efficiency with self-proclaimed “math nerd at heart”, Marie Hanchet. She is a Project Manager in Net Zero Energy Housing at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA).

In this episode:

-Discover why Marie says, “Let’s all embrace our inner improv artist.”

-The important lesson Marie shares about non-conformity, integrity and committing to being our authentic selves!

-Why she says, “Energy efficiency is part of the equation but it’s not the full solution.”

In this episode of This Must be The Place Shawna exchanges net-zero knowledge and industry best practices with Brad McLaughlin. He is the General Manager of the multi-award winning company MCL Construction Ltd. based in New Brunswick, Canada. MCL has been serving the greater Saint John area for over 40 years specializing in building custom homes and renovations.

In this episode:

• MCL was featured on CBC for building the first net zero home in the province. Yet, it sat on the market for longer than anticipated. Tune in to find out if it eventually sold and what this tells us about the challenges of getting to net-zero.

• Why builders, bankers, appraisers and homeowners all have a role to play in achieving net-zero goals by 2030 and 2050.

• The connection between air tightness and power usage.

In this episode of This Must be The Place Shawna connects with Casey Grey, founder of the award-winning sustainable building company, The Conscious Builder. Inspiring, driven and knowledgeable he is also the host of The Conscious Builder Show on YouTube and the founder of the Conscious Builder Academy.

Listen to find out:

• Why he says “environment is more powerful than willpower.”

• His advice on learning the difference between ‘important’ vs ‘urgent’.

• His recommendations on what to consider when thinking about building a home.

PLEASE NOTE: There were issues with the recording from the guests side.  Please be patient with us.

In this episode Shawna talks to guest Bob Deeks, President of RDC Fine Homes based in Whistler and serving the south coast British Columbia. A past president of the BC chapter of the Canadian Home Builders Association, currently he serves as Chair of their National Technical Research Committee and as Vice Chair of the Net Zero Housing Council.

Tune in to find out:

• Why he says to look to your aero barrier trade as an awesome way to improve your experience as a home owner in an affordable way.

• The difference between embodied and operational carbon and what the sweet spot is.

• Why “electrification absolutely makes sense.”

In this episode of This Must be The Place-Shawna talks to Stephen Magneron, an energy advisor at HomeSol Building Solutions. They waste no time in diving into all things pressure testing, air flow and so much more!

Listen to find out:

• Why Shawna says to Stephen, “Photovoltaics on your roof, now that’s sexy!”

• Why Stephen says, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

• What Stephen says about the current challenges in the industry-especially education and why it’s happening at the wrong stage.

Shawna Henderson is the founder and CEO of Blue House Energy. She provides training resources to companies, managers and employees in the residential energy efficiency space.

This year, she fulfilled her dream of starting her own podcast. She wanted to take her 30 + years in the industry (especially as a women) and create deeply meaningful conversations. If you haven’t been able to check it out yet-not to worry! You can still tune in to all episodes in season one on iTunes, Spotify and other platforms.

On January 4th season two drops. We continue the conversation with trailblazers, award-winners, and on-the-ground experts. Don’t miss it. See you in Season Two.

In this episode Shawna chats with the dynamic and knowledgeable Doug Tarry—an award-winning home-builder in Southern Ontario. He has built more net zero labeled homes than any other builder in Canada. He is currently writing a book that will serve as a guide for homebuilders.

· Listen to find out why focusing solely on energy can actually increase your carbon footprint!

· A big vision company with an even bigger heart: Learn more about his Hope project that has made its way to the film festival circuit.

· Doug is sharing his vast experience and knowledge in a new book: find out when his book will be released.

Shawna is joined by Stefanie Coleman in this episode. She is the Marketing and Business Development Manager at Building Knowledge Canada. She is the 3rd woman to be elected as president of the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) in its 80-year history. She is also the honoured recipient of the EnerQuality 2019 Lead of the Year Award.

Tune in to find out:

-What industry both Shawna and Stefanie began their careers in and how it contributed to their learning.

-Stefanie’s path to becoming CHBA’s president.

-How saying yes to opportunity helps to overcome imposter syndrome.

-About CHBA’s net zero program and how to approach energy upgrades.

NOTE: Shawna recorded this episode from Vancouver. Because of internet instability the quality of the audio is not what we would like. Thanks.

Toby Smith, Project Manager at Building Knowledge Canada joins Shawna in this episode. He brings a wealth of expertise in energy efficiency. He has contributed extensively to Shawna’s curriculum for her company, Blue House Energy. He supports clients by helping them navigate their way to high performance, low energy homes that they can be comfortable in for years to come.

In this episode:

-Toby explains compliance codes for builders.

-He shares his thoughts on how to make the trades more attractive as potential career options.

-How he helps his clients.

Lara Ryan has spent over 30 years honing her leadership skills in environmental sustainability. She currently helps clients articulate and demonstrate their social and environmental value as they navigate low carbon economy opportunities through her company, Lara Ryan Consulting.

Listen to find out:

-How deep energy retrofits are more about what you don’t see—comfort, health and cost-savings.

-Why we can’t wait for the demand to be there to drive sustainable change and what will move the needle.

-How she provides Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) guidance to her clients. 

Brendan Haley is a passionate advocate and a deeply knowledgeable policy expert on an energy efficient economy. He was the principal catalyst behind the creation of Canada’s first energy efficiency utility,  Efficiency Nova Scotia. Currently, he serves as Policy Director at Efficiency Canada.

Tune in to find out:

-The important work he is doing that will address the challenges of decarbonizing Canada’s buildings.

-Why he says those who work in energy efficiency need to raise their political voices.

-The exciting projects he is working on next including a new blog series.

Today Shawna talks to award-winning (too many awards to list here) custom home-builder, Dale Rott. He has spent his career improving methods for better performing sustainable homes. He is the owner of Effect Home Builders in Edmonton, Alberta.

Tune in to find out:

-Why Dale said, “…water can be such a jerk.”

-Why not all home-builders are created equal.

-Why the unfortunate part of net-zero is understanding value.

Facebook: Effect Home Builders Ltd.

In this episode, Shawna has a conversation with Dr. Allison Bailes III. His company, Energy Vanguard offers consulting, training, quality assurance, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system design.

Tune in to find out:

-Why his Phd dissertation thesis is titled, Flat or Lumpy?

-Why Shawna calls his popular Energy Vanguard blog a “Treasure trove for anybody who wants to know about building science.”

-Why he says that the biggest myth in building science is that “a house needs to breathe.”

In this episode Shawna is joined by Anna Gillcash. Since she was a little girl Anna has had an obsession with houses. It was rather inevitable as her grandfather was a building contractor and her mother studied decorating. She can envision everything before the hammer even falls. She has recently hung up her tool belt in exchange for a pencil and clipboard. Now the founder and owner of Revival Home Design, she helps her clients see the vision of their dream home and then makes it happen.

In this episode:

-Learn why Anna says “gender roles didn’t exist” for her growing up and why that didn’t prepare her for what it really would be like working in carpentry as a woman.

-Why she’s no stranger to getting her hands dirty. Hint: it involves a dairy farm!

-How she helps clients build their dream homes.

In this episode Shawna talks to Amelie Caron—both powerhouse women— they dive into their backgrounds in what are trailblazing careers. They both started out at a time when the industry barely existed. Amelie is a Building Scientist at EcoSynergy—a leader in energy performance, they work with homeowners and home builders to create customized plans for highly efficient homes. Tune in to:

-Find out what Aerobarrier is and why it’s a game changer.

-Learn why Amelie says that women have to undo “decades of conditioning”.

-Hear Amelie explain her Master’s thesis and why she pursued her graduate studies in Austria.

Peter Darlington

Facebook: Solar Homes Inc.-Calgary’s Net-Zero Energy Homes

Angela Bustamante

Attention building science nerds! This episode is for you.  Angela Bustamante is the Director of Technical Services and Quality Assurance at Building Knowledge Canada. Her superpower is delivering guidance to industry on energy efficiency components and systems as they relate to building codes.

In this episode Shawna breaks it down with Natalie Irwin, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Efficiency Canada .  The national voice for an energy efficient economy. Not only is Natalie helping to change the landscape for the better by being a voice and advocate in this sector, she is up to very interesting things! She works full time and is pursuing her Master’s degree and learning to become a sommelier. She joins the conversation from Sweden!

•Tune in to find out the many things you can do to your home to make it more energy efficient. No, it’s not just installing a heat pump.

•Did you know that Nova Scotia is a leader in energy efficiency?

•Find out why Shawna tells Natalie that she was a “unicorn” when she first started in the industry.