If you’re planning to self build your own house or retrofit an existing property then there is a lot to consider. We live in an era when we are technically able to create houses that use very small amounts of energy compared to our homes of the past. They can also be much more comfortable places in which to live. So if this is the case, why is the majority of new housing still of such a low quality? Is it possible that your lack of knowledge could lead to you missing out on a great opportunity to build a better home?
In 2012 Ben Adam-Smith set up House Planning Help, a website that would chronicle his learning as he explored what houses we should be building in the 21st century. Amid a backdrop of finite resources, increasing world population and the affects of climate change, this journey aims to be the research that takes in the bigger picture, too. Ben has interviewed some of the world’s foremost experts in green building as well as homeowners who have had to work out for themselves what are the best practices for building energy-efficient homes. Many of the podcasts focus on the Passivhaus standard (passive house), a quality assurance process that consistently delivers ultra low energy, ecological buildings.