The Healthy Building Materials Mastermind is for you if you want to:
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Design or build homes that are better than Australian standards and that go a level beyond what is addressed by building science
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Reduce the risks to your business when NCC 2022 (condensation management) comes into effect.
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Understand what else needs to be considered, in addition to mould susceptibility and environmental impacts of materials, to ensure the products you specify don't pose other health risks for clients.
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Differentiate your business in a challenging market.
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Be a go-to person in your industry for healthy home builds.
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Be part of a phenomenal community committed to being the change they want to see in the building industry and supporting each other along the way.
"It's an awesome course, there are so many things to consider."
We’ve been recommended things based on carbon accounting and energy efficiency, the gap in my knowledge has been around health and materials.
"Going through the Mastermind has helped plug that gap and give me the knowledge to be able to ask the right person the right questions and get the right answer.
"We'll be implementing the learnings in our business over the next 10 years."
- Luke Davies, Davies Construction.
"For a while I thought Passive House was the be-all and end-all, but there is another level and I genuinely believe that Passive House and the Building Biology principles will deliver the ultimate healthy home.
"If you're already in the sustainability or Passive House space, you're already invested in this path, why not start thinking beyond that... what I learned in the Mastermind has enabled me to go a level beyond Passive House."
- Evan Graham Master Builder
Material choices made with our environment in mind aren't always ideal choices for human health.
Building materials need to be considered in the context of a range of factors, in addition to how they will influence energy efficiency.
The entire life cycle of the material, from cradle to grave, needs to be taken into consideration, in addition to how a material might impact air quality, and the electro-climate of the home.
'Sustainable' does not necessarily mean 'healthy', we need to balance the need for both.
What would it feel like to build and design homes that that not only tick boxes in terms of aesthetics, but also give you confidence the materials you specify and source aren't going to cause ill-health to your clients?
Meet your healthy home guide...
Zara D'Cotta, Building Biology New Build Consultant, and founder of The Healthy Home, discovered her passion for environmental health after going through cancer.
Through her own experiences with environmental illness, including five years moving from one 'unhealthy' home to the next, and extensive research Zara realised that unhealthy homes are making us sick.
Knowing that most building industry professionals don't have the time or the desire to take on the research themselves, Zara created the Healthy Building Materials Mastermind to help overcome what she sees as one of the biggest barriers to widespread change.
Zara has delivered presentations for the Australian Institute of Architects, Building Designers Association of Australia, Surfers for Climate, and been featured in Domain, Professional Builder's Secrets, Level Up with Duayne, & Undercover Architect.
Course outline
Each of the 70+ materials in the course is assessed against 9 health & environmental criteria and given a rating, with in-depth discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of each, considerations when using (to mitigate potential health risks) PLUS the perspectives of environmental health experts.
You'll need to allocate 1 - 1.5 hours each week for the pre-recorded content, and one hour for each fortnightly live call.
Week 1
- The five pillars of The Healthy Home
- What is building biology?
- Building biology principles that relate to healthy building materials
- Rating materials for their health and environmental impacts
- What is building science?
- Mastermind action plan (downloadable template)
Week 2
- Live group call
- Framing: steel vs timber
- Foundations: Subfloor: high mass & low mass materials
- Construction stage practices to reduce mould risk in framing and foundations.
- How to identify and address mould contaminated materials on building sites
- Online assessment to test your knowledge from weeks 1 & 2
Week 3
- Vapour permeability: regulatory changes
- Weather Resistive Barriers (roof and wall)
- Predicting how a wall system will perform in response to moisture
- Airtightness & vapour barriers presentation by Airboss Dan (Daniel Jakobs), German Master Carpenter & Construction Engineer.
- Week 3 assessment
Week 4
- Live group call
- Insulation (roof & wall): traditionally used materials + healthier alternative.
- How a member of the Build a Healthy Home communicated came to the decision to spend more on the best quality insulation.
- Considerations when guiding client insulation decisions, where price is seen as a barrier to the best choice.
- Insulation presentation by James Cornell, Certified Builder & Passive House Designer.
