Moisture: the bane of all buildings (also breathability, sweatability, and vapour), with Valentina Marincioni (UCL) and Toby Cambray (Greengauge)

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/70/c9/43/70c9437f-d918-bd77-c352-cc651c56f213/mza_7377095737887714950.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Zero Ambitions Podcast

Jeff and Dan

189 episodes

1 month ago

Zero Ambitions is a consultancy and weekly podcast about sustainability and the built environment. We find interesting and experienced guests who know what they're talking about, usually to discuss how we navigate the complexity of decarbonisation and sustainability in the built environment and its many related sectors. The success of the podcast has seen it grow into a consultancy, Zero Ambitions Partners. The consultancy works with blue chip clients, public sector institutions, and niche-market innovators that operate in the built environment, advising about the development and delivery of sustainability strategy and how it should be communicated. Hosted by Jeff Colley (Passive House Plus), Dan Hyde (Everything is User Experience) and Alex Blondin (Everything is User Experience).

All content for Zero Ambitions Podcast is the property of Jeff and Dan and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Moisture: the bane of all buildings (also breathability, sweatability, and vapour), with Valentina Marincioni (UCL) and Toby Cambray (Greengauge)

Zero Ambitions Podcast

1 hour 24 minutes

5 months ago

Moisture: the bane of all buildings (also breathability, sweatability, and vapour), with Valentina Marincioni (UCL) and Toby Cambray (Greengauge)

We are joined by Valentina Marincioni (UCL, UKCMB) and returning guest Toby Cambray (Greengauge) to talk about the bane of all buildings: moisture.

Recently, they they’ve produced a simple explainer video about "breathability" in buildings for the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings. Given Jeff's proclivity for referring to the 'sweatability' of buildings this seemed like a perfect opportunity to have Toby back and meet his colleague Valentina.

We got into the subject of moisture in some depth, discussed the key terms (vapour diffusion, hygroscopicity, and capillary action), why this all matters, what’s important to understand and how it’s easily misunderstood and easily miscommunicated.

We also play the audio from the video.

Notes from the show

Buildings Don't Breathe, the video that led to the conversation
Toby on LinkedIn
Valentina on LinkedIn
The UKCMB website and the tools and guidance they host there
The recent Historic England paper on vapour control layers
The paper about 4 Cs (context, coherence, capacity, and caution) framework for the development of moisture standards in the UK (available free via BSI)
Toby's appearance on the House Planning Help podcast talking about all things WUFI
The Greengauge consultancy website (Toby's consultancy, with others, too)

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)
Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sorts
Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon Upfront
Join ACAN
Join the AECB
Join the IGBC
Check out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**