

House Planning Help Podcast
Ben Adam-Smith
If you want to build a house, where would you start?
Episodes
Mentioned books

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. 

Feb 12, 2025 • 36min
HPH371: What is wood fibre insulation? – with Chris Brookman
 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. 

Jan 29, 2025 • 1h 1min
HPH370: Where your money goes on a home retrofit project
 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. 


