Episodes
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.
Published 02/01/23
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.  
Published 01/18/23
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. 
Published 01/04/23
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.
Published 11/16/22
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.
Published 11/02/22
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.
Published 08/31/22
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.
Published 08/17/22
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.
Published 07/22/22
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.
Published 06/27/22
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.
Published 06/17/22
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.
Published 05/25/22
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.
Published 05/11/22
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.
Published 04/13/22
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.
Published 03/18/22
Jeffrey Hart, natural builder and host of the Building Sustainability Podcast, explains what he's learnt designing and crafting his own tiny house.
Published 03/04/22
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.
Published 02/09/22
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. 
Published 01/17/22
Architects Polly Upton and Kirk Rushby explain how they used their expertise to deliver a striking, high performance home for a very reasonable budget.
Published 12/01/21
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.
Published 11/04/21
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.
Published 10/20/21
Nigel Dutt tells the self build story behind Devon Passivhaus, a Paragraph 55 build.
Published 09/28/21
Mick Woolley explains how the use of timber was a key element of his award-winning Passivhaus bungalow.
Published 09/08/21
Bruce Bell, founder of Facit Homes, explains why digital manufacturing has a lot to offer in the future of house-building.
Published 08/25/21
David Arrenberg explains why he wanted to project manage his self build, what the work entailed and how much of his time it took.
Published 05/12/21
Architects 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!
Published 05/05/21