House Planning Help Podcast

As part of Ben Adam-Smith's video work, podcasts and meeting with other self builders, he is often asked questions about the Passivhaus standard that he doesn't know how to answer. He recently took the opportunity to put those questions to Elrond Burrell, as well as finding out about Elrond’s future plans as he gets ready to move back to New Zealand.  Check out the show notes for more information.

It can be difficult to know who to approach at your local authority, other than the planning department, if you’re looking to self build. And if you get a knockback where do you take it from there? Emma Osmundsen from Exeter City Council explains who you should be talking to and how working co-operatively and collaboratively could help with your plans to self build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Building a 94m² Passivhaus with no south-facing glazing, on an infill plot in a conservation area posed many challenges! However architect Bernard Tulken’s Lansdowne Drive Passivhaus won a 2016 UK Passivhaus Trust Award. In this case study he talks us through the constraints and decision making involved. Check out the show notes for more information.

Three self builders explain their next steps after struggling to find land upon which to build their new homes. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith reviews the key decisions that may have led to failing to build an energy-efficient home within his desired 4-year timeframe. Check out the show notes for more information.

Marine Sanchez is a building physics engineer and a Passivhaus Designer. She helps explain what a Passivhaus Designer does, when you might need one and how they work within a design team. Check out the show notes for more information.

Andrew Collinson explains what the role of structural engineer entails. He also runs through his most frequent tasks on housing projects, outlines how he might interact within a team and gives tips for how to find good structural engineers. Check out the show notes for more information.

A quantity surveyor can add far more value to a project than just working out how much your project is likely to cost. Jerry Thomas explains the role of a quantity surveyor, when you should employ one and how it could benefit your self build. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tomas Gartner describes building biology as “a more holistic approach to achieving sustainable, low energy buildings with a more human focus." He explains how it is nothing to be feared or fanatical about, but is a sensible approach to understanding the risks and trying to improve them wherever possible. Check out the show notes for more information.

Integrated design is a way of a design team working collaboratively on a project from the outset. Architect Charles Grylls and Passivhaus Consultant Nick Grant explain how their team works and the benefits it has for the client, as well as for future projects. Check out the show notes for more information.

Initiated by Cherwell District Council, the Graven Hill Village Development Company are providing opportunities for self builders to create their own homes on a 1900 plot site, on land previously owned by the Ministry of Defence near Bicester. Philip Singleton explains the scheme and what potential customers can expect on their ‘customer journey’. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith shares what he's learnt from visiting 6 self build projects, each shortlisted for the UK Passivhaus Awards 2016. Regen Media produced 6 video inserts for the ceremony and this gave Ben the opportunity to visit these homes. Now he reflects on each project and the key takeaways. Check out the show notes for more information.

Tom Gresford likes to use auctions as a way of finding interesting and quirky development sites. He bought an old water tower at auction to build his latest project, Chieveley Passivhaus, which was shortlisted for a UK Passivhaus Award 2016. His intention was to show that you can build beautiful, modern houses in the Passivhaus way.  Check out the show notes for more information.

Angie and Paul Dallas wanted to build a comfortable, energy efficient home for their retirement, using land at their existing property. Paul was also keen to be as hands-on as possible, but their decision to build to the Passivhaus Standard, which he didn’t have experience of, left Paul needing to create a role for himself.   Check out the show notes for more information.

Paul Foulkes explains how building automation systems differ from smart home technology, how they can improve energy efficiency, and why the KNX non-proprietary system can help a building adapt to the needs of its occupants. Check out the show notes for more information.

For the past few years Peter Schneider has been looking into how the Passivhaus standard can be introduced to modular homes being built at local factories in the Vermont area of the United States. He explains how they are trying to educate people to realise the benefits and life cycle cost savings of having a better built, energy efficient home. Check out the show notes for more information.

Robert Young explains why he decided to build a home for his retirement at the end of the garden and what steps were necessary to create this low maintenance, high comfort dwelling. There was also one significant constraint on this plot, a mature lime tree, which could not be removed. Ultimately this led to the curved house that was designed. Check out the show notes for more information.

Lisa Jackson is a planning consultant and together with her husband, who has a background in construction and planning, set out to build an energy efficient home. What they created was a timber frame home built to the Passivhaus standard. Lisa shares her experience of the process and is also able to provide useful tips about getting through the planning process.  Check out the show notes for more information.

In 2012 Cambridge City Council advertised for potential members for a new cohousing scheme on a plot of land within an existing development. Chris Wilson was struck by the idea of building a consensus based community and is now Chair of the K1 cohousing group. He talks to us about the processes they have gone through to get the scheme to its current stage. Check out the show notes for more information.

Helen Brown heads up the building physics department at Encraft. Her main area of interest is in low energy construction in new build housing, with a particular focus on Passivhaus. Based on various research and monitoring methods she is able to explain the differences between actual energy consumption compared with their designed intent.   Check out the show notes for more information.