Form and Function: Pretty Good Design

This episode of the BS* + Beer Show features Elizabeth DiSalvo, principal of Trillium Architects; energy consultant Kai Fast of Kaplan Thompson Architects; and Steve DeMetrick, owner of DeMetrick Housewrights talking about the ways in which a building’s size and shape affect performance, cost, and aesthetics. As part of the Pretty Good House series, the discussion includes examples of right-sized houses with emphasis on the rectangular form’s benefits, which include better WuFi modeling results. The group covers the challenge of heat gain, the value of deep overhangs, passive solar vs. Passive House performance, the tendency for HVAC mechanicals to be used as a be-all solution, the unmet demand for smaller homes, marrying simplicity of design to ease of constructability, and much more.

Enjoy the show!