Science Night 31: Smart Shelter

Your home is more than four walls and a roof, it’s a dynamic system governed by the laws of physics. Temperature gradients, vapour diffusion, pressure differences and material properties all interact to determine whether a house is warm, dry, and energy-efficient - or cold, damp, and costly to live in.

This month’s Science Night explores the field of building science with Ian Mayes from HPA (Home Performance Advisor). Ian was a designer and builder for 23 years, mostly in the UK and California. After coming back to NZ in 1999 and completing a Permaculture Design course, he designed and built his own “Eco” home in Raglan where he has lived with his family for more than 20 years. After working with Xtreme Zero Waste on a timber and building product recycling programme Ian was the Eco Design Advisor for 12 years at Hamilton City Council. As the EDA, he reckons he must have visited up to 10 houses a week and he's seen every type of problem a house can have. Ian is a member of the original “dream team” that developed the first HPA course that started back in 2013. Ian's an encyclopedia of home performance knowledge and has an almost uncontrollable passion for educating kiwis about home performance.
https://hpa.arlo.co/w/

We’ll delve into the science of heat transfer, insulation performance, air tightness, ventilation strategies, and moisture movement, and how these forces impact occupant health, building durability and energy use. Whether you’re designing, retrofitting, or just trying to understand why your house behaves the way it does, this session will give you the knowledge to see your home through a new lens.

Expect science, practical insights, and plenty of myth-busting.

Science Night #31 is presented in collaboration with Community Energy Whāingaroa.
https://cewh.nz/

Nau mai, haere mai! This is a FREE event held in the front bar of the Harbourview Hotel.

Arrive early if you want to order dinner, a drink and snag a good table. Science Night commences at 7pm.
whaingaroa.org.nz/science-night

Many thanks to our Science Night funders The Sargood Bequest
www.sargoodbequest.org.nz