HPH401: Let's build something

David Bradley-Bowles, Director and Consultant at Pure Spring Meadows, explains his shift from landlord and renovator of Victorian properties to developer of more than 40 new-build Passivhaus homes. He shares hard-won lessons on scaling up, financing sustainable projects, protecting quality on site, and hints as to where the future of high-performance housing might lie. Check out the show notes for more information.

Developer Giles Lamb and architect Zara Bloomfield explain why they have started delivering certified Passivhaus homes, what extra challenges this presents and how they remain profitable projects. Check out the show notes for more information.

Ben Adam-Smith explains why he plans to take on a new mission, and why that'll mean a slight change of direction and more collaboration. Check out the show notes for more information.

Bill Butcher and Chris Herring, founders of 21 Degrees, share details of their own group build, a small terrace of three homes in Marsden, West Yorkshire, designed and built to Passivhaus Plus standard. Check out the show notes for more information.

Jon Broome and Nick Grant explain why they have written The Good Building Book, what's in it, who it will help and how best to put it all into practice. Check out the show notes for more information.

Janna and Seb Laan Lomas explain the ethos behind their self build which blends low energy design and natural building while reducing plastics in the construction and also minimising waste. The level of detail, the decisions made and the careful use of the budget have been instrumental in delivering this fantastic project, which makes a great home for them as well as a site that encourages wildlife. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mark Lynn from Eden Renewable Innovations explains how sheep's wool insulation is made, outlines the pros and cons, and suggests how it is best specified and installed. He also shares some common traits of natural fibre insulation as a category. Check out the show notes for more information.

Mark Doodes from Mark Doodes Planning explains what we mean by applying for planning permission to demolish and rebuild a house, how it is done, what some of the challenges might be and how to do as much as possible to improve your chances of a successful outcome. Check out the show notes for more information.

Dr. James Glockling explains how insurance works and outlines some of the challenges of insuring a natural building. Check out the show notes for more information

Hugh Franklin from Aeroseal UK explains how the airtightness of a building can be improved using a water-based, low VOC atomised polymer which is delivered when the building is pressurised. This simpler approach speeds up the process of air sealing and gives real-time feedback on the airtightness score. Check out the show notes for more information