The BS* + Beer “Brew Crew”
Mike Maines
Mike Maines earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, with a minor in Architectural Studies from Tufts University. He has worked as a fine woodworker, carpenter and contractor all over New England and spent over a decade with a residential design/build firm where he did everything from design to construction project management. Always interested in building science, Mike became a CPHD and helped start The Pretty Good House. In 2015 he started, Michael Maines Residential Design understanding that not everyone wants a Passive House, but to find a balance between efficiency and cost, while making sure that the home is beautiful, functional and healthy for its occupants and the environment.
Emily Mottram
Emily Mottram is an architect and HERS rater in Maine. Check out her podcast E3 Energy and Efficiency with Emily on Spotify, Stitcher or iTunes for a dive into the people, personalities and issues in the world of building science. Emily developed an interest in sustainability in college. After getting her architecture license she started doing energy consulting which taught her how to look at buildings just a little bit differently. That led to designing energy efficient, comfortable, durable, healthy, and beautiful homes. She believes homes have an impact on your physical, social, mental and economic well-being. That was what Emily thought Maine needed and is the foundation that she teaches and practices from.
Travis Brungardt
Travis Brungardt is co-owner of Catalyst Construction in Prairie Village, Kansas specializing in building durable, responsible homes and additions throughout the Kansas City area. He is co-founder of the BS* and Beer building science discussion group in Kansas City and co-host of the BS* and Beer Show on Green Building Advisor where he hopes to help others learn in the same way so many others have helped him. Driven by a commitment to create a healthy, sustainably built environment for his children to raise their families, it is his belief that the mindset of the craftsman matters as much as any tool or material; that every builder should have a generations-long view of the work they do and the choices they make.
Ben Bogie
Ben brings more than 25 years of experience to the table. He has the uncommon distinction of being a third-generation high-performance builder, following his father and grandfather’s lead, who were designing and building some of the first super-insulated buildings in the Connecticut in the early 80’s. This foundation set him on a steady course for a deep understanding of buildings.
His professional track has taken him through a varied path, working on early 18th-century historic homes, fabricating and installing high-end custom millwork throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic, a certificate in studio furniture making, and numerous high-performance, low-energy project completions.
Driven by a voracious appetite for knowledge in all areas of his craft, he drives for the highest standards possible on all of his projects. His decades in the field allow him to maintain those standards with ease while anticipating what’s coming next.
Named one of the industry’s top “40 under 40” in 2018 by Professional Remodeler magazine, he has become a staple author for industry publications as well as a national speaker/teacher on building best practices at trade shows, private seminars, and web-based media.
“Ben is a widely recognized thought-leader in the home building community and is on the leading edge of the movement toward healthy, high-performance, low-carbon homes.” – Fine Homebuilding Magazine