Tag: building regulations

HPH388: How are building regulations made? – with John Palmer

Having spent the last few years working within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, John Palmer explains how building regulations are made and what their role is within the construction industry.

Interview with John Palmer

In 2012, having served as an engineer in the Royal Navy for 16 years, John Palmer pivoted into the construction sector. Over time he gained his Passivhaus credentials, built a high performance home and also spoke to us about the impact of setting an energy target. He then joined the Passivhaus Trust and was trying to lobby the government to do great things for energy efficiency and housing when an opportunity came up in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. He moved into a policy position there four years ago, looking at the Future Homes Standard and Energy Performance Certificates. John has recently taken a secondment to work with the Building Safety Regulator on some of the processing of Building Control applications.

British building regulations date back to the Great Fire of London

The origins of building regulations can be traced back to the Great Fire of London in 1666, which resulted in banning timber in the external construction of homes in London. More recently, the building regulations, became not just for fire and structure, but for many other aspects like energy efficiency and moisture, so that there are now 18 parts to the UK Building Regulations.

Each regulation will require a certain outcome to be achieved

John explains that the Building Regulations are primarily outcome-based regulations, which means that they don’t set prescriptive requirements for how things should be built. For example, Part B relates to Fire, with outcomes to build things that don’t spread fire to other buildings, and that can resist fire for long enough for people to get out. This could be met in a variety of ways.

The Building Regulations set minimum standards for life safety

The primary intent of the Building Regulations is to set minimum standards for life safety and that’s where most of the regulations are targeted. John explains that it’s not just about structural collapse and fire, which are obvious threats to life safety, but also longer-term threats such as poor internal air quality and moisture levels within buildings.

Over the years, additional regulations have been added that go beyond this. For example, broadband services and electrical vehicle charging have their own part of the regulations.

Events often drive significant changes to the regulations

The Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 had a huge impact upon building safety in the UK, notably prohibiting combustible materials from being used in the external walls of buildings more than 80 metres high.

Whenever government decides to bring in a change to the regulations, there is a lengthy process involved to work out what the impact of that change might be.

“Is this going to do what we would like it to do? Is it going to be enough? Are people going to try and circumvent it?”

There can also be unintended consequences to consider.

“What else would people use? What are the non-combustible materials? Are there enough of them in the supply chain? What does that mean for the quality of design or structural strength?”

All these second order effects need to be considered during the policy-making process to ensure the unintended consequences have been explored, and any risks are accepted or understood.

John Palmer giving a keynote speech at the ASBP Healthy Buildings Conference

Policy changes stem from the government of the day

Any changes to the Building Regulations will be initiated by the government of the day, who will ask the civil service for an assessment of the impacts. This will include the second order effects that might occur from a change to the regulations, such as to supply chains and labour markets. Ministers will be looking at how they will balance the impact of the proposed change to the regulations versus other competing government priorities. In some cases, a minor change might be relatively straightforward, with little or no impact on anything else, in which case it would be implemented. Other more significant changes might have bigger impacts on the cost, complexity or material supply chains of new homes. Government ministers will take a measured decision as to whether to press ahead, postpone it or do a lesser version of the change in order to lower the impact. It becomes a proportionality and judgement call for the government of the day at that point.

Policy‑making is a multi‑stage, consultative process

John shares an example of how a regulation might be created and the process it would need to go through. So, it might be proposed that we should paint all our houses pink in the future! This would then be assigned to a relevant team in the civil service, and they would look at how it might work and form some options of how it might be achieved. Building regulations might be one of the options. They’ll look at the potential benefits of pink homes, they will put that to ministers, and create a consultation, because normally there has to be input from the public or a stakeholder view for any proposed policy change. The consultation will have to get ministerial approval and cross government approval. It then gets published and runs for a minimum of three months, at which point it will be evaluated. The results may lead to more questions that need answering and so that might require further work. The options then go to ministers, who may ask further questions or want different options. If an option is approved that requires a change to the regulations themselves, not just the guidance, then a statutory instrument needs to be drafted by lawyers, checked several times and then time found for it to be laid in Parliament. In other words, it’s not a trivial process to update the regulations and can take anywhere between 12 months to two years to put in place.

Other mechanisms could achieve the same outcome

The other option is to encourage the desired outcome. So, in our example there could be an advisory that encourages all homes to be painted pink, and there might be a scheme whereby discounted rates on pink paint from a local retailer has been arranged. This whole approach could be put in place in two or three months.

“The carrot encouragement, optional, discretionary type approach to getting things into the built environment is always much quicker than the stick approach of actually going through and making changes to the regulations.”

Approved Documents provide statutory guidance on how to meet the regulations

Accompanying the Building Regulations is a set of statutory guidance, known as the Approved Documents. John explains that Part A of the UK Building Regulations, which is a statute in law, has an accompanying Approved Document A, which is the statutory guidance that sets out how that part of the building regulations may be complied with in typical situations. That means that someone designing a building can look at that Approved Document and know that there is a clear path to compliance. John says that if you are doing something slightly unusual, say an innovation, that might not be covered by the Approved Documents, then it is the building regulation itself which must be complied with.

Regulations will always evolve

In an ideal world, all regulation is necessary, all regulation is minimal, and all regulation is proportionate. These are the tests that government applies when introducing new regulations. However, things do change over time and regulations which were previously proportionate and made perfect sense, may no longer do so. This means there will always need to be a review and update of the regulations.

Regulation is nothing without enforcement

Part of creating a regulation involves working out how the government or the relevant regulator will know if that regulation has been complied with. Also they must consider what action to take if the regulation is breached.

“As part of the policy process, you would define what the sanctions would be for organisations or individuals that didn’t comply, which might include fines or coming off registers.”

Building Control is the main mechanism in place to ensure that people are compliant with the building regulations.

New regulations may have a long lead in time

Where the impact analysis has been sufficiently confident that the regulation is going to work, it’s not going to cost a fortune or result in supply chains collapsing, it can be put in place in fairly easily. Where it’s less clear-cut, different approaches can be taken. One of the primary routes is to give a long lead in time to allow the industry to plan and adapt. This way it’s also easier to address unintended consequences if they arise.

John tells us it can be more difficult for the government to run small pilot projects as there is a tendency for people to think a proposal is definitely going to happen, which can result in unintended consequences for segments of the industry.

Incentive schemes can also encourage behaviours

Incentive schemes are another mechanism that government uses to encourage certain behaviours. They’re not necessarily regulated in the same way as by their very nature, they’re never going to be enduring. They are used to encourage either innovation in technology, market shifts or consumer behaviour, with solar panels being a good example. When solar panels first came in, they were prohibitively expensive, so incentive schemes mitigated against the high costs, and made them more attractive to homeowners. When the price of solar panels dropped to affordable levels, where payback periods without incentives still made financial sense, the scheme had done its job and that money could be better targeted elsewhere.

Digital tools and automation are the future of compliance

Currently, implementation of the Building Regulations relies on individuals becoming experts in compliance, which may not be the optimal way of doing it. John tells us that an Approved Document review panel has just been set up to look at how the documents are formed, communicated and relate to each other.

“For example, is there a single definition of a dwelling that’s used across all the Approved Documents, or are certain words used in different ways in different parts?”

John says this does happen, so communicating them more effectively and setting them out in a different way might be an option. Digital processes may also be embraced more in the future, perhaps becoming more integrated into CAD design systems.

“Where regulations talk about heights, clearances, etc. could it be possible to have a level of automation? Or maybe a red, amber, green indication that you are compliant with the Building Regulations? Those kinds of things could make a big difference and create a better starting point for a designer to feel confident they’ve designed something in accordance with the building regulations.”

Sometimes you may need specialist input to check you are compliant with the Building Regulations

When building your own home or having your own home built, you can use either the Local Authority Building Control or a registered Building Control private provider. As part of your project, you will submit evidence to demonstrate that you’re compliant with the Building Regulations. This will include documents and drawings showing the structure of the build, fire safety, etc. For a typical self-builder, this will be quite specialist information that will require technical input. For John when building his own home, he was keen to have an input over the design materials and felt qualified to have a view on those. However, when it came to other parts of the Building Regulations, such as the structure and fire safety he knew he needed to bring in expertise.

“That specialist input may sit with your architect or designer along with structural engineers, possibly fire engineers and energy assessors when required.”

New building standards apply to some but not all aspects of retrofit

John outlines how new build standards, don’t necessarily apply in their entirety to retrofits, because you’re starting with something already built. For example, energy performance will be looked at differently in a retrofit, where you can’t necessarily decide the form factor, the size of the windows or amount of glazing.

There is also a basic principle of non-worsening in the Building Regulations that applies to retrofits. If you’re redoing an entire wall, you might need to bring that up to a required standard for thermal performance, whilst other aspects of the Building Regulations might not apply. You don’t necessarily have to make your refurbished building as accessible as a new building, but you do need to make sure that it doesn’t get less accessible, which is the non-worsening principle. Your Building Control body should be able to advise on exactly what level you need to reach in certain areas and whether other things would be subject to non-worsening, in which case you can leave them as they are.

There’s likely to be a more coherent approach to housing as a system

John concludes by noting that many different pieces of legislation have grown up organically over time, which drive outcomes in the housing sector and so it is a complex area. He thinks that the regulatory landscape will start to evolve to a more coherent approach towards housing as a system. This could go all the way from deciding what you’re going to build, planning, designing, building regulations, and once built to its occupation. All those regulatory regimes could work together a bit more seamlessly, and a bit more effectively.

“So that the end result – which is people living in high quality, safe, decent homes, beautiful homes that you know are a pleasure to live in – becomes more the norm.”

Find out more

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Transcript

Download a transcript of this episode.

Please connect with us

Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on LinkedIn

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky

October 8, 2025
HPH382: What is a Principal Designer? – with Ben Nother
Ben Nother, a Director at Hawkland Group, explains the two different roles of Principal Designer in meeting building regulations and addressing CDM health and safety. He also reflects on how this has been integrated into their processes.

Interview with Ben Nother

Ben Nother comes from a family of builders and bricklayers, and this is exactly where he started, on site as a labourer working on different construction projects during his teenage years. He was then encouraged to go into the professional side of the industry and chose architecture, studying at both the University of the West of England and then the Centre for Alternative Technology. This allowed him to delve into sustainability issues and the challenges of climate change. After 5 years working for different practices, he became freelance to find a better work life balance. Gradually he developed a good working relationship with Hawkland Group, eventually joining their team as a director.

In this conversation Ben is giving us his take on the Principal Designer role. For a more detailed explanation of the Principal Designer duties and responsibilities check out the guidance on Gov.uk.

The role of Principal Designer has evolved

Until recently a Principal Designer was the person who focused on meeting the Construction Design & Management regulations (CDM), from the Health and Safety Executive. Essentially, they would consider everything needed to ensure health and safety on a construction site. A Principal Designer would start with the design risks within a building project to see if they could be eliminated and if not, identify how the risks could be managed. For example, you may not want to design out a rooflight, so identify that there is going to be work at height, which is then a risk to be managed. A list of risks is given to a Principal Contractor who can put in place the relevant health and safety measures, such as scaffolding and the need for harnessing.

CDM Principal Designer and Building Regulations Principal Designer

Following the Grenfell tragedy, the Building Safety Act was revised in 2022, with all the regulations gradually coming into force by 2024. So there are two roles that fall under different legislation frameworks which both use the title Principal Designer.

So, to reiterate, the two areas to be addressed are:
- CDM health and safety.
- Compliance with building regulations.
The Principal Designer now takes on more responsibility and liability

Before these changes, an architect would pull together drawings and information on thermal performance, fire safety, structural engineer’s calculations, everything needed to ensure it would meet the building regulations. These would then go to the local authority or an approved building inspector to be assessed and signed off. The new regulations have changed the responsibility chain, so the Principal Designer is now more liable for those building regulations and is now co-signing them off with approved building inspectors.

