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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Dr Michaela Benson from Goldsmiths explains how our housing needs change through life and why the concept of a forever home is often not realistic.

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John Palmer from Enhabit explains what happens if you choose not to go all the way to Passivhaus standard, including how this impacts on cost, energy efficiency and comfort. He also outlines a best practice approach if you are going to build with Passivhaus principles.

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Elina Grigoriou from Grigoriou Interiors talks about design, wellbeing and sustainability, and the role of interior designers.

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Michael Campbell from Spratt Endicott Solicitors explains the key stages that need to take place in order to buy a piece of land for a self build project.

Ben also chats through some of the challenges he faced during his plot search and subsequent land purchase.

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Clare Nash from Clare Nash Architecture shares various responses by small developers in the UK and abroad to the challenges of creating modern communities through better design.

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Allan Corfield from Allan Corfield Architects (ACA) explains how his approach to services and fees differs from traditional architecture practices in the UK. He describes the staged services his practice offers, giving indicative costs.

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Simon Corbey from the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) shares some thoughts of what makes a healthy building product.

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7 self-builders reflect on the key things they wish they'd known before starting their projects.

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Ben and Kay Adam-Smith receive initial sketches of their new home from their architects Parsons + Whittley. They then feedback to John over the phone.

Chris also outlines how this stage works and explains why it is so important.

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Belinda and Paul Wilson share what they’ve learned from their Passivhaus build. Paul also explains the responsibilities of the Principal Designer and why he decided to take on this role himself.

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Andrew McInulty from Ready Made Basements explains the main reasons people install basements. He also shares the challenges of building below ground and how they are best addressed.

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Ben and Kay Adam-Smith sit down with Chris Parsons from Parsons + Whittley to run through the brief for their self build project.

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Ben Adam-Smith shares what he's learnt during the process of hiring an architect for his self build project.

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Ben Adam-Smith comes clean with his project progress! After two and a half years of looking, he has finally managed to buy a plot of land upon which to build his eco home.

However, the process of buying the land was perhaps not the joyous occasion he would have liked. In this solo episode he shares what he's learnt.

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Architect and author Pat Borer shares insights from his teaching career at the Centre for Alternative Technology as well as what he's learned from his own practice (which has helped hundreds of self-builders).

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Architect James Galpin from HazleMcCormackYoung shares insights into how Mayfield Passivhaus was designed and built. 

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Jeremy Harris explains why he chose not to use an architect or designer for his self build, and how he managed to do the job himself. He also shares some of the challenges that he came up against.

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Jeremy Harris, a scientist by background, wanted a low energy house for his retirement. He talks about the initial stages of his self-build project: finding a plot of land and obtaining planning approval.

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Phill Skill explains what building regulations are and how we comply with them.

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We re-run an interview from 2014 with Stephen Gurney, who explains what causes poor airtightness test results and how they could have been avoided.

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We re-run an interview from 2013 with Sarah Susanka, author of the Not So Big House. 

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We re-run an interview from 2012 with the co-founder of the Passivhaus standard, Dr Wolfgang Feist.

Mike Coe and his partner Lizzie created one of the UK’s most energy efficient homes. Now they’re looking to sell and start a new project elsewhere, they’re finding that they will have made a loss. Mike discusses why that might be, and whether it will change the way he thinks about his next self build.

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We are currently following the progress of Buckinghamshire Passivhaus with video updates in The Hub. In order to provide some background to the project, we spoke to its architect, Janet Cotterell, about the reasons behind her clients decision to completely rebuild the house, rather than follow their original plans of refurbishing it to Passivhaus standard.

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We have been following Alex Baines’ Long Barrow Passivhaus self build project in previous podcast and Hub episodes. This time we catch up with him to use his experience of working in the renewables industry, together with his current role as a Passivhaus consultant, to understand how renewables and a fabric first approach can be balanced when building your own energy efficient house. 

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Until fairly recently Paul Buckingham was carrying out airtightness tests on volume built houses. He explains how his role was to make the house pass the test, not about making the house energy efficient.

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Dean Scott and his wife Hannah have never found anywhere they liked enough to buy and have long had a dream to self build instead. With the release of plots at the Graven Hill development in Oxfordshire, they are now looking to start the process and get building!

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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Three self builders explain their next steps after struggling to find land upon which to build their new homes.

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