House Planning Help Podcast

Heather Johnson from AD Practice explains what Passivhaus Plus is, how it differs from Passivhaus Classic accreditation and what benefits achieving the standard will afford. She also reveals why most of her clients target 'Plus' and outlines the steps to achieve this on a project. Check out the show notes for more information.

Stephanie Kyle from Floyd Slaski Architects explains how we can design for disability, gender, religion, and anything that's considered a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. She also highlights the biggest challenge of inclusive design which is people's differing needs, and suggests how we best go about designing spaces. Check out the show notes for more information.

Guy Harris from AccessiblePRS explains why accessible housing is important, what the key considerations are and how to deliver it well. He also shares his experience of designing his own house as a wheelchair user. Check out the show notes for more information.

Toby Cambray talks about the experience of working on his own retrofit project, and the lessons learnt in the process. Check out the show notes for more information.

Toby Cambray talks about the risks associated with moisture in buildings, and the modelling techniques – like WUFI® – that can be used to assess those risks. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mike Whitfield shares his experience of running a local construction company that specialises in Passivhaus. He explains how the business is structured, and what tasks are tackled on a daily and weekly basis. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mike Eliason talks about his book, Building for People, and the massive opportunity we have to create better places through being more intentional and thoughtful. Check out the show notes for more information.

Laila Dudhill explains some of the challenges she faced when planning her new build home at the bottom of a sloping field. Not only did she have to deal with drainage across the site, diverting the natural flow of water away from the house, but also come up with a foul drainage strategy that would off-set phosphate discharge into the local watercourses. Check out the show notes for more information.

Katherine Adams and Connie Spoor talk about the circular economy and construction, and practical strategies for making reuse a priority on housing projects and self-builds. Check out the show notes for more information.

Chris Brookman from Back to Earth explains what wood fibre insulation is, how it could be used on a project and why careful specification is required. Check out the show notes for more information.

Florence Collier, founder of Humblebee, takes us step-by-step through the deep retrofit of her 1970s home. She explains the costs relating to each measure and the cumulative total as the project advances. Check out the show notes for more information.

Toby Diggens explains what it takes to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, and working to the standard when renovating an existing building. Check out the show notes for more information.

Toby Diggens, founder and co-director of Digg and Co outlines how we can all contribute to creating ecologically diverse and resilient landscapes to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. Check out the show notes for more information.

Furniture maker Lucinda Leech shares her story of building a modest, but beautiful eco home. Check out the show notes for more information.

Howard Johns, founder of One Zero, outlines their home energy transformation service which includes topping up insulation and adding solar PV, battery storage and a heat pump. Check out the show notes for more information.

Cypren Edmonds, a housing activist and advocate for bio-based building materials, describes the challenges he has faced living in social housing in London, and the health benefits and energy efficiency that can be achieved through building with straw. Check out the show notes for more information.

Kareem Dayes, co-founder of RUSS in Lewisham, explains why setting up a Community Land Trust was a route to deliver genuinely affordable housing and create a better neighbourhood. Check out the show notes for more information.

Greg Byrne from RB Asbestos Consultants explains what asbestos is, why it was used so widely in construction, its potential impact on health, and how you go about identifying and removing asbestos products. Check out the show notes for more information.

Clare and Ross Booth from Coldwells Build share details of their prefabricated, turnkey Passivhaus designs that aim to simplify the delivery of high performance homes in Scotland. Check out the show notes for more information.

Paul Testa from HEM Architects explains the difference between renovation and retrofit, using his own home as an example of a deep retrofit. Check out the show notes for more information.

Paul Testa from HEM Architects explains the difference between renovation and retrofit, using his own home as an example of a deep retrofit. Check out the show notes for more information.

Richard Hollas from 21 Degrees explains why regular MVHR maintenance and servicing is essential, what it entails, and we accompany him step-by-step as he services a unit. Check out the show notes for more information.

Paul Morris from Solar-Shield explains how external shading can help control solar gains and reduce internal temperatures, keeping your home cool as temperatures rise. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tom McSherry from BuildStore explains the importance of cashflow when it comes to building a house and why a big part of selecting the right mortgage product is about planning your project around your budget and making sure you have accurate costings. Check out the show notes for more information.

Judith Leary-Joyce shares her experience of retrofitting a Victorian end-terrace house to reduce energy consumption, make it more healthy and comfortable, and leave a sustainable legacy for future generations. Check out the show notes for more information.

Kym Mead from Mead Consulting explains what Passivhaus certification is, how the process works and why there is a difference between certified Passivhaus buildings and those that just adopt a 'Passivhaus principles' approach. Check out the show notes for more information.

Lloyd Alter explains the term upfront carbon, its relevance to us all as consumers, and why he felt compelled to write a book on the topic. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tilmann Kramolisch from natureplus explains why their eco label was established, how materials and products are assessed, and what it means to use a natureplus certified product on your project. Check out the show notes for more information.

Speakers from the Passivhaus workshop event at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon each share a top tip. Check out the show notes for more information.

Neighbours Wookey and Rob Leedham explain why they were motivated to retrofit their homes, how they built up knowledge and why engaging with others on a similar path has been extremely useful. Check out the show notes for more information.

Linda Farrow from Agile Homes explains how their prefabricated panelised system can deliver high quality and truly affordable homes that are good for the planet. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith explains what value engineering is and how it can help us to do more with less. He reflects on a short video about Slate House in Herefordshire that includes some great examples of value engineering. Check out the show notes for more information.

Meredith Bowles from Mole Architects shares his experience working with timber as a construction material and explains the benefits and drawbacks of the different build approaches. Check out the show notes for more information.

Alexx Stuart from Low Tox Life shares her experiences of toxic mould exposure and offers some advice on how best to keep your home healthy and mould free. Check out the show notes for more information.

Amelia Lee from Undercover Architect shares some common themes that tend to crop up on owner-builder projects (particularly with people who are doing this for the first time) and explains how they can be avoided by creating a clear foundation of your values and project intentions. Check out the show notes for more information.

Andy Marlow from Envirotecture explains why Passivhaus homes are a good fit for most climates in Australia, how they approach these projects and what is needed beyond shading to keep the homes comfortable when the outdoor temperatures soar. Check out the show notes for more information.

Sarah Lewis, the Research and Policy Director at the UK Passivhaus Trust and author of PHPP Illustrated, explains what the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) is and how it is used during the design process. Check out the show notes for more information.

Janice Gardiner, an ecologist and the client of last week's interviewee Josh Wood at Green Trace Architect, is here to tell us what it is like to be the client on a Passivhaus project and share what she has learnt from the experience. Check out the show notes for more information.

Architect Josh Wood gives us an insight into his own self build project, where the balance between keeping costs low and creating a sustainable home have pushed him to come up with creative solutions. By undergoing most of the work themselves, Josh and his partner Amy have been able to transform their snug, back garden plot, into a comfortable and energy-efficient home. Josh explains how thinking outside of the box may be an excellent option if you are looking to get on to the property ladder with a smaller budget. Check out the show notes for more information.  

Architect Kirsty Maguire explains why reusing an existing building is always preferable to demolishing and rebuilding. However, when buildings are in terrible condition or need radical alterations to make them habitable we should be looking to reuse, recycle and reclaim as many materials as possible. Kirsty shows us that with intentional and sustainable design, you can create a new structure with a wealth of history. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jae Cotterell, founder of Passivhaus Homes, explains the importance of the choices we make when considering our construction approach. It is possible to create a high performance home with low embodied carbon that doesn't cost the earth if we understand the process, where the impacts lie and where optimisation can make a huge difference. Check out the show notes for more information.

Andrew Jones explains how to reclaim VAT on a self build home or conversion as well as sharing some common pitfalls to avoid. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mark Brinkley, author of the Housebuilder's Bible, explains how his book can guide you towards building a better home. He also shares some of the themes that have cropped up while he's been editing the latest edition. Check out the show notes for more information.

Luke Smith from Build Test Solutions talks about making building performance measurement more commonplace, and how you can't manage what you don't measure. Check out the show notes for more information.

Dr. Derek Taylor talks about advances in wind and solar power over the last 50 years. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith marks five years of living in his Passivhaus home by reflecting on his self build journey and what the house has been like to live in. Check out the show notes for more information.

Anne Thorne talks through the architectural design process of Cannock Mill Cohousing community. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jonathan Dixon talks about incorporating home automation into a Passivhaus retrofit of a 1960s detached house, built using cross wall construction. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ludka and Brendan Powell explain the Welsh ‘One Planet Development' scheme and how it led them to building an off-grid, straw panel Passivhaus. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tom Gwilliam explains what Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are, how they are created and why they are unlikely to be a useful measure of how energy efficient a building is. Check out the show notes for more information.

Alan Clarke explains the role of a mechanical services engineer on a low energy house build, in designing a heating and ventilation system that works efficiently and is affordable. Check out the show notes for more information.