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John F Straube

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Ask a professor what makes a great building scientist and you might expect an answer about physics. John Straube @jfstraube starts there, understanding physics is important, but spends the rest of the answer somewhere else.

On the latest Build It Forward, John says the thing that trips up people who are brilliant at modeling is materials. Things don't line up. Surfaces aren't flat. So his advice is to get on job sites, and better than that, get hands on yourself.

Watch the full conversation with John here:
Link in bio.

Build Better(TM) with samples of @benjaminobdyke roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JohnStraube #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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John Straube @jfstraube spent years reviewing architects' plans and running into the same problem. He could not say whether a design was any good, because he could not tell what was doing what.

On the latest Build It Forward, John and @nick_at_ab land on the analogy. Building plans are like Mad Libs. We fill them with all sorts of words, but do we have the context? We see the product nouns, but do we know their verbs? When the plan only names the product, somebody down the line might swap it for something that looks equivalent and isn't.

Watch the full conversation with John here:
Link in bio.

Build Better(TM) with samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JohnStraube #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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A test hut is a building where you are allowed to do bad things. John Straube @jfstraube can inject water into the wall, force an air leak, or start with the framing soaking wet, then watch what happens and actually measure it.

On the latest Build It Forward, John explains why that matters. On someone's real house you would never take the risk, so most of what the industry knows about failure gets learned the hard way, one callback at a time. In a test hut the experiment happens on purpose. And this conversation happened in the most legendary Test Hut of them all.

Watch the full conversation with John here:
Link in bio.

Build Better(TM) with samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JohnStraube #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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John Straube @jfstraube has spent a career breaking buildings on purpose and investigating the ones that failed by mistake.

In this conversation on Build It Forward, @nick_at_ab sits down with John in the Building Science Corporation Test Hut at Summer Camp 2026. John teaches at the University of Waterloo, consults through RDH, and has spent decades measuring what happens when assemblies go wrong.

His argument is that most builders and designers never see enough failures to calibrate their own sense of risk. They can be walking along the edge of a canyon in the dark without knowing it. The fix starts with something small: stop labeling materials for what they are and start labeling them for what they do.

Watch now on YouTube:
Link in bio.

Thank you to @betsypettit7746 for graciously hosting us, and to @benjaminobdyke for making this conversation possible.

Build Better(TM) with samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Made with @prmeabl_

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JohnStraube #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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Thank you again to the industry experts who brought their knowledge and enthusiasm to BSS Milwaukee.

@rosstrethewey @northernbuiltpro @jfstraube @jake.bruton @stevenbaczekarchitect

#buildingscience #buildingsciencesymposium #highperformancebuilding #milwaukee #bsandbeer

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Coffee and building science. The perfect way to start your day.

It’s BSS Wednesday in Milwaukee. We’re kicking off today’s sessions with Dr. John Straube and ‘All In All It’s Just Another (Detail) In the Wall’.

#buildingscience #buildingsciencesymposium #milwaukee #highperformancebuilding #bsandbeer

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Building Science Symposium- Milwaukee

Come check out the event- Sept 1 and 2, register at @buildingsciencesymposium or by going to:
buildingsciencesymposium.com

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Have you registered for Milwaukee yet? Over fifteen presentations plus lunches and networking. It's going to be a great time. Learn more about the planned sessions and reserve your spot today at buildingsciencesymposium.com

#buildingsciencesymposium #buildingscience #milwaukeewi #highperformancebuilding #bsandbeer

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BSS Milwaukee is September 1-2 at Eagle Park Brewing Company. Meet our panel of speakers and reserve your spot today at buildingsciencesymposium.com

#buildingsciencesymposium #buildingscience #milwaukeewi #highperformancebuilding #bsandbeer

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SUMMER CAMP_

A dream made reality thanks to @betsypettit7746 graciously welcoming Build It Forward into her and Dr. Joe’s Test Hut this week. @nick_at_ab joined two scientists, a builder, an architect and a mechanical engineer for four more great conversations. Don’t miss what they had to say…be sure to subscribe to @auburndalebuilders YouTube channel to see them all soon. 🔨🧪🤘

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Build It Forward is out at another incredible location. A place that many innovative people have spent time in, but off the beaten path. IYKYK and if you don’t…be sure to subscribe to @auburndalebuilders YouTube channel to find where we are and who we’re sparking conversations with next.

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I listen to a lot of podcasts. The nerdier the better. Jess from @building.sciology has quietly been racking up perhaps the most star studded roster of nerdy experts to ever be assembled on one podcast.
Look how stacked this list is;
Dr John Straube
Dr Wolfgang Feist
Steve Baczek
Chris Laumer-Giddons
Matt Risinger
Kohta Ueno

Not pictured
Dr Joe Lstiburek
Clarence Mcalister
Dr Cameron Munro
Dr Marcus Strang

And more. Just writing that down I'm blown away. So much awesome information and knowledge to absorb. Huge props to Jess for racking up such an impressive guestlist. What a time to be alive when we can access this much knowledge on our drive to work

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