House Planning Help Podcast

Lee Fordham from Architype simplifies some of the terminology you might come across if you're thinking about doing a sustainable self build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Having worked on his own hands-on group self build project, and site managed others, Geoff Stow shares his experience on where to start when it comes to self build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Professor Fionn Stevenson explains why building performance monitoring and post-occupancy evaluation should be mandatory on new homes. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tracey and Roman Iwanczuk explain how they managed to build a Passivhaus on a sloping site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Check out the show notes for more information.

With 14 projects under his belt, author and serial self builder David Snell explains how you can stop costs from running away from you. Check out the show notes for more information.

Award-winning Cork House was the world's first to use a solid cork construction system. Matthew Barnett Howland explains the concept and how he managed to build it himself. Check out the show notes for more information: 

Architect Paloma Gormley of Practice Architecture explains how versatile hemp can be as a building material, and how plastic use can be reduced on site. Check out the show notes for more information.

Skipper and oceans advocate Emily Penn explains the damage that plastic pollution is having on our oceans, and how we can find solutions. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith shares some of the questions that got asked about the Passivhaus standard during a question and answer session at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre. Check out the show notes for more information. 

Olga Turner Baker describes the WELL Building Standard and explains how the principles can be applied to improve health and well-being on individual projects. Check out the show notes for more information.

Chris Parsons returns to Ben Adam-Smith's self build home after a year to look for defects. He explains what snagging is, how the list is compiled and how the rectification process works. Check out the show notes for more information.

Self-builder and renovator Jason Orme reflects on the main challenges you face if you want to tackle a house build in the UK. Check out the show notes for more information.

Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs shares practical advice on how to approach an ecological build, and comments on how architecture needs to change to address the climate emergency. Check out the show notes for more information: 

Client Ajay Boardman and her builder/carpenter Nigel Bowley share their experience of working together on her self build project. In addition to project managing Ajay is labouring for Nigel. We look at why this relationship has worked well and consider how much money she is saving. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jonathan Kearns of Kearns Mancini Architects, describes how he tackled a high performance retrofit of a century-old building. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mark Siddall from LEAP explains his framework the 'Forever Home Lifestyle' and how he uses it with his clients. Check out the show notes for more information.

Harry Paticas of Arboreal Architecture explains why care and hard work have been so important to the retrofit of his 1978 mid-terrace townhouse. Check out the show notes for more information.

Dr Mike Page explains how The Cube micro home project developed and why land availability turned out to be a major issue for those that liked the idea of tiny house living. Check out the show notes for more information.

Duncan Baker-Brown from BBM Sustainable Design explains how we can reduce waste on our projects, given a little more time and with a different approach on site. With the construction industry being such a big contributor of annual waste, he also shares strategies for how we could transform things if we treat buildings as material banks, which are built with deconstruction in mind. Check out the show notes for more information.

Managing Director of Potton Homes, Mark Stevenson, looks at how self build, custom build and speculative development differ. Check out the show notes for more information: