House Planning Help Podcast

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.

Andy Moger, from Tetlow King Planning, explains the role of a planning consultant and the benefits they can bring to a project. Check out the show notes for more information.

Beth Williams from Build Collective outlines the role of a structural engineer and explains what tasks might be undertaken on a house build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Martin Twamley from Steico explains how to use breathable internal insulation, while avoiding the risks of condensation and mould. Check out the show notes for more information.

As someone with no previous interest or skills in DIY, Passivhaus Consultant Es Tresidder explains why he went about changing that for his own deep retrofit project. Check out the show notes for more information:

Landscape Architect and Director of HLM Architects, Simon Bell, explains why he decided to upskill when it came to building his own house. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mark Siddall explains how thermal bypass – or air movement around insulation layers – might impact a self-build or retrofit project. Check out the show notes for more information.

Alan Budden explains how a phased retrofit might work and what preparation is required. He also shares how he's retrofitted his own home, which includes trialling an innovative roof solution. Check out the show notes for more information.

Influential podcaster and heating systems expert, Nathan Gambling, explains why choosing the right installer is even more important than selecting the heat pump. Check out the show notes for more information.

Homeowner Guy Hargreaves reflects on adapting and expanding his Victorian mid terrace home, retrofitting the whole building to EnerPHit standard. Check out the show notes for more information.

With price hikes being caused by the volatile energy sector, Paul Ciniglio from the National Energy Foundation explains what we can be doing to our homes to reduce our energy consumption and be better protected from rising bills. Check out the show notes for more information.

Antoine Costantini explains how Kithurst Homes has embraced modern cutting technology to increase efficiency and minimise waste. Check out the show notes for more information.

Architect, educator and builder, Tom Woolley, takes us through some of the natural construction materials we should be using to build healthier homes. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jake Fitness of Self Build Zone explains what a structural warranty is, and why you might need one on your self build or renovation project. Check out the show notes for more information.

Kit Knowles from Ecospheric explains why he is driven to keep pushing further in pursuit of sustainability in building projects. Check out the show notes for more information.

Lloyd Alter explains how we can take personal actions to address our own carbon footprints, and why it's more important to do so than ever. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mike Jacob explains how Kiss House is using timber component based production to deliver homes to the Passivhaus standard. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mike Coe gives a final update on his now complete Portree Passivhaus, that has seen budgets stretched, contractors disappear for a year, and a Covid lockdown! Check out the show notes for more information.

Gwilym Still, of Max Fordham engineers, explains how good planning and simplicity can improve a home's performance. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jeffrey Hart, natural builder and host of the Building Sustainability Podcast, explains what he's learnt designing and crafting his own tiny house.

Richard Hawkes from Hawkes Architecture reviews the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) of the RIBA House of the Year longlist and asks why we are showcasing poorly performing architecture. Check out the show notes for more information.

Juraj Mikurcik, Nick Grant and Mike Whitfield reflect on the award-winning Old Holloway project, which is built with EcoCocon straw panels and is a certified Passivhaus. Check out the show notes for more information.

Architects Polly Upton and Kirk Rushby explain how they used their expertise to deliver a striking, high performance home for a very reasonable budget. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tom Fenton from Veritherm explains how to test the thermal performance of a home, what this data can reveal and how it can then be used. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mike Webb explains why he chose to build to high ecological standards even though he could've made more money by just complying with building regulations. Check out the show notes for more information.

Nigel Dutt tells the self build story behind Devon Passivhaus, a Paragraph 55 build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mick Woolley explains how the use of timber was a key element of his award-winning Passivhaus bungalow. Check out the show notes for more information.

Bruce Bell, founder of Facit Homes, explains why digital manufacturing has a lot to offer in the future of house-building. Check out the show notes for more information.

David Arrenberg explains why he wanted to project manage his self build, what the work entailed and how much of his time it took. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mhairi Grant and Martin McCrae share their self build journey. Their contemporary home seems to have it all, from striking design and great ecological credentials to high quality finish and value for money... but Martin and Mhairi had to work hard for it! Check out the show notes for more information.

Hattie Hartman, Sustainability Editor at the Architects' Journal, shares insights from her new book Energy, People, Buildings. Check out the show notes for more information.

As a way of celebrating our 300th episode we're doing something a little different. Ben Adam-Smith reflects on the homes he's lived in and what he's learnt from living in them. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith shares his own experience of living with a mechanical ventilation system. While he's clocked up a few error messages on the unit and had more problems than most, he explains why he wouldn't want to go back to natural ventilation. Check out the show notes for more information: