Windows are a key aspect of any sustainable build or retrofit. Used strategically, windows can improve your build, but the wrong windows may undermine your home's energy efficiency and thermal performance. As part of our Sustainable House Day Retrofitting Week, this Expert Session will bring you presentations by industry experts on getting your window selection right, and things to watch out for.

In the second half of our webinar, we'll open up a panel discussion and Q&A session with our experts and some of our Sustainable House Day homeowners, who will share their first-hand experience with glazing. You can find links to their house profiles below.

Speakers

Brian Guinan, Director and Registered Builder at ISMART Building Group

I am married with 4 beautiful children and enjoy life and what it offers in the beautiful city that is Perth, Western Australia. My passions are My Family, Motorcycles of all kinds and of course Passiv Haus. I am a qualified carpenter training under my Dad and my uncle in the mid 90’s. Not long after becoming qualified I spread my wings and travelled to NYC in search of something more. I lived and worked in NYC for a little under 7 years mainly focused on town houses and low rise construction in the Lower Manhattan area. This is were I was first exposed to construction codes, Green star and energy ratings which was quite interesting to me but still very basic.

I then ventured across the world to the beautiful Sunny Western Australian and it was here that I discovered the amazing benefits of Passiv Haus. I soon became a citizen and went back to school at night to obtain my qualifications as a Registered Builder, Certified Passive House Tradesperson and Certified Passive House Consultant. During the past 6 years I have successfully built over 40 homes, both new and addition renovations, all to passive house standards with 4 of these being Certified Passive House, Two Passive House Plus and two Passive House Classic. It has been both challenging and rewarding to be on this wonderful adventure of achievement and I look forward to what the future holds. Hopefully we see the greater Australian Industry adopt Passive House Standards on a much larger scale and we can begin to ensure a healthy and viable future of buildings for our children.

Michael Tolhurst, Senior Architect at Cox Architecture

Michael is a Senior Architect at Cox Architecture in Canberra. He has over 20 years’ experience primarily in the commercial, public and education sectors. With an interest in sustainable design and an eye for detail, Michael learned of Passivhaus and was inspired by its rigorous and integrated approach to design and construction. He became a Certified Passive House Designer in 2016, and has applied this new knowledge to the design of his own recently completed home which is in the process of certification. He believes new homes are frequently over-glazed, which has a negative impact on the thermal performance in most parts of the country. Windows can be one of the most expensive elements in a new home, especially if it’s a Passivhaus home. Consequently the selection and design of these windows needs to be a carefully considered balance of cost and amenity. Michael will discuss the factors that influenced the design of his windows using examples from his own home.

MC

Andy Marlow, Director at Envirotecture

Andy is a Director at Passivhaus Design & Construct and Envirotecture, holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Architecture, is a certified Passive House Designer and has extensive experience in sustainable design at a variety of scales. He has led master planning projects, been involved in several successful competitions including the Bathurst Sustainable Living House, designed Sydney’s first Certified Passive House and led the materials research for Australia’s first certified Living Building. Andy believes all people should live, work and play in buildings that make them happy and healthy. His ‘day job’ focuses on ensuring people with reasonable budgets get into the best homes possible through a focus on health, comfort and efficiency in all its meanings. He is also a volunteer director at the Australian Passive House Association.

SHD Homeowners

Daniel Moore - Thinking Paddock House (TAS)

Chris Nunn - Asquith Passive House (NSW)

Tickets

You will receive the link to attend the webinar in your ticket confirmation email.
This webinar will take place on Zoom. If you need to download Zoom, you can do so here.
We have a number of free tickets available for those experiencing financial difficulty.
Sustainable House Day is a national event by Renew, a non-profit organisation. Renew recognises that this event that takes place on the stolen lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will be directing 5% of all proceeds generated by these webinars to the Pay the Rent initiative, and 5% to Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.