In this episode, Passive House Podcast host Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Harley Weston of Solaire Properties. Harley spent twelve years drilling and exploring for minerals beneath the earth, mostly around the North Eastern part of Australia. When he wasn’t operating a drill himself, he was managing people who did. Mineral exploration is big business in Australia. It’s made a lot of people very wealthy, but doesn’t exactly conjure up images of sustainability, healthy and well being or even energy efficiency.
Harley has also spent time flying around in a helicopter. After gaining his license, he established a helicopter charter company and lived one of his dreams as a commercial pilot.
But in 2017, Harley teamed up with brother James and Paul McElhenny and together they formed Solaire Properties with a mission to disrupt and redefine the building industry. As Harley puts it, Solaire Properties is about buildings that are equal parts luxurious, eco-conscious and technologically advanced.
Their first project, Vanquish certainly embodies these aspects and has garnered a lot of attention, not just from the Passive House community.
Matthew starts the interview out by asking Harley a bit about his background and how he went from helicopters to housing.
After the interview Zack Semke and Matthew discuss a number of upcoming Passive House events. Find details in Passive House Accelerator's Week in Preview article.
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