Building Sustainability Podcast

This is the first of 3 episodes with Gervase Wangwana - a Retrofit specialist,  Airtightness tester and reformed DJ. Part 2 will look more into ventilation and part 3 is all about air tightness. Become a Patreon supporter in August 2022 and be in with a chance of winning a wonderful packbasket! (Also really help the podcast out!) https://www.patreon.com/buildingsustainability Episode Links: Green...

Chris Magwood is once again our guest on the podcast. Today we are discussing calculating materials carbon emissions, which might also be called up front carbon or embodied carbon. Chris and his team at buildersforclimateaction.org have created the BEAM calculator to do just that. We discuss the calculator, what it can do and what its limitations are. Whether it's ok to offset biogenic carbon...

Today I'm joined by Clare Nash who describes herself as an "Architect creating dream eco-homes, barn conversions plus environmental and community focused housing schemes" Today we are talking about how to find a work/life balance. Design Your Life Book - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Clare-Nash/Design-your-life--An-architects-guide-to-achieving-a-worklife-balance/26380240 Bursting...

The second Episode with Architect Clare Nash this time discussing the findings from her book Contemporary Vernacular Design How British Housing Can Rediscover Its Soul The book presents 25 inspirational housing schemes providing hope for the future of home building in Britain. Highlighting the need for the UK to reclaim its sense of local identity through the vernacular, these case studies are not...

This week on the podcast we have Jane Anderson, who is an expert in Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), EPD and Embodied Carbon for construction.  We discuss what LCA's and EPD's are and how they are created, sequestering carbon in construction and greenwashing! Links from this episode: Jane's Website - https://constructionlca.co.uk/ Jane's Twitter - https://twitter.com/constructionlca...

Two conversations recorded at Futurebuild 2022. Vince House talks about demand controlled ventilation and Matt Stevenson about homegrown timber solutions.  Podcast Links Updated! Comparison of MVHR Vs Demand controlled ventilation https://www.aivc.org/sites/default/files/D2_S6B-02.pdf https://www.aereco.co.uk/ https://ukcmb.org/2019/10/27/bsi-white-paper-moisture-in-buildings/ https://www.linkedin...

Conversations recorded at Futurebuild 2022 with Brian Murphy of the Green Building Calculator and Rowland Keable of EBUKI talking about the Cobbauge project. Episode links Green Building Calculator - https://greenbuildingencyclopaedia.uk/ https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/ EBUKI - http://www.ebuki.co/ Cobbauge - http://www.cobbauge.eu/en/ Sheltercraft - https://sheltercraft.co.uk The Mick & Pat Show J...

This episode we are talking to the brand new editorial team for the Last Straw Journal - Alex Henderson, Gavin Fraser, Kenny Fallon & Zoe Gardner! The Last Straw Journal THE ALTERNATIVE JOURNAL OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION - for dirtbags and dreamers - since 1992 The Last Straw is a platform to share and explore ideas of a better world through the lens of building methods and materials. In the f...

Building Physicist and certified PassivHaus designer Es Tresidder is back to discuss his  EnerPHit retrofit project on his family home. We discuss what he's doing and what he has learned from pulling apart his home to do the work. Episode Links Es' website: http://www.highlandpassive.com/ Design of Es’ retrofit and Es’ employer - http://www.johngilbert.co.uk/ Building Sustainability Comm...

It's a commonly held belief that adding mass into your building will make it more energy efficient. In this episode I talk with Es Tresidder about whether this is true and when extra mass in your building can be beneficial. About Es - I am a certified Passivhaus and AECB Carbonlite Retrofit designer. I have over ten years of experience in low-energy buildings in both consultancy and academic...

Virginia is a qualified architect, project manager, BREEAM AP and ISO14001 Lead Auditor, with a lifelong passion for sustainability. She is the author of SustainABLE: How to Find Success as a Sustainability Professional in a Rapidly Changing World, a practical guide for those that have a passion for sustainability but cannot make an impact. Virginia is also an Assistant Lecturer in Sustainability...

Today we talk about mindful spaces and biophilic meditation with Sophie Lacey. Sophie has been running her own freelance copywriting and content writing business for nearly 15 years, working with a variety of lifestyle brands and specialists in placemaking, the built environment, interior design and retail. Her half-Swedish heritage inspires a love of simple design and an affinity with nature and...

