Green Architects Lounge Is Back: Building Science, Cocktails, and Irreverent Wisdom
The Lounge Is Open Again: Let’s Build Something Better
After a five-year break, Green Architects Lounge is back, and the microphones are live once more. The hosts have been busy with projects, adapting through a pandemic, and discovering the limits of late-night Zoom calls. Eventually, discussing vapor barriers alone in a quiet office lost its appeal.
Now, the show returns with a straightforward goal: to have honest conversations about high-performance home design, building science, and sustainable architecture, all while enjoying a drink and considering real projects.
New to Green Architects Lounge? Pull Up a Stool
The Lounge is where architects Chris Briley (Briburn) and Phil Kaplan (Kaplan Thompson Architects) share how better buildings actually come to life. They discuss what works, what fails, and what they would do differently next time. There are no slides, no scripted presentations, and no marketing gloss—just candid conversations between two professionals dedicated to smarter, saner green design.
Listeners can expect recurring themes such as:
Envelope assemblies that are worth the extra effort
Sustainability strategies that are practical, not performative
Details and specs that quietly enhance durability, comfort, and performance
The tone remains conversational, but the ideas stem from real job sites, real clients, and real constraints.
Meet the Hosts
Chris Briley is a Certified Passive House Consultant, a Pretty Good House pioneer, and the kind of architect who can explain thermal bridging in plain language while enjoying a gin and tonic. He has spent years refining envelope-first design, comfortable interiors, and the balance between performance and budget.
Phil Kaplan is a LEED AP, a fan of timber framing, and someone who always seeks delight in the details. He combines technical curiosity with design warmth and often soundtracks studio work with Tom Waits.
Together, Chris and Phil bring a mix of field-tested experience, building science fundamentals, and a friendly, slightly irreverent vibe. The show feels like overhearing two colleagues talk shop after hours, only with microphones and the record button on.
Who Is the Lounge For?
The audience includes architects aiming to exceed code minimums, builders immersed in spec sheets and blower-door numbers, and homeowners trying to understand what “vapor open” means for their project. Students, engineers, product reps, and dedicated detail enthusiasts are also welcome here.
If you care about better envelopes, smarter mechanical systems, durable assemblies, and low-embodied-carbon choices, you are in the right place. Whether your work boots are covered in jobsite dust or you spend most days in front of modeling software, there is a seat for you.
What Is Coming This Season
The returning season of Green Architects Lounge introduces new voices and a sharper focus on high-performance residential design. Expect:
Guest conversations about sustainable architecture in practice
Field stories about products that exceeded expectations and details that didn’t
Honest questions about the industry's future, designing for climate realities, and building “pretty good” in various regions
Along the way, the hosts will share lessons from real projects, discuss design tradeoffs, and occasionally sketch ideas on napkins while recording.
Introducing “Don’t Be an Air Hole”
Alongside the new episodes, the team is launching a companion blog, “Don’t Be an Air Hole.” Consider it the written counterpart to the show, designed for those who want to delve deeper.
Here, you'll find:
Stories that didn’t fit into the episode runtime
Extra context for building science topics
Ideas for high-performance home design to bring to your next project meeting
You may also encounter the occasional cocktail recipe and frank commentary that’s easier to explore in writing than in an hour-long audio track.
The blog is a space where building science, design practice, and community converge. Episodes will often link here for more detail, and posts will connect back to the show to explore how these ideas developed.
For Longtime Listeners and Newcomers
If you’ve been listening since the original run of Green Architects Lounge, your patience is appreciated. The show exists because of a community that cares deeply about better buildings, and longtime listeners are a big part of that.
If you’re just discovering the Lounge now, welcome. Whether your glass holds a Negroni, a Topo Chico, or just cold coffee from a long site visit, you’re in good company.
This isn’t a generic green building podcast. It’s a space where real practitioners talk honestly about designing and building homes that work for people, place, and planet.
Stay Connected
For new episodes, blog extras, and the occasional spirited rant about vapor barriers, air control layers, and thermal bridges, you can join the mailing list to keep up with everything from Green Architects Lounge and Don’t Be an Air Hole.
