Matt Genaze
Username
Matt Genaze
Proposer First Name
Matt
Proposer Email
matthewg@zeroenergy.com
Proposer Last Name
Genaze

Boston 2021 Areas of Focus

Proposer Company/Organization
ZeroEnergy Design
Proposer Job Title
Architect
Proposed Session Description
I.e., building a house with no basement slab, or utilizing a new unproven product for air sealing or the mechanical system. Either: 1 presenter discussing multiple significantly unconventional details on a single project; 1 presenter discussing significantly unconventional details on multiple projects; 3-4 presenters discussing significantly unconventional details on one project each. What was the lead up to making the unconventional decision? How did the professional convince the client of the detail? How did they convince the builder, or architect, to build it or approve it respectively? How did the professional protect themselves from litigation should the detail fail? Was it a spectacular success, or spectacular failure? How will the success be tweaked for future applications? How will the failure be adjusted to result in a future success? And most importantly, WHY did they ultimately decide to go through with the unconventional detail or assembly?
Diversity and Inclusiveness
I would hope that the final selected speakers would be diverse in either age, race, and or gender.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn about communication methods for convincing clients to work with unfamiliar materials, and for communicating with the build team that may have trepidation.
Attendees will learn about planning for "Plan B" if initial tests of a new material or assembly do not perform as needed. Similarly, attendees will learn about implementing redundancies to ensure that if a specific component of an assembly fails, the overall assembly continues to perform as needed.
Attendees will learn about legal and insurance resources and techniques for ensuring they are "covered" in the event a risky detail does not go as planned.
Most importantly, attendees will learn anecdotes for helping them make the critical decision as to "why" one would use an unconventional detail, assembly or product. Go or no-go?
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.
Session Format Details
It would depend on the number of presenters; each presenter presents their examples and anecdotes and then there is a Q&A session to allow the audience to dig deeper into the topics that are of most interest to them.
Recommended Length
60-minute session
90-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2021

Comments about your speaker roster
I would rely on the NESEA staff and network to propose the most progressive architects, builders, and engineers that they know of in the US to fill the roster for this presentation. I put forth Steve Baczek due to his experience with building homes without basement slabs. Marc Rosenbaum (formerly of South Mountain Co) may be a good source for an engineer having executed unconventional mechanical systems.
Reviewer 1
Veerkamp, Danny
Proposal #
110
Committee Decision
Rejected

Presenters

Full Description
As the burden of the climate crisis grows, architects and builders are going to need to work faster to implement solutions at a broader and more effective scale. Doing so will likely rely on new, unproven products, assemblies and details which will come with risk in their execution. The architecture and construction industry needs the skills and resources for how to implement such details and products with a reasonable degree of confidence.