Sigi Koko is the principal designer of Down to Earth Design, which she founded in 1998 to help her clients manifest their dreams  of living in a natural, healthy home.  She works exclusively on projects that are natural, energy-efficient buildings, on the forefront of sustainable design.  Every project functions in synchronicity with its environment, relating to seasonal cycles of sun,  wind, and...

Sigi Koko is the principal designer of Down to Earth Design, which she founded in 1998 to help her clients manifest their dreams  of living in a natural, healthy home.  She works exclusively on projects that are natural, energy-efficient buildings, on the forefront of sustainable design.  Every project functions in synchronicity with its environment, relating to seasonal cycles of sun,  wind, and...

Well, there's a title I didn't expect to write when I started this podcast! Today I'm talking to Danny and Zach from Terran Robotics about their work training AI drones to build cob homes. Now this might sound a little crazy when you are first introduced to the idea, but the logic behind it is solid. To make affordable homes,  build with the cheapest material and reduce the labor co...

With energy prices soaring, everybody has good reason to be thinking about adding more insulation to their home. In this episode we are discussing the best types of insulation for your home and the pros and cons of some different types.  A recommended listen for anyone looking to increase the energy efficiency of their home. Ben Kerslake is back! Ben last joined us way back in Episode 45 to discus...

Part 2! (Check out episode 67 for Part 1) With energy prices soaring, everybody has good reason to be thinking about adding more insulation to their home. In this episode we are discussing the best types of insulation for your home and the pros and cons of some different types.  A recommended listen for anyone looking to increase the energy efficiency of their home. Ben Kerslake is back! Ben last...

We discuss the report created by Material Cultures and ARUP which examines the potential positive impacts of a bioregional construction economy, from improvements in biodiversity to an increase in construction jobs and security; building a case for redistributing the values of the construction industry towards a cleaner, sustainable methodology for growth that is beneficial to all. It can be viewe...

Rachel Fowler is an interior designer who focusses on creating healthy and sustainable spaces. We discuss how to design healthy, what to watch out for and get into the healthy products and finishes you could be choosing in your own project.  Her company website - https://rachelfowlerinteriors.com/ Her book - My happy place - https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/My-Happy-Place-by-Rachel-Fowler...

John Butler is back for another episode, this time focussing on 'natural' materials and their whole life carbon.  Topics include: What natural means, is it a useful descriptor?  The results from a new UK Straw Bale Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)  Is there enough straw to build a reasonable quantity of homes with?  Why is John called the woodlouse?  This episode has associated gr...

 In this episode John explains the principles and requirements of Passivhaus construction. He dispels some common myths and goes into some of the nuances of how its achieved.   Does living in a passivhaus mean living in a bubble?   Can I open the windows in a passivhaus? How airtight should it be?  What are the benefits of MVHR? John's work can be found here: https://www.sustainablebuildconsu...

The construction industry needs a shake up. Not just in the materials that are used but in the cultures within the industry. We talk about George and Summer's take on how we should be constructing and discuss their design for the Waste Age exhibition in London. My Movember Space - https://uk.movember.com/mospace/14634309 Mental health support links:   https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/getting-h...

Welcome back to Building Sustainability, this episode I'm joined by Architect , Academic , Author & Environmental Activist - Duncan Baker Brown. We are talking circular economy in the built environment, issues of sustainable development, deconstruction and closed-looped systems. - We've had a short break here while doing a plastering job for the Design Museum in London. The exhibitio...

Georjie Adams is building a fantastic van based mobile home. It's unlike anything you are likely to have seen before - it's a work of art! Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbluebell/ In this conversation we discuss the issues Georjie faced as a woman wanting to build and the project that has grown out of it, as well as some of the reasons this lifestyle appealed. Part 2 c...

Georjie Adams is building a fantastic van based mobile home. It's unlike anything you are likely to have seen before - it's a work of art! Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbluebell/ In this conversation we discuss experiences and philosophies the Building Bluebell project has created. Part 1 contains the issues Georjie faced as a woman wanting to build and the project th...