The BS* + Beer “Brew Crew”
Mike Maines
Mike Maines earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, with a minor in Architectural Studies from Tufts University. He has worked as a fine woodworker, carpenter and contractor all over New England and spent over a decade with a residential design/build firm where he did everything from design to construction project management. Always interested in building science, Mike became a CPHD and helped start The Pretty Good House. In 2015 he started, Michael Maines Residential Design understanding that not everyone wants a Passive House, but to find a balance between efficiency and cost, while making sure that the home is beautiful, functional and healthy for its occupants and the environment.
Emily Mottram
Emily Mottram is an architect and HERS rater in Maine. Check out her podcast E3 Energy and Efficiency with Emily on Spotify, Stitcher or iTunes for a dive into the people, personalities and issues in the world of building science. Emily developed an interest in sustainability in college. After getting her architecture license she started doing energy consulting which taught her how to look at buildings just a little bit differently. That led to designing energy efficient, comfortable, durable, healthy, and beautiful homes. She believes homes have an impact on your physical, social, mental and economic well-being. That was what Emily thought Maine needed and is the foundation that she teaches and practices from.
Travis Brungardt
Travis Brungardt is co-owner of Catalyst Construction in Prairie Village, Kansas specializing in building durable, responsible homes and additions throughout the Kansas City area. He is co-founder of the BS* and Beer building science discussion group in Kansas City and co-host of the BS* and Beer Show on Green Building Advisor where he hopes to help others learn in the same way so many others have helped him. Driven by a commitment to create a healthy, sustainably built environment for his children to raise their families, it is his belief that the mindset of the craftsman matters as much as any tool or material; that every builder should have a generations-long view of the work they do and the choices they make.
Brian Pontolilo
After a few years spent dabbling in the trades, including carpentry, masonry, and painting, Brian earned a degree in professional writing and got into the newspaper business, before landing at Fine Homebuilding. Brian is now well-versed in new construction and remodeling; tools and materials; best practices in a variety of home building trades; and architecture and home design. Covering the housing industry in boom times and down-turns, Brian has gained first-hand insights into current housing trends, the challenges changes faced by builders, contractors, architects and homeowners, and how the home building industry continues to evolve. Brian relocated to Charleston, S.C., in 2018, and recently rejoined the FHB team as the editor of greenbuildingadvisor.com.
Kiley Jacques
Kiley Jacques is senior editor at Green Building Advisor (GBA), a sister website to Fine Homebuilding magazine that is more narrowly focused on sharing information about designing, building, and remodeling high-performance homes. She plans, creates, edits, and sources content to ensure useful information covering all aspects of green building including environmentally sensitive design, innovative materials, energy-efficient construction techniques, and must-know building science. As a media platform featuring industry innovators, professionals, products, and systems, GBA serves not only its readership but also the greater good. The site’s users, contributors, and staff share a common goal to protect the natural world while shaping the built environment. It is a space for exploring global issues such as the climate crisis and resource conservation, while gleaning science-backed, hands-on instruction and data.
Robert Swinburne
Robert Swinburne is an architect in the Brattleboro area who has been designing high performance homes for a few decades. His ideal process is to rope the builder into the design process early on and turn them into a design enthusiast. Bob is also involved with the Pretty Good House movement. Bob Designed this website but mostly remains behind the scenes offering scathing criticism.