House Planning Help Podcast

Jon Bootland, Chief Executive of the Passivhaus Trust, discusses building your house to the Passivhaus Standard. Topics include origins and development of the standard, adoption and growth, adaptations, building materials, and advice for beginners.

Lee Fordham from Architype simplifies building terminology for beginners. Topics include the concept of Passive House, the use of the PHPP tool, MVHR and its benefits for ventilation, different types of foundations, the importance of low U values for insulation, understanding building construction and operation, and an announcement of a live training session on offsite semi modular construction.

Geoff Stow, an experienced self-builder, shares valuable insights on self-building. Topics covered include thorough research, personal organization, choosing the right build route, common pitfalls, time scales, and the process of building a house.

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.

Author and serial self builder David Snell shares strategies for reducing costs on a self-build project, including sticking to a budget, adjusting and tracking costs, finding discounted items, and avoiding expensive decisions. He also highlights the impact of unnecessary innovations on cost and emphasizes the importance of planning for the future.

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.