What if every future builder learned building science before they ever stepped onto a job site?
In this special roundtable episode of the E3 Podcast, Emily Mottram is joined by all four authors of Pretty Good House—Emily Mottram, Dan Kolbert, Mike Maines, and Chris Briley—along with educator Matt Blomquist to discuss an exciting new step for the Pretty Good House movement.
After successfully leading students through the construction of multiple Pretty Good Houses, Matt has developed a comprehensive curriculum that helps high schools, community colleges, and trade programs teach modern building science using the Pretty Good House book as its foundation.
Together, the group discusses why today's trades need more than traditional construction methods, how sequencing and simple building practices lead to better-performing homes, and why teaching future builders to think critically about air sealing, moisture management, indoor air quality, healthy materials, ventilation, and communication may be just as important as teaching them how to frame a wall.
The conversation also explores the future of the Pretty Good House movement, the responsibility of educating the next generation of builders, and why creating homes that are durable, healthy, resilient, and affordable starts long before construction begins.
Whether you're a builder, architect, educator, student, or homeowner, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the next generation of high-performance homes may be built—and who's teaching the people who will build them.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the new Pretty Good House curriculum was created
How building science can be taught in high school and trade programs
The biggest lessons the four Pretty Good House authors want future builders to understand
Why sequencing is one of the most important skills on a job site
How healthy materials, indoor air quality, and mechanical systems fit into modern home building
The role communication plays between builders, designers, and homeowners
Where the Pretty Good House movement is headed next
