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.

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Skipper and oceans advocate Emily Penn explains the damage that plastic pollution is having on our oceans, and how we can find solutions.

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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.

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Olga Turner Baker describes the WELL Building Standard and explains how the principles can be applied to improve health and well-being on individual projects.

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Chris Parsons returns to Ben Adam-Smith's self build home after a year to look for defects. He explains what snagging is, how the list is compiled and how the rectification process works.

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Self-builder and renovator Jason Orme reflects on the main challenges you face if you want to tackle a house build in the UK.

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Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs shares practical advice on how to approach an ecological build, and comments on how architecture needs to change to address the climate emergency.

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Client Ajay Boardman and her builder/carpenter Nigel Bowley share their experience of working together on her self build project. In addition to project managing Ajay is labouring for Nigel. We look at why this relationship has worked well and consider how much money she is saving.

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Jonathan Kearns of Kearns Mancini Architects, describes how he tackled a high performance retrofit of a century-old building.

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Mark Siddall from LEAP explains his framework the 'Forever Home Lifestyle' and how he uses it with his clients.

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Harry Paticas of Arboreal Architecture explains why care and hard work have been so important to the retrofit of his 1978 mid-terrace townhouse.

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Dr Mike Page explains how The Cube micro home project developed and why land availability turned out to be a major issue for those that liked the idea of tiny house living.

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Duncan Baker-Brown from BBM Sustainable Design explains how we can reduce waste on our projects, given a little more time and with a different approach on site.

With the construction industry being such a big contributor of annual waste, he also shares strategies for how we could transform things if we treat buildings as material banks, which are built with deconstruction in mind.

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Managing Director of Potton Homes, Mark Stevenson, looks at how self build, custom build and speculative development differ.

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Mike Coe has a progress report from Portree Passivhaus, which is now almost watertight. We pick up the story as the groundworks begin and look at some of the challenges as the superstructure has gone up.

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Neil Sutherland explains how using a design, manufacture and delivery company can give you a better quality of construction.

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Ben Adam-Smith runs through the biggest problems you could face on your self build journey. He also looks at what can be done in those situations.

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Tom Heywood from Green Building Store explains why we need mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in high performance homes and why it needs to be well designed.

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Chris Herring, Director at Green Building Store, explains why careful consideration should be given when specifying windows.

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Jeremy Lent, author and integrator, looks at how and why we should transform the fundamental basis of our civilisation.

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Property developer and podcaster, Rob Bence, advises on what's needed for undertaking a successful building development project.

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Chris Magwood, a director at the Endeavour Centre in Canada, explains the importance of embodied carbon and how building with plant-based materials could transform our new homes into carbon sinks.

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Charlie Luxton shares lessons he's learnt from visiting projects on Building The Dream, running an architectural practice and completing his own self build.

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Ben Adam-Smith picks out ten of his favourite new build homes. These are all homes he has visited and which have impressed him in different ways.

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Danny Luhde-Thompson explains why he chose to demolish the bungalow he was renovating, to build a contemporary Passivhaus.

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Resident of Marmalade Lane cohousing, Jan Chadwick, explains why living in a multi-generational community is so important to her.

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Bill Butcher from Green Building Company, the construction division of Green Building Store, explains how they tackled two radical retrofit projects in West Yorkshire. Each took a 'whole house' fabric first approach in order to improve comfort levels and reduce the heating bills.

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Paul Ellis, Chief Executive of Ecology Building Society, explains their approach to mortgages that reward energy efficiency and sustainability.

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Elinor Olisa explains why her family's health was always paramount to the decision making on this build.

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Tiny house and lifestyle blogger, Jenna Spesard, explains why she didn't want to spend her life working to pay for a house, but instead wanted a house that would work for her.

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Architect and author Sarah Susanka explains why bigger isn't always better when it comes to building a house.

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Phil McGeevor, Chair of Cannock Mill Cohousing, describes the 12-year journey it's taken to realise their cohousing community for older adults.

