self build

For almost two decades transatlantic commentator  Lloyd Alter has been the rarest of creatures: a popular writer of insightful articles about green building, mainly via the pioneering green living website Treehugger.com.

The day before our interview, Lloyd and the rest of the editorial team at Treehugger were told to clear their desks, due to a change in business model that focused more on search engine algorithms, and less on the kind of nuanced, considered pieces that have made Lloyd so renowned.

We caught up with Lloyd to reflect on his time at Treehugger. We set out to talk about the state of reporting and publishing in the green building sector but the discussion ended up covering a lot of other ground, ranging from perhaps the most boneheaded culture war of all – the gas cooker variety - to the shortsighted lack of design consideration for aging populations.

Roaming cross-cultural perspectives on the built environment, sufficiency, consumption, change, the language of green building, gas stove outrage, transport, adaptation for aging populations, and plenty more.

Notes from the episode

• Lloyd Alter on Treehugger 
• Up Front Carbon, Lloyd Alter on Substack
• "Caledon homes come laden with luxury" the article about McMansions that Lloyd decries early on
• That Observer article about retrofit with our very own Sara Edmonds in it
• George Monbiot's wood-burning confessional
• Lloyd Alter on LinkedIn
• Fanchea Kelly was the lady from the CIH podcast; she's CEO Blackwood Homes and Care, a charity that deals with retrofit in terms of accessibility rather than energy efficiency
• Sanctuary magazine 
• The Heat is On, Ryan Philp's Substack
• Goldsmith Street social housing 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

We like Kate Simpson, a doctor and a Research Associate at the School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London.

It was a bit of a weird episode where the conversation didn't really go to plan and, at times, Jeff found himself being interviewed by our guest. It was good though.

From a researcher's perspective, we discussed what motivates retrofit consumers and suppliers, as well as the potential for and nature of retrofit one-stop shops.

Notes from the episode

• Michael Gove dancing
• That rhizome concept
• The Green Register (Bristol)
• A bad-quality retrofit LinkedIn post
• Another bad-quality retrofit LinkedIn post
• The PH+ article about getting tradespeople into retrofit 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Insidious misconceptions, false myths, and the lazy thinking pervades the green building sector, we're not happy about it, and nor are the authors of 'Building for 2050 Low cost, low carbon homes'.

This is a recently published BEIS research paper about how low carbon construction is held back by a false understanding of what it costs, how hard it is, and what its users actually think about living with it.

Alison Crompton (AECOM) and Tom Dollard (Pollard Thomas Edwards) were very generous with their time and took us through as much of the project as we could manage.

If you want more, you'll probably find everything you're looking for at www.buildingfor2050.co.uk.

In fact, you definitely should take a look at their website.

This is the article that Sara posted back in December about how low carbon building was being held back by misconceptions about costs.

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Today we saw a LinkedIn post today that Dan wanted Jeff to explain to him; at the heart of it was an image of a retrofit job that looked lacking.

Sadly, the LinkedIn post came down but here's the article it presented. It'll make more sense if you take a look too but it's not absolutely essential, you'll get the gist without it.

Reading through the post's comments Dan didn't know what to make of it, so he ask Jeff to tell him what he was looking at and to try and school him a little.

We also took a little time to acknowledge the tragic death of Paul Doran, one of the best and most forward-thinking builders Jeff has ever encountered. So we took a few moments to pay tribute to a modest man who had a big impact in Ireland.

Notes from the episode

• Link to the Paul Dorian Go Fund Me page https://www.gofundme.com/f/qpgyk-paul-doran-hero-dad-fundraiser
• Link to Jeff's blogpost about Paul Doran 
• Paul's seminal feature Why passive house doesn't cost extra
• Paul's Flat pack passive house article
• There are more links on the blogpost and Jeff's LinkedIn tribute
• The Preston retrofit catastrophe
• Defective blockwork story

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

We had a contentious discussion last Friday about hybrid heating systems, a transition technology that could play a role in the decarbonisation of home heating.

Stephen Kelly of OYA Energy joined us for a grilling from a very skeptical Jeff, to make his case for the use of heat pumps alongside legacy gas boilers. It's important to note that this is intended as a transition technology, not an ultimate end.

Also, we do not discuss hydrogen as a hybrid heating solution, for obvious reasons.

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

It's all about how 'incompetence still reigns supreme' as we meander recklessly from GDPR, to jaywalking, before getting into the substance of the podcast.

Mainly, we discuss DPE certification (the French EPC) and some appalling advice that was sourced by the French version of Which? magazine, Que Choisir, in an article about shopping around for your DPE. We also talked about EPCs, BERs, and a little bit about ESG (the post-punk band as well as the 'ethical' the value metrics).

Some references from the show

• The origins of jaywalking 
• Another Way of Looking at a Country's Carbon Footprint: A Tale of Switzerland and South Africa
• Post-punk classic, UFO, by ESG
• Ain't no half-steppin' - Big Daddy Kane (prod Marley Marl) 

Some French-language links 

• We prefer to do rough translation with deepl.com 
• Que Choisir, the militant French Which? 
• Wikipedia background about About Que Choisir
• Information about DPEs, as EPCs are fashioned in France
• Government information about DPEs
• A DPE database containing some information translated and read out on the podcast
• A direct link to the online issue of Que Choisir that we used

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Scottish Self-Build and Renovation is delighted to be joined by Ben Trotter of Filpumps, based in Inverurie Aberdeenshire.

In this episode, we are discussing why it is so important to understand the main types of off-mains water supply available when considering a self-build project. Proceeding to develop the incorrect supply can result in problems such as a shortage of water, poor water pressure of failing water quality.  It addresses the main types of private water supply available, understanding their unique traits and making them work for each application.

Note that this is an audio recording of the webinar, and so, for the full version, including visual presentation, please check out our website https://scottishselfbuild.com. 

We'd arranged to have a post-Christmas catch-up about a few things and Alex suggested people might be interested in hearing about the genesis of Passive House Plus and its progenitor, Construct Ireland magazine, and the changes we've seen throughout the green building industry across those 20 years.

First off, we had a post-Christmas catch-up to find out about Jeff's family's developing taste for seagull and our various breaks.

If you want to skip that chatter entirely feel free to jump forward 12 minutes or so, that's when we start the proper conversation, however, Jeff did manage to quickly turn things around to SAP calculations about five minutes in.

And, at the end, we managed to squeeze in a bit of chat about how differently retrofit appears to be approached in France, with specific reference to the advice offered in the French version of Which? magazine.

Some references from the show

• Heat pump installer gets suspended for fraud 
• Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• The Construct Ireland archive on Passive House Plus

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

This week we're with Ryan Philp from heat pump manufacturer Daikin who caught our attention thanks to his article titled Heat Pumps Are Not The Answer.

In truth, he is a firm believer in heat pumps, just not heat pumps as a 'magic bullet'. So, we talked about that a lot, as well as efficiencies, embodied carbon, and heat networks. You also get to hear four white men talk about diversity issues.

Some references from the show

• Ryan's article, Heat Pumps Are Not The Answer
• The Heat Pump Association of Ireland
• Future Homes Hub, for whom he is a technical advisor
• Stemazing, an inspiring scheme that Ryan mentions at the end for achievements in diversity and representation

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

We were delighted to be able to have an early-doors chat with Architectural Manager and incoming RIBA president Muyiwa Oki.

As one might expect, it was very architecture heavy: we talked about the impact of architecture on all of the things we usually talk about, as well as the impact he is going to have on architecture.

He's a fella with a lot of great ideas, so we're really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

(Also, new theme just dropped. We've moved on from the stock music to something a bit more real.)

Some references from the show

• That Irish Times article about the appalling award winner
• That RIBA exhibition Long Life, Low Energy: Designing for a circular economy

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Zero Ambitions Partners email address - zap@eiux.agency
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB 
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Back in the summer Glasgow-based architect Chris Stewart became the new President of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), so a chat with him was right up our street.

He has long been a strong advocate for the incorporation of sustainability into architectural practice and education, so when Sara found herself on a tour of Shetland in his company she seized an opportunity to book him for the show.

As an individual with a strong track record in ecological design for the built environment, we were delighted to hear about his plans for his premiership and were particularly enthused by his eagerness and willingness to instigate some very necessary change.

Some references from the show

• Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
• Christ Stewart
• Collective Architecture (Glasgow)

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Contact Zero Ambitions Partners to talk about any professional help you might need (zap@eiux.agency)
• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In our last episode from BE-ST Fest 2022 Alex and Eddie McAvinchey (Scottish National Investment Bank) explore the funding stages available to companies, from concept to commercial scale, as well as the role of the Scottish National Investment Bank in supporting innovative supply chain companies, housing projects, heat networks, and more.

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expos, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero-carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• Eddie McAvinchey
• Sunamp
• IndiNature
• PFP Capital 
• BE-ST Fest 2022

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In episode four of our mini-series, the ZAP team and Christina Gaiger discuss the need for a shift in perception within the industry of the domestic market and how it must become more accessible in order to achieve net zero.

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expos, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero-carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• Christina Gaiger
• BE-ST Fest 2022
• Useable buildings.org

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Episode three of our mini-series from BE-ST Fest 2022, where we spoke with Jennifer Phin, MD of energy-efficiency contractor A.C. Whyte & Co.  

Following her appearance on the BE connected panel discussion, she shared more of her experiences of her leading a retrofit business in a rapidly changing environment.

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expos, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero-carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• Jennifer Phin
• A.C. Whyte & Co 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In ep two of our mini-series from BE-ST Fest 2022, fresh from the BE Inspired panel, we spoke with Ele George from Elevate, Catherine Cosgrove chair of the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA), Quam Temidayo from Microsoft, and Jeff Colley. 

Representing different facets of the industry, we explored some less commonly discussed retrofit topics (for this podcast at least), such as the need for more re-use in retrofit, how looking at the health of occupants is a way you get motivate change, and how digital technology can be harnessed to link social and commercial value in order to move the sustainability agenda at pace and scale.  

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expos, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero-carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• SEDA
• Microsoft  
• iOpt 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this first BE-ST Fest 22 interview we spoke with Chris Stark, CEO of the Climate Change Committee (or Committee on Climate change, both names appear to be out there), and returning guest Stephen Good, CEO of BE-ST to discuss the journey to net zero as well as touching upon the BE-ST Fest Summit itself.

Chris was there to give the opening keynote address, discussing the role of the built environment in addressing climate change. After the main event he and Stephen offered us a few more of their thoughts on why the journey to net zero is tremendously exciting but requires more ambition, more imagination, and perhaps taking some inspiration from the Victorian's infrastructure investment programmes.

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expo, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• Chris Stark
• Stephen Good
• Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST)
• BE-ST Fest 2022 programme

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Last week, we went to BE-ST Fest 2022, we've definitely mentioned it before. We mention it again because while we were there we took an opportunity to catch up with some of the speakers and some friends of the show. 

So, we have a little episode with Sara, Alex, and Jeff to set the scene and introduce the series, as well as offering a little of their experiences having been there as host, panelist, and interviewer. 

In this friendly natter we also discussed lighter topics including: 

• Did Jeff waffle on for 7 minutes, or was it 10? 
• The unexpected role the podcast had to play at BE-ST Fest 
• How pleased we were to have our first ever in-person podcast audience 
• What should they call next year's BE-ST Fest?

ICYMI - BE-ST Fest 2022 was a day of inspiring speakers, expo, demos, workshops, and other activities, aimed at promoting and advancing our journey to a zero carbon built environment.

Some references from the show

• Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST)
• BE-ST Fest 2022 programme

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

We caught up with friend of the show, Robbie McGrath, Head of Sustainability at D/RES Properties in Ireland. He's a mechanical engineer who meandered his way into sustainability, working as a sustainability consultant with corporate asset managers in the nordics and (bizarrely,) the British Embassy in Finland.

We talked about loads of stuff. He's really interesting.

Some of the references from the show

• Silken Park, Ireland's largest commercial Passivhaus development, as featured in Passive House Plus, as well as D/RES's own case study. 
• D/RES's Tinakilly Park, the recent development that we discuss, that featured heavily in a recent issue of the magazine*.
• The GRESB website. Bizarrely, I couldn't find an explanation of the acronym anywhere on there; I'm sure that Robbie explains it at one point. Otherwise, it seems like a really good scheme.
• That story about rushing foundations to beat building regs in the UK.
• Ireland's Building Energy Rating (BER) system for judging A1 on homes.
• Polar Night Energy, the Finnish company that heats up sandpits.

*"The magazine" is always Passive House Plus.

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Part two of our long, rambling chat with Tania Jennings about delivering public sector projects including an Energiesprong scheme. She has experience that wraps in collective procurement as well as keeping the momentum up throughout lockdown. 

Tania has a keen insight into the many opportunities, as well as the difficulties, in trying to make our homes safer, warmer, and more efficient. 

Some of the references from the show.

• BE-ST Fest 2020
• Energiesprong in the UK
• Retrofit Reimagined
• Energiesprong in a day  
• That 2040 documentary
• The West London Alliance, the public sector partnership between seven West London local authorities of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Hounslow. 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

This week we had a long, rambling chat with Tania Jennings about delivering public sector projects including an Energiesprong scheme. She has experience that wraps in collective procurement as well as keeping the momentum up throughout lockdown. Part two up on Thursday.

Tania has a keen insight into the many opportunities, as well as the difficulties, in trying to make our homes safer, warmer, and more efficient. 

Some of the references from the show.

• BE-ST Fest 2020
• Energiesprong in the UK
• Retrofit Reimagined
• Energiesprong in a day  
• That 2040 documentary
• The West London Alliance, the public sector partnership between seven West London local authorities of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Hounslow. 

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Join the AECB 
• Join ACAN
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Email Alex and Dan about websites, branding, and communications (zap@eiux.agency; Everything is User Experience)

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**