Better Buildings For Humans

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes back Dorit Aviv, joined by Eric Teitelbaum, for a powerful conversation on one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—climate challenges: extreme urban heat. Drawing from their work at the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, they unpack how the urban heat island effect disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities and why conventional cooling solutions fall short.Together, they explore an innovative breakthrough—membrane-assisted radiant cooling—and how it reimagines comfort by cooling people directly, not the air around them. From solar-powered cooling shelters to redesigned bus stops, their work blends building science, material innovation, and human-centered design to reduce heat stress in real-world settings. This episode challenges us to rethink how cities can become not just more sustainable—but more livable, equitable, and resilient in a warming world.More About Dorit Aviv and Eric TeitelbaumDorit Aviv, PhD, AIA, is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, where she directs of the Thermal Architecture Lab, a cross-disciplinary laboratory at the intersection of thermodynamics, architecture, and material science. Her work examines synergies between renewable environmental forces and architectural materials and forms to improve energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing. Aviv is a licensed architect and holds a PhD in architectural technology from Princeton University. Her work has been supported by federal grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. Her prototypes for passive and low-energy cooling have won major international awards, including a Holcim Award for Sustainable Design and Construction for a prototype of passive cooling in desert climate in 2021 and a Ramboll Foundation grant to investigate applications of radiant cooling for urban shelters in 2024.Eric Teitelbaum, PhD, is an engineer and educator working at the intersection of architectural systems, thermal comfort, and materials science. With AIL Research Inc., he develops novel technologies that reduce reliance on conventional air conditioning. His research and development efforts have been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the USDA. A lifelong tinkerer, DIY home renovator, treehouse builder, and inventor of sensors and heat pumps, Eric believes deeply in learning through building with your hands. Most recently, he has focused on developing and commercializing membrane-assisted radiant cooling panels for outdoor thermal comfort as cofounder of the early-stage startup Clearly Cool.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorit-aviv/ https://www.instagram.com/thermal_architecture_lab/https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-teitelbaum-16805bb9/ Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes back Dorit Aviv, joined by Eric Teitelbaum, for a powerful conversation on one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—climate challenges: extreme urban heat. Drawing from their work at the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, they unpack how the urban heat island effect disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities and why conventional cooling solutions fall short.Together, they explore an innovative breakthrough—membrane-assisted radiant cooling—and how it reimagines comfort by cooling people directly, not the air around them. From solar-powered cooling shelters to redesigned bus stops, their work blends building science, material innovation, and human-centered design to reduce heat stress in real-world settings. This episode challenges us to rethink how cities can become not just more sustainable—but more livable, equitable, and resilient in a warming world.More About Dorit Aviv and Eric TeitelbaumDorit Aviv, PhD, AIA, is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, where she directs of the Thermal Architecture Lab, a cross-disciplinary laboratory at the intersection of thermodynamics, architecture, and material science. Her work examines synergies between renewable environmental forces and architectural materials and forms to improve energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing. Aviv is a licensed architect and holds a PhD in architectural technology from Princeton University. Her work has been supported by federal grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. Her prototypes for passive and low-energy cooling have won major international awards, including a Holcim Award for Sustainable Design and Construction for a prototype of passive cooling in desert climate in 2021 and a Ramboll Foundation grant to investigate applications of radiant cooling for urban shelters in 2024.Eric Teitelbaum, PhD, is an engineer and educator working at the intersection of architectural systems, thermal comfort, and materials science. With AIL Research Inc., he develops novel technologies that reduce reliance on conventional air conditioning. His research and development efforts have been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the USDA. A lifelong tinkerer, DIY home renovator, treehouse builder, and inventor of sensors and heat pumps, Eric believes deeply in learning through building with your hands. Most recently, he has focused on developing and commercializing membrane-assisted radiant cooling panels for outdoor thermal comfort as cofounder of the early-stage startup Clearly Cool.