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Rsearch Report 32 Appendix

Interview Transcript Participant A - Semi-Structured

Good morning, I just wanted to start by letting you know Why do you care so much?
that at any time if you feel uncomfortable by the line of
questioning and want me to stop at any point that is com-
pletely okay. Please answer any questions honestly, and if • People are literally dying in their homes man. And it's
you need any clarification on the questioning please let me not just indoor air quality, obviously we are all aware with
know. If at any point after the interview was recorded and what's going on with cladding replacements all over the
you no longer wish to proceed with the publication of the country. It's doing the bare minimum again.
results, I can erase the recording and any accompanying
transcripts. Is it okay if I publish some personal information Do you think others will change their practice?
about you, such as name, age, gender and occupation?
• Why should they? It's all about money and not wanting
• James to change.
Firstly, what is your age? Who does this effect the most?

• 38 • Social housing, without question, people who can't
afford to make informed decisions about where they live.
What is your gender? Low-socio economic backrgrounds, people with pre-ex-
isting respiratory diseases. But at the end of the day
everyone can be effected by this. We saw an award win-
• Male ning home in New Zeland be demolished because of the
moisture content, people need to be educated, from top
What is your profession? to bottom. You're a student at the moment, have they
told you anything about thermal bridging or technical
considerations which should take precedent over looks?
• Engineer Looks aren't everything, I'm bald and almost 40 and I like
to think I'm more than just a pretty face.
So the NCC, I would like to know your thoughts?
True. so, in an ideal world, what's the solution?
• *Laughs* Where do I start? Crooks
• Educate more design professionals and builders, start
providing access to affordable and local high perform-
Why do you have this stance? ing building systems, which is obviously how we met.
Thermal breaks, everywhere you need one, mechanical
• I just feel the lack of accountability and unwillingness ventilation like ERV, cross flow ventilation, orientation all
the basic stuff which has been happening in Europe for
to adapt common sense methods which have been 50 years.
around for donkey's years is unacceptable.
What should be done? Can that approach work in Australia?

• Adapting Passive House methodology and methods • 100%, heat and cold infiltrate in the same way. Australia
does have an obessesion with opening a window, or leav-
from the 1930's to ensure that you have a continous ing doors open in summer to air the place out. This can
broken envelope. There's this obsession with allowing overheat isothermal environments as the air obviously
buildings to breathe, building's don't breathe, if you're can't escape. Cross flow can help, but ideally people won't
in something that's been breathing you've been eaten! open a window if inside is comfortable.
Infiltration is not ventilation.
You sound tired? So it's a matter of changing habit?
• Yeah, I decided to stop fighting and just do better, • Yes, occupant habits as well as industry. Give people
the option to put the heater on, or the option to open
that's why my company exists, it's not trying to appease a window. Whether or not they'll need to will be seen. I
the code we just want to do better and want more would say 10 days a year you'll need to put the heater or
people to come along for the ride. air con on if you nail the principles in the orientation and
building envelope.
So have you given up on change?
Does that mean reduced running costs and C02 emmisions?
• Maybe I came across a bit defeated, but I have spent
so many years of my life consulting and giving advice • Yes
and providing solutions to problems to be met with 'we
have always done it this way' Is it really that simple?
Brendan Wilson So do you think it's a systemic problem? • Unfortunately so

Yeah, the industry is fucked, the notion of doing as little
•
as possible to get the tick of approval and scraping
projects over the line to get 6 stars. Don't even get me
started on the rating systems