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Ben Adam-Smith shares 10 tips for creating a budget, which is detailed and realistic.

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Ben Adam-Smith runs through a few ideas of how to get started on your self build journey.

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Matthew Cutler-Welsh takes us through three exciting projects that are making an impact in New Zealand.

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Architect Adam Cohen explains how his modular construction system is making Passive House building simple and affordable.

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Architect Richard Dudzicki explains the tricks and challenges of designing a £500,000 house on a £250,000 budget.

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Ben Adam-Smith's house build was a core part of House Planning Help. Having completed the project in 2018, Ben Adam-Smith looks at what should come next.

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Having recorded an audio journal the whole way through his project, Ben Adam-Smith plays back some key moments so you can hear what is involved in a self build within a single podcast episode.

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Having completed his house build this year, Ben Adam-Smith evaluates his own performance as a self-builder.

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Self build consultant, Mike Hardwick, explains the pros and cons of different construction systems.

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Ben Ribbans is a self-builder who decided to take on more and more responsibility during his project. He explains how he gained the confidence to do this, and why research and planning are vital to success.

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Interior Designer Gabrielle Blackman explains how, when planned properly, good interior design should take the owner's personality and stamp it on the house.

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Martin Brown explains how this ancient material can be used in the modern world.

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Straw Works co-founder Barbara Jones explains the different methods of building with straw.

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Having had his last site meeting, Ben Adam-Smith explains what they are and how they fit into the construction process when building a new house.

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Air leakage expert Paul Jennings looks at how best to achieve that all important airtightness when using particular construction methods.

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With a matter of weeks until he moves into his new home, Ben Adam-Smith shares a list of ten things that he's excited about.

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Architect Andrew Goodman explains what it took to create the UK's first load-bearing straw bale Passivhaus home.

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Rob Wiggans explains how you can minimise risks when buying land for development.

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Dean Scott takes Ben on a tour of the Graven Hill development, and of his own energy-efficient self build.

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With the first phase well under way and residents already moving in, Karen Curtin, Managing Director of Graven Hill Village Development Company, talks through the process of finding and buying a plot at Graven Hill.

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As Ben Adam-Smith's build enters the final few weeks he reviews his project's schedule and sequencing. Although a lot of the detail pertains to building a masonry wall Passivhaus, it still serves as an example of the stages any house build might go through.

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Mike Coe provides a progress update on his second self build project, with finances being stretched as construction is set to begin.

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Ben Adam-Smith looks at why self build projects often eat into the budget set aside for landscaping. This includes Ben's new home where initial garden plans have been put on hold!

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Alex Baines explains the impact a mid-construction delay has had on him, his family, and his Long Barrow Passivhaus project.

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Ben Adam-Smith chats to his wife Kay about what it's been like building a house. She never wanted a new build, preferring to buy a period property instead. So why did she agree to do this? And what can we learn about trying to get a partner on board with a self build?

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With decades growing his knowledge of self-building, Mark Brinkley shares some of the surprises, challenges and joys involved.

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Ben Adam-Smith reflects on what he's learned so far during the construction phase of his self build.

The project is halfway through and the finished house will meet the Passivhaus standard.

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Rob Wiggans shares his expert tips on how to find a plot of land for a self build project.

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Steven Thompson, from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, explains why it can be sensible to have a contract, and what type you might need for a self build project.

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John Fenwick discusses the challenges of building his award-winning Passivhaus with an atypical form.

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Mark Feldman of MARS Building Ltd offers an insight into how he prices up potential new jobs (including when he's invited into a tender process).

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Liz and Mike Hill explain the decisions behind the design of their contemporary eco home.

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Marlen and Tony Godwin explain why it was important for their modern, minimalist Passivhaus home and office designs to be sympathetic to the neighbourhood.

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Ben Adam-Smith looks at some of the reasons why his tender returns might have been so high. He then sits down with his wife Kay to consider possible savings.

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Chris Parsons from Parsons+ Whittley outlines a traditional procurement route. And Ben and Kay Adam-Smith receive their tender returns.

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Robert Flynn from Solarbarn explains how to choose a solar array to suit your needs.

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Architectural technologist Dan Higginbotham from Parsons + Whittley Architects talks about producing construction drawings and a scheme of works from an architect’s design.

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Five self-builders explain how they came to build their houses on the edge of a developer estate.

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Author and self-builder Will Anderson talks about realising his self-build dream not once but twice!

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Building Services Engineer Alan Clarke explains how he has designed and specified the ventilation, heating, and hot and cold water systems for Ben's new house.

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Ben Adam-Smith reflects on how he's changed while making 200 podcasts about self and custom building. He also looks at how the podcast has changed with him.

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Ben Adam-Smith shares 20 insights about self-building that he has learned while making 200 podcasts and also tackling his own project.

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Self-builder Oliver Smallman tells us about planning, building and living in his London Passivhaus.

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Interior designer Emily Bizley explains how she and her husband, an architect, co-designed their RIBA shortlisted self-build home.

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Jon Martin explains how he beat the odds with his extraordinary self-build tree house.

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Lucy Pedler, architect and founder of The Green Register, talks about the importance of good communication throughout a self-build project.

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Gordon Lewis explains what cellulose insulation is, how it's applied and why self-builders can benefit from choosing it.

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Paul Testa from Paul Testa Architecture talks about how to predict the costs of a house build and shares his tips on limiting a self-build budget.

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Simon Corbey from ASBP shares some of his research into the costs and life cycle of plastic windows and suggests some considerations for self-builders.

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Michael Holmes from NaCSBA explains the Right to Build initiative and how it will impact on the future of custom and self-builds.

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Lloyd Alter from TreeHugger shares his advice on what we should be prioritising as 21st century self-builders.

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Ben Adam-Smith explains how he and his wife have been specifying their new home (which will be built to Passivhaus standard).

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Actor and TV presenter Robert Llewellyn shares his insights about the future of electric cars and energy production.

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Richard Hawkes from Hawkes Architecture tells us about the exceptional circumstances in which planning for rural new builds may be granted.

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Will Kirkman from Ecomerchant shares the key results of a survey the company ran to find out what self-builders worry about most.

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Ben and Kay Adam-Smith have a difference in opinion over which windows to specify for their new build Passivhaus home. While Ben is keen to minimise mullions, transoms and window frames, Kay believes this takes away from the aesthetics.

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Ben Adam-Smith reviews what it took to be granted planning permission for his new Passivhaus home.

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Donal O’Leary tells us about his self-build in Ireland and shares advice for a successful project.

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Buckinghamshire Passivhaus has become one of the most airtight buildings in the UK. As such, we consider what factors contributed towards their exceptional result of 0.08 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals.

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Justin Broadbent from ISO Energy explains the options available for extracting energy from water on your plot of land.

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Jack Harvie-Clark from Apex Acoustics provides an overview of acoustics in the home. He also explains how we might go about controlling noises and soundproofing.

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Ben Adam-Smith runs through the main options of where to live while your new home is under construction. While there's potential to save a lot of money it should not impact significantly on your comfort, state of mind or key relationships.

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Cath Hassell from ech2o consultants explains why connecting to mains drainage is generally the best option for a new build home. She also runs through some alternatives if this is not possible.

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Clare Whitney from Clayworks explains how clay plasters are made, their applications and why we might choose them over other wall finishes.

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Architect Ruth Butler shares the story of building a contemporary Passivhaus on an overlooked, brownfield site.

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Dennis and Nicola Merrigan talk about the highs and lows of their Passivhaus self-build project, sharing lessons learned.

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Ben reviews the journey from briefing to planning stage for his own self-build project, with their architect Chris Parsons from Parsons + Whittley.

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Ben and Kay Adam-Smith visit their architects Parsons + Whittley to discuss how to move their project forward. There are decisions to be made over which designs to pursue, what materials to embrace and how to address the various constraints (including bringing down the height of the building).

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