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorit-aviv/ https://www.instagram.com/thermal_architecture_lab/https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-teitelbaum-16805bb9/ Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Helena Pombares, a prison design architect whose work challenges how we think about justice, dignity, and the built environment. From her unexpected start rebuilding infrastructure in post-war Angola to pursuing criminology to better understand inmate needs, Helena shares a deeply human approach to one of architecture’s most misunderstood sectors.Together, they explore how thoughtful design—natural light, ventilation, intuitive layouts, and access to education—can reduce stress, support rehabilitation, and ultimately lower recidivism. Helena introduces the concept of salutogenic design and explains how creating safer, more humane environments benefits not just inmates, but society as a whole. This episode reframes prisons not as places of punishment alone, but as spaces with the potential to foster healthier futures.More About Helena Queiroz PombaresHelena Pombares is an architect and criminologist with 20 years’ experience in justice architecture, and a criminology (and paths) lecturer in the UK. Helena also possesses a masters’ degree in Prisons Architecture and is on the final steps of her journey of a Professional Doctorate degree at University of West London (UWL), researching “Salutogenic Architecture - Reshaping Prison Design for the 21st Century”. With extensive experience she works in the justice field connecting research evidence and practice base as a prison architect specialist and a researcher, bringing together architecture and criminology. Her research on salutogenic architecture of carceral spaces feeds her passion on the effects the built environment has on the users of the space, like staff and inmates, using the evidence found to inform planning and design of carceral spaces to positively impact society.CONTACT:linkedin.com/in/helena-queiroz-pombares-fhea-4606237 Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Chelsey Jersak, founder of Situate, to unpack one of the most overlooked opportunities in city building: infill development—and why it’s so hard to get right.From her unexpected path into urban planning to launching a company that helps developers navigate the often confusing world of zoning and approvals, Chelsey shares how small, strategic changes can unlock massive potential in our existing neighborhoods. Together, they explore the environmental and social impact of infill, from reducing emissions to combating the growing loneliness epidemic in modern cities.The conversation also dives into Wello Living, her innovative housing concept designed for the rise of roommate living and shifting lifestyle needs. This episode challenges us to rethink how we build our cities—not outward, but inward—and why the future of better living might already be right in front of us.More About Chelsey JersakChelsey Jersak is a trailblazing urban planner and the founder of Situate, one of Canada’s fastest-growing planning firms, as well as the co-founder of Wello Living—a bold new housing development reimagining how we live, share, and build community.With a career that spans real estate, policy reform, and systemic design, Chelsey is known for turning big ideas into real-world solutions. She helped amend Alberta’s Human Rights Act to allow children in apartment buildings, and today, she’s pioneering multi-bedroom, shared housing models that address affordability, loneliness, and the outdated myth of the nuclear family home.Splitting her time between Edmonton and Mexico City, Chelsey offers a unique, cross-border perspective on urban development. Her work challenges conventional planning norms with a simple philosophy: build for real life, not outdated ideals.Whether she’s advocating for third spaces, co-living arrangements, or more inclusive neighborhoods, Chelsey brings a refreshingly honest and practical voice to conversations about housing, community, and the future of our cities.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseyjersak/Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Jenny Heim, Sustainable Design Leader at McMillan Pazdan Smith, to explore how truly high-performance buildings emerge at the intersection of environmental responsibility and human well-being.From her early inspiration shaped by European architecture to leading firm-wide sustainability strategies, Jenny shares how design decisions—especially those made early—can dramatically influence both carbon impact and occupant experience. The conversation dives into embodied carbon, adaptive reuse, and the growing role of mass timber, while highlighting the importance of community-driven design and collaboration across disciplines.Jenny offers practical insights on aligning client priorities with wellness outcomes, proving that sustainability and human health are not competing goals—but inseparable ones. This episode challenges us to design buildings that people don’t just use—but truly value and preserve.More About Jenny HeimJenny Heim, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador, is a Senior Associateand the Sustainable Design Leader for McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture. Jenny’s role includes serving projects with ambitious design excellence and sustainability goals, assisting clients with feasibility and budgeting, and guiding design teams toward sustainable and regenerative solutions. Her expertise in sustainability and passion for making a positive impact embody the firm’s commitment to design excellence, stewardship, and service.  Jenny has a B.Arch in Architecture from Penn State University and an M.Arch Architecture-Sustainable  Design from Texas University at Austin.  Jenny loves collaborating with teams and projects in service to clients and communities across the MPS footprint, while leading, developing, and elevating the firm’s Design Excellence and Sustainability goals aligned with the AIA 2030 Commitment and AIA Materials Pledge.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/company/mpsarchitecture/  https://www.instagram.com/mpsarchitecture   https://www.facebook.com/mpsarchitecture Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd