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People have been building better buildings for hundreds of years. But modern high-performance construction has become so technical, so specialized, and taught at so many different levels that many people don't know where to start.
This Field Guide changes that.
Brian Iverson has spent more than 50 years in construction, design, energy auditing, remodeling, real estate, development, and building performance.
His goal with this guide is simple:
Give you the confidence to build a super energy-efficient, healthy home or building.
You might be a homeowner trying to understand what you're paying for. You might be a builder, remodeler, architect, drafts person, inspector, tradesperson, developer, or someone who simply wants to build better.
This guide was made for you.
This isn't a textbook filled with theory and complicated language.
It's a visual how-to field guide built around more than 150 field photographs and construction stages.
You follow an actual building from the ground up.
See the site work.
See the foundation.
See the thermal breaks.
See the walls.
See the roof.
See the windows and doors.
See the air and moisture control.
See the mechanical systems.
See the testing.
See the mistakes.
See the corrections.
And finally, see how the building actually performed after it was occupied.
Each photograph is there for a reason. The descriptions explain what you're looking at, why it matters, and what to think about before the next step gets covered up.
The building documented in this guide wasn't perfect.
That's important.
When testing showed something could have been done better, Brian documented it. When thermal imaging exposed a weakness, he didn't hide it. When experience changed the way something should be built, the lesson became part of the guide.
You're not just seeing how a building went together. You're seeing what 50+ years of experience taught us about doing it better.
Homeowners. Builders. Remodelers. Architects. Drafts people. Inspectors. Developers. Tradespeople. Building-performance professionals.
Anybody who wants to build a super energy-efficient, healthy home or building — and wants a practical way to understand how all the pieces go together.
You don't need to become a building scientist.
Follow the building. Follow the pictures. Understand the decisions. Build with confidence.
More than 150 field photographs and construction stages covering the building from the ground through completed performance.
You'll see real-world examples of foundations, framing, thermal breaks, control layers, windows, roofing, airtightness, ventilation, mechanical systems, humidity control, thermal imaging, testing, commissioning, and occupied-building performance.
This is educational material, not architectural plans, engineered drawings, code approval, or project-specific professional advice. Every building must be evaluated for its own site, climate, adopted codes, and conditions by appropriately qualified professionals.
Super energy-efficient. Healthy. Built to last. And explained so people can actually understand it.
Important — save your file right away.
Your download link expires 24 hours after you first open it. Open the link from your email on a computer, or in Safari or Chrome. Downloads do not work inside the Facebook or Instagram app. Save the file to your computer as soon as you get the email. If your link has already expired, email hello@carbonless.org and we will send it to you directly.
People have been building better buildings for hundreds of years. But modern high-performance construction has become so technical, so specialized, and taught at so many different levels that many people don't know where to start.
This Field Guide changes that.
Brian Iverson has spent more than 50 years in construction, design, energy auditing, remodeling, real estate, development, and building performance.
His goal with this guide is simple:
Give you the confidence to build a super energy-efficient, healthy home or building.
You might be a homeowner trying to understand what you're paying for. You might be a builder, remodeler, architect, drafts person, inspector, tradesperson, developer, or someone who simply wants to build better.
This guide was made for you.
This isn't a textbook filled with theory and complicated language.
It's a visual how-to field guide built around more than 150 field photographs and construction stages.
You follow an actual building from the ground up.
See the site work.
See the foundation.
See the thermal breaks.
See the walls.
See the roof.
See the windows and doors.
See the air and moisture control.
See the mechanical systems.
See the testing.
See the mistakes.
See the corrections.
And finally, see how the building actually performed after it was occupied.
Each photograph is there for a reason. The descriptions explain what you're looking at, why it matters, and what to think about before the next step gets covered up.
The building documented in this guide wasn't perfect.
That's important.
When testing showed something could have been done better, Brian documented it. When thermal imaging exposed a weakness, he didn't hide it. When experience changed the way something should be built, the lesson became part of the guide.
You're not just seeing how a building went together. You're seeing what 50+ years of experience taught us about doing it better.
Homeowners. Builders. Remodelers. Architects. Drafts people. Inspectors. Developers. Tradespeople. Building-performance professionals.
Anybody who wants to build a super energy-efficient, healthy home or building — and wants a practical way to understand how all the pieces go together.
You don't need to become a building scientist.
Follow the building. Follow the pictures. Understand the decisions. Build with confidence.
More than 150 field photographs and construction stages covering the building from the ground through completed performance.
You'll see real-world examples of foundations, framing, thermal breaks, control layers, windows, roofing, airtightness, ventilation, mechanical systems, humidity control, thermal imaging, testing, commissioning, and occupied-building performance.
This is educational material, not architectural plans, engineered drawings, code approval, or project-specific professional advice. Every building must be evaluated for its own site, climate, adopted codes, and conditions by appropriately qualified professionals.
Super energy-efficient. Healthy. Built to last. And explained so people can actually understand it.
Important — save your file right away.
Your download link expires 24 hours after you first open it. Open the link from your email on a computer, or in Safari or Chrome. Downloads do not work inside the Facebook or Instagram app. Save the file to your computer as soon as you get the email. If your link has already expired, email hello@carbonless.org and we will send it to you directly.