
House Planning Help Podcast
If you want to build a house, where would you start?
Latest episodes

Jul 2, 2025 • 54min
HPH381: What is Passivhaus Premium? – with Phil Neve
Phil Neve explains what Passivhaus Premium is and why he chose to target the standard for his own self build in Somerset. He also talks through his biggest project challenge, which was obtaining planning permission to build in open countryside. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jun 18, 2025 • 35min
HPH380: What is Passivhaus Plus? – with Heather Johnson
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.

Jun 4, 2025 • 43min
HPH379: What is inclusive design? – with Stephanie Kyle
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.

May 21, 2025 • 34min
HPH378: Accessibility for all – with Guy Harris
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.

May 7, 2025 • 40min
HPH377: Retrofitting a 1950s semi-detached ex-council house – with Toby Cambray
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.

Apr 23, 2025 • 39min
HPH376: What is WUFI? – with Toby Cambray
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.

Apr 9, 2025 • 36min
HPH375: A day in the life of a builder – with Mike Whitfield
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.

Mar 26, 2025 • 45min
HPH374: Building for People - with Mike Eliason
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.

Mar 12, 2025 • 31min
HPH373: Using a willow bed to treat sewage - with Laila Dudhill
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.

Feb 26, 2025 • 45min
HPH372: Introducing the circular economy to housing
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.