As they are the designer of the building, they know what’s going into it, the performance that it should achieve, so have the responsibility that it will meet the building regulations. The Principal Designer will now also be doing site inspections to ensure that the builder has complied with the suggested interventions and will supply evidence for the building inspector. Architectural practices, structural engineers and others can provide this Principal Designer role.

Different people may take on the role of Principal Designer during the project

Today Hawkland Group has two brands: Hawkland Architects and Hawkland Construction. Historically, however, Hawkland was a contracting company. So clients often approach them post planning for input on the construction of a building. The client may have a full package of information that has been taken through to technical design. In which case the architect or the structural engineer working on the project, would be the Principal Designer, with Hawkland Construction, then taking on the Principal Contractor role. In other cases, Hawkland Architects may take on the design work from stage four, post planning, and so would take on the Principal Designer role as well. Under the new Building Safety Act, they would be looking for a comprehensive handover from the previous architectural practice or designer who has put together stage three, with all the identified risks and mitigation measures.

Ben likes their approach at Hawkland Group, where they can take responsibility for a project from concept to completion, because they can put together a robust set of both CDM and building regulations information. Otherwise he’s working from someone else’s information, checking it, trying to fill in gaps for something already part designed. This could well mean a doubling up on time going through someone else’s designs and information.

The Principal Designer role continues in the build phase

The Principal Designer role continues through the build and as the person most familiar with all aspects of the build they will make sure that each company brought in is competent, has the relevant insurances and qualifications and that the design being put forward is compliant and safe.

“…having a Principal Designer all the way through as one person is key, because they know all of the different moving parts on that project.”

The client must understand who the Principal Designer is

Under the CDM regulations, the client is ultimately responsible for health and safety on site, but they can shift those responsibilities to their Principal Contractor. The client protects themselves by bringing in people with the relevant qualifications and right insurances to deliver their project. At Hawkland Group, they may take the project to a weather-tight shell, with the client then overseeing other contractors and perhaps also doing some of the work themselves. In this instance, the client takes on the responsibilities under CDM and now the new Building Safety Act, with Hawkland Group providing the drawings and information up to the technical design stage. They can also sit in the background to provide ongoing support for the client as the project progresses. If a client is going to assume the Principal Designer role it’s really important that they have the skillset and knowledge to do this. There’s more advice at Gov.uk.

For someone doing their own designs and planning to undertake the build themselves they are taking on both the responsibility for health and safety on site and meeting building regulations. They need to know the risks around the building site, be able to induct specialist contractors to the site and be aware of everyone working on site. Ben recommends getting advice on the processes needed on construction projects as well as having an architect sense-check the designs.

There’s more from Hawkland Group in The Hub. David and Chris give us an overview of how to convert a loft.

There are multiple considerations for the materials and products being used

There will be health and safety aspects to consider under CDM alongside performance issues to be met for the building regulations. For example, some modern methods of construction may require that wall panels be lifted with specialist gear under CDM. If a crane is required, that needs to be able to get safely onto the site. The building regulations will consider the performance of those materials from a structural or fire safety perspective. The company producing the materials should be able to provide evidence of how they meet the different regulations. At Hawkland Group, they sometimes use straw direct from farmers, which won’t have those classifications for each bale, but fire tests have been done to show how that material reacts with fire. There is a bank of information for many natural materials now being used in construction.

Manufacturers generally have all the information you need for products

Manufacturers will also have standard build-ups that they know meet the regulations providing you use the materials in the right way with suitable ancillary products. The information is available but needs to be collated for building regulations sign-off. There are also instances of chemicals that need specialist handling and safe storage on site. An architectural practice will go through the specification process early on, so they know what needs to be done on site for health and safety, and what needs to be evidenced with building regulations.

The regulations should be front of mind from the outset

Ben is now considering health and safety issues and building regulations as early as possible. If a client comes to him for example wanting a balcony, he will immediately look at the regulations around this. How high does the balustrading need to be, how high is the balcony off the ground, can it be a fire escape route? It’s important to look at this straight away as it may impact the designs across the rest of the building and it will need to meet building regulations. In the past something may have been designed for planning with no real consideration of how it was going to be built. Ben now has those conversations straight away and will know what products he wants to use from the concept design stage.

The welfare of your build team is important

Hawkland Group takes pride in their sites having good working conditions, being safe and inclusive. For example, the staff toilet could be a portable potty 20 metres away from the building where you have to brave the elements or it could be part of a comfortable staff welfare unit. On smaller jobs this might not be possible because space is tight and in Bristol, where they often work, sometimes their clients offer a room for them to use. Their site team also usually work four slightly longer days each week to give them a three day weekend and a bit of flexibility.

A client can intervene if they are not happy with health and safety measures on site

As a client you have a responsibility to raise concerns if you see that things could go wrong on site. It’s best to raise any issues with the contractor immediately and whilst they are responsible for Health and Safety on site you are well within your rights to challenge their approach and tell them they are not meeting CDM regulations. Hopefully they will be keen to adjust their way of working because there are significant penalties for not working safely. You could also raise it with your Principal Designer, for them to follow up. In a worst case scenario you could even terminate the contract, but this will leave you with some major challenges.

Hawkland Construction and many other contracting companies will have a site manager who is overseeing health and safety during the construction phase. Everyone is responsible for health and safety on site, but the project manager will help with regular inspections to see that everything is working well. It is also good practice to vet different companies beforehand, maybe visit a site they’re working on so you can see how they operate, not just a finished project. Checking they have the correct insurance cover is also important.

There are advantages to having one principal designer for both CDM and building regulations

For Ben it makes sense for one person to be responsible for both CDM and the building regulations. Whilst they cover slightly different aspects of the build they do go hand-in-hand. The Building Safety Act as part of its legislation, says the Principal Designer must be a designer, so ultimately it will an architect, or possibly a structural engineer. Ben explains that all the other designers on a project have to agree that the person appointed as the Principal Designer is competent to do this role. Under CDM, you can still use other companies to provide an independent Principal Designer role, so maybe a specialist health and safety company to support this aspect of the build. For a self-builder this could provide valuable support and technical information that you may not be familiar with.

“The processes for building regulations and CDM are complicated. It’s really hard just to do it by yourself… it’s key in bringing in competent companies and competent individuals to be able to help you deliver your project.”

Using one company for the whole project can simplify things for the client

Whilst Hawkland Group can come in at any stage of the design or build process they also offer a complete service, where they deliver a whole project from start to finish. By overseeing the whole design process and technical phase of the build or retrofit there is then an ease of transition into the construction phase.

Ben feels that this allows for continuity and good communication with the client and with everyone working on the project. The architectural team and construction team work closely together so that when it comes to pricing up for construction everyone is aware of the design and has been considering the type of build and looking at budget feasibility assessments throughout. Being very open with a client allows a better flow of information and can help achieve quicker decisions when things need to change during a build. It also allows for earlier investigative work to understand the type of issues that may come up, so you can be proactive rather than reactive.

Find out more

Hawkland Group

Hawkland Architects

Hawkland Construction

Transcript

Download a transcript of this episode.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Well, it’s a good way to get notified about new videos that we make. For example, Colin and Janice Gardiner tell the story of Hazel Tree House in a recent addition to the channel. Find out what they have learned from taking on a new build project. We’ve got a video (or you can read their blog post). And here’s the link to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Please connect with us

Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on LinkedIn

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky
July 16, 2025
HPH194 : What are the hidden costs of building a house? – with Paul Testa
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.

Interview with Paul Testa

Architect Paul Testa’s interest in construction led to coordinating and teaching the technology course for the MArch in Architecture at Sheffield University. He’s also a tutor and lecturer for the Sustainable Architectural Studies Masters course at Sheffield University. He is a member of AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building).

Build cost is not necessarily ‘cost per square metre’

Paul aims to help clients gain realistic expectations of their project’s costs. They start by assuming a mid-range, bespoke new-build would cost roughly £1500 a square metre. They then use their cost calculator to add in additional costs, taking into account factors like slope of the site, higher specification and external works.

To price the whole project, Paul says self-builders should include connecting utilities, landscaping, and contingency in the overall build cost. If an architect or builder prices your project at £1500 a square metre, remember this may not include all the costs of the build.

A steeply sloping site

Fees are affected by more than just project size

It is important to have accurate cost predictions for your build and these do not just relate to square metres. Paul explains that the cost of consultants isn’t tied to the size so much as the complexity of the project.

Some costs, such as surveys, might depend on both the size and the complexity of the project. Paul recommends adding 30% to your construction cost for planning and building regulations fees and any other costs. Some of these don’t change with the size of the build, so the fee will be a greater percentage of the build cost for a smaller project.

Utility costs can vary from site to site

Paul has found the cost of connecting gas to be quite consistent, but not so for the electricity supply. The cost can vary hugely depending on the work involved in making your connection, and remains unknown until the application is made. Furthermore, Paul warns that there is no room for negotiation, saying, “It’s a captive market unfortunately.”

“Most contractors won’t have sufficient insurance for the whole project”

Contractors will have insurance to cover their liabilities (public liability and employer’s liability insurance) and potentially for their equipment on site. The architect also needs professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance to cover the implications of design decisions. Paul advises clients to procure insurance to cover the new building and materials.

Claiming back VAT may depend on your contractor

Some contractors don’t pass on the cost of VAT: the client never sees that cost and the contractor just claims it as part of their quarterly VAT payments. This may be beneficial for clients who don’t have the cash flow to pay upfront for the build plus VAT and then reclaim the VAT later.

Often clients prefer to procure large single ticket items (e.g. windows) themselves, to avoid the contractor’s overheads and profit. In that case, Paul reminds clients they should budget to cover that VAT cost until the end of the project.

Keep back at least 5% of your budget as contingency

To deal with unknowns such as the ground and weather, Paul recommends having “something there to cover you, a minimum of 5% but more generously 10%”.

He warns that stretching both construction budget and contingency “can be quite dangerous.” He advises spending more at the end if you have money left, rather than pushing to do absolutely everything without compromise.

Expert advice during planning helps predict cost more accurately

Although he cannot completely mitigate the risks of unknown costs, Paul ensures that the correct investigations are done as early as possible to try and minimise additional costs. “Certainly on the bigger jobs where there is more scope for value engineering,” he says, “we will try and bring a quantity surveyor or an estimator in at roughly the planning stage.”

This expert can give a budget cost for the build. If it doesn’t fit within a client’s budget, Paul’s team can make changes before the planning application is submitted, avoiding later amendments and resubmissions.

Avoiding the tender process can actually save money

Ideally, Paul likes to find a contractor he wants to work with and that the client is happy with, who will “buy into” achieving the building at the budgeted price. He relies on the expertise of the chosen contractor to ensure that the detailed design matches that budget.

Although Paul acknowledges the benefits and drawbacks of both routes, he doesn’t believe the tender process is the best way of procuring a building, saying “We actually incentivise that in our fees and we charge less for a negotiated price with a contractor than we would do for dealing with a full tender process.”

Contractor availability can be as important as cost

Paul works with a pool of preferred builders, although this can change over time. He explains that the best contractors can be booked up to two years in advance. Although clients might be disappointed by delays, they usually come round. “If they want the very best product, they want the very best people to do that,” he says.

Engaging the contractor earlier in the process can mean that delays are avoided. Having agreed an approximate start date with a contractor, Paul stays in touch while developing drawings, maintaining agreement on budget and timescales. He says, “By the time we’re ready and the contractor’s ready, everything’s drawing together.” However, he adds, “it doesn’t always work that perfectly.”