- Week 4 assessment
Week 5
- Window frames
- Glazing
- Curtains, shutters
- Roofing materials
- Downpipes
- NCC 2022 with Jesse Clark, author of Australian Based Study on Airtightness & Moisture Management, and Technical Lead at Pro Clima.
- Week 5 assessment
- Week 6
- Live group call
- Wall materials (exterior): in depth look at 10 different materials
- Building with Hempcrete with Joe D'Alo.
- Week 6 assessment
Week 7
- Interior wall & ceiling linings:
- Wet area wall & ceiling lining
- Preventing condensation & mould (including which materials to avoid): with Rhys Brenton, Certified Mould Remediator & Inspector, Conscious Environments
- Week 7 assessment
Week 8
- Live group call
- Flooring: toxic materials to avoid + healthier alternatives (8 materials covered)
- Natural Materials
- Week 8 assessment
Week 9
- Low VOC paints & wood treatments
- Natural renders
- Low VOC guidelines + semi VOCs
- Cabinetry
- Benchtops, doors, taps,
- Week 9 assessment
Week 10
- Live Group call
- Beyond material things: what strategies can you implement in the design and construction stage, to mitigate condensation and mould risk
- What factors other than building materials can influence the health of the built environment, and what else do you need to consider in order to deliver healthier home builds?
- Guidelines for responsible marketing of healthy homes
- Week 10 assessment
Live wrap up call
Content is delivered weekly, and will be a combination of video, written, audio and live Q & A's.
Once you have completed & passed each module, and provided you attend a minimum of 5 out of the 6 live calls, you'll be given a Certificate of Completion.
Please note:
This information in this e-course is not intended as professional training nor does it replace professional advice when it comes to designing a healthy home, nor is it intended for the treatment or diagnosis of individual diseases or issues.
The generic information that we provide in the e-course materials is not a replacement for specialist advice tailored to your client's unique circumstances.
While working through the course material, it is very important that you conduct your own research, consult appropriately qualified professionals and make informed decisions about what is right for you and your client's particular circumstances.
All final decisions regarding a home renovation or build must be subject to approval by a licensed architect or building designer, and builder, who is familiar with statutory requirements to ensure compliance with the Building Code of Australia, National Construction Code and (State) Act standards.
Click here to read the terms and conditions before you enrol.
"My brain is completely changed from doing this course.
"The information in the Healthy Building Materials Mastermind fills a gap missing in the industry
"The content is well paced, engaging, important and so relevant to the priorities of clients and building industry professionals today.
"If this information were taught in universities we would be on our way to a healthier society and vastly improved building stock."
- Mercedes Mambort , Passive House architect, S.H.E.
Did you know...
- The Building Code of Australia sets out construction standards primarily in relation to safety, building performance, and energy efficiency, but it doesn't take into account the health or environmental impacts of thousands of building materials that have not been tested for their impact on human health.
- The highest ratios of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde, were found in a GREEN building, in a 2018 study by the CSIRO, which concluded "Greater attention to indoor VOC's in new construction, renovated spaces and green buildings is needed."
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40% of new builds in Australia were found to have condensation and mould (Australian Building Codes Board, 2015). Lack of awareness about how building materials contribute to condensation and mould in new builds, is contributing to this.
- Building material manufacturers make claims about their products being "mould-resistant" without evidence to back up their claims, and studies that suggest they are false.
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90% of patients in the children's oncology ward in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital in China in late 2019 were suffering from leukaemia or lymphoma blood cancers, more than 70% of whom came from homes that had recently been renovated. (South China Morning Post, 2019)
Toxic building materials can also contribute to: respiratory illnesses, insomnia, migraines, headaches, hormone imbalances, infertility, miscarriage, damage to DNA, birth defects, compromised immunity, inflammation, digestive dysfunction, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (mould illness), diabetes, neurological disorders, and so much more.
In 8 weeks, the learnings I've taken from this course have been invaluable, and it's been so uplifting being part of a group of like-minded people who are so willing to share their own, knowledge & experiences.
What I've come to really appreciate is the value in continually investing time in learning. As Maya Angelou so simply put it: when you know better, you do better." After becoming immersed in the course literature and teachings, I finally felt like there is a better way forward in interior design.
My experience in the Healthy Building Materials Mastermind led to the creation of Ganica Design.
Within weeks I was being approached to work on projects with clients who value health and being kinder to our environment.
It has truly been a highlight of 2021, and life changing for me. The connections I've made with so many like-minds has brought me so much hope and fulfilment."
- Rachel Fay, Ganica Design.
The Healthy Building Materials Mastermind has been created to empower you to guide clients towards healthier choices, and drive industry change, without having to take on hundreds of hours of research yourself.
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The course is delivered via pre-recorded audio and video recordings (1 - 1.5 hours per week)
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you'll hear an incredible depth of knowledge, perspectives and insights from industry experts.
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Fortnightly live Q & A's and an exclusive Mastermind Voxxer, will give you the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, discuss learnings, share insights and workshop solutions.
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There are short quizzes in each module to test your knowledge.
The knowledge you'll gain from this mastermind will fundamentally shift the way you approach building material choices, the value you're able to offer your clients, and enable you to play an instrumental role in driving the growing demand for healthier, locally produced materials.
"The content far exceeded what I expected.
There were a lot of knowledge gaps that got plugged
and sent the mind racing around all the options.
I definitely think it’s worth all architects going through the course."
- Michael Loubshire,
Principal Architect Align.
Collapse time
1,500+ hours of research has been condensed so that all is required of your time is approximately 1 - 1.5 hours per week.
Drive the movement for change
You have a pivotal role to play in reducing the demand for materials that are harmful to our health and killing our planet, and increasing demand for locally manufactured, healthier alternatives.
Peace of mind
Reduce risks to your business when NCC 2022 (condensation management) comes into effect, and ensure the materials you specify won't contribute to other potential health issues.
"It's been a mind blowing experience...
Your passion is so inspiring!"
-Fefa
"Thanks for sharing your knowledge. It's informing all my businesses and my life moving forward. It's invaluable."
- Jamie Stewart
Legacy Construction
Pay upfront
$2,997* + GST
Save $524
Includes:
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10 week program: video, audio + written content (1 to .5hrs content each week)
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70+ materials covered
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4 months course access (for you PLUS a team member)
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Assessments for each module
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Healthy Building Materials Mastermind group Slack channel
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6 x live 1hr Mastermind group calls
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Healthy building material supplier list
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Certification of completion
*Prices are in Australian dollars. International participants will not be charged GST.
Please read these terms and conditions. By applying to join you agree you have read and are willing to be bound by our t's and c's.
4 monthly payments
$853.50* + GST
Extended payment plan
Includes:
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10 week program: video, audio + written content (1 - 1.5 hrs content each week)
-
70+ materials covered
-
4 months course access (for you PLUS a team member)
-
Assessments for each module
-
Healthy Building Materials Mastermind group Voxxer group
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6 x live 1hr Mastermind group calls
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Healthy building material supplier list
-
Certification of completion
*Prices are in Australian dollars. GST not applicable for international participants.
Please read these terms and conditions. By applying to join you agree you have read and are willing to be bound by our t's and c's.
"The Healthy Building Materials Mastermind really opens doors to thinking objectively and practically about the direction to take your product and confidently steer clients in their priorities for building and renovating."
- Anna, Dwelling Design.
"I joined the Healthy Building Materials Mastermind because I wanted to learn what is not taught in the National Construction Code so we can incorporate some of the learnings.
"There are genuinely a lot of things in the course that I'd never considered.
"I was already a big advocate for natural materials for their beauty but now I have a better understanding of vapour permeability (and the importance in terms of moisture management), I'll push even harder."
- Aled (builder), Madeform.
The Healthy Home is a Preferred Partner of the Association of Professional Builders. APB members preferred partner. APB members get an 8% cash rebate on their enrolment in the Healthy Building Materials Mastermind.
