Phill Skill is Lead Business Consultant at Stroud District Council, and for 10 years before that he was their Head of Planning. He talks us through the terminology and processes involved that might apply to a self build project.  

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Nick Grant explains why his childhood “make do and mend” mentality has given him a lifelong passion for doing more with less. Combined with a background in engineering he demonstrates how value engineering can be applied to a house building project. 

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Ben Adam-Smith reviews where he is in his own self-build process and discusses the reasons why there will be some changes to future podcasts.

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Cesar Abeid has recently written a book called ‘Project Management for You’. He explains how his simple steps approach to project management can help bring an idea into reality, whether in your personal or professional life, and how this methodology can be applied to organising a self-build project without being overwhelmed!

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Ben Adam-Smith has been frustrated by his lack of progress in finding a suitable building plot and has been wondering whether there is anything he can be doing in the meantime to help his project. Kirsty Maguire of Kirsty Maguire Architect Ltd explains the steps that he could be taking now to put him in a stronger position for when he has a site and the project goes live.

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Jon Broome from Jon Broome Architects explains how to create sustainable neighbourhoods and why they make better places to live. He also shares progress on a group self build scheme in Lewisham, London, which is embracing these principles.

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Professor Phil Jones from the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University explains how SOLCER House exports more energy to the grid than it uses and addresses fundamental issues relating to affordability, buildability and performance. With governments around the world committing to deliver zero carbon housing by 2019, this project has been designed from the outset as a practical solution.

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Prewett Bizley Architects specialises in low energy architecture and Bob has a particular interest in retrofit. He explains that housing is responsible for around 27% of the UK's carbon emissions, so buildings of all ages and styles have a part to play in terms of energy efficiency.

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Arun, Nicki, Donal, and Glen share their stories of how they successfully bought their plots of land. With four case studies to evaluate from three different countries, there’s lots to be learned from our guests today.

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Geoff and Kate Tunstall explain how they were able to create a fantastic Passivhaus in Denby Dale with a modest budget of around £150,000. They also share how they got caught by a 6-inch ransom strip and what options were open to them.

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