Tender processes have their own drawbacks. A four to six week process can lead on to reviewing prices, interviews, and value engineering. After all this, the contractor’s availability might be delayed another year. It can be difficult for a client to ignore a much cheaper quote but Paul warns, “Normally, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” The project ends up costing as much but with extra difficulties.

A passive house can be built for less than £50,000!

In 2013 Paul’s team submitted a design to the National Self-Build and Custom Build Association’s annual competition ‘Self-build on a Shoestring’. The brief asked for a detached family home, on a very simple flat plot, for £50,000 or less, including all materials and specialist labour but assuming utility connections were already in place.

Paul’s approach was to make “a simple construction that can be built by the average self-builder”. While mainly a “materials only” cost, it included specialist input such as commissioning the MVHR system, certifying the electrics, gas installation and digger and scaffolding hire.

Not only did their design offer a 70m² family home for around £45,000, it was also designed using the passive house planning package. Paul says, “We delivered a building that achieved passive house for less than £50,000 and would be a compact but very comfortable single family home.”

Delivering build elements constructed off-site to manage costs and time on a steep site

Five top tips to keep build costs to £50,000
- Remove main contractor: get hands on, do physical work, and do your own project management
- Reduce risk by choosing a manageable construction method, such as a simple softwood timber frame.
- Minimise the number of materials.
- Maximise the function of each element, e.g. exploit oriented strand board (OSB) in three ways: as an airtight layer, internal wall linings and structurally, to stop the building twisting.
- Choose larger format materials with cheaper production and installation costs, such as fibre cement slates rather than timber cladding.
Find out more

Visit the website of Paul Testa

Follow Paul Testa on Twitter

Follow Paul Testa on Facebook

Visit the website of AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building)

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Paul Testa

Please connect with me
- Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
- Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
October 13, 2017
HPH181 : Improving acoustics, noise control and soundproofing – with Jack Harvie-Clark
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.

Photograph by Martin Neeves Photography

Interview with Jack Harvie-Clark

Jack Harvie-Clark’s background is in engineering. His work in acoustics started when working for mechanical engineers in the power generation industry. A change to Building Regulations in 2003 meant a growth in acoustics in the construction sector and Jack set up Apex Acoustics in 2006. His work is concerned with the acoustics of buildings and how noise affects people’s health.

Acoustics is about how sound travels

Sound travels through structures as vibrations, and acoustics distinguishes between two concepts: sound insulation is how you stop the sound transmitting from one room to another; sound absorption is about how quickly the sound within a room gets absorbed.

Jack explains that your ears know immediately when you’re in an enclosed space like a room, rather than outside, because you hear many reflections. Some reflection is very useful because it adds volume to your voice, but too much can be uncomfortable. Jack says that someone building a home should consider the room acoustics and how good they want it to be.

There are restrictions for sound levels between attached dwellings

Jack provides assistance for projects that need to comply with Building Regulations. People rarely call him just to make the acoustics better on their build; rather they want a competent specialist to help them meet the required standards.

Building Regulations are mostly concerned with sound insulation between attached dwellings; so much of Jack’s work is on the airborne sounds through walls and floors and impact sounds through floors between flats.

Reducing noise from neighbours may require sacrificing space

If a client has a noisy neighbour, Jack will firstly find out whether there’s a problem with the wall that can be rectified. Then he has to interpret the client’s needs, to balance noise reduction with space lost and money spent. Jack explains, “You might think maybe they want it to be 10 dB quieter or 20 dB quieter. And then we’ll suggest the sorts of things they would need to build to achieve that.”

Noise levels shouldn’t interfere with sleep or cause any annoyance

Jack often advises homebuilders on how to keep out external environmental noise in order to comply with planning conditions. By considering the building plans and measuring the noise level outside they can recommend the required type of glass for the given window sizes and any appropriate treatment for the ventilation system.

Whether or not there are planning conditions, noise levels outside might make you reluctant to open your windows. So Jack says good design should account for this.

Rules on sound insulation between rooms aren’t very demanding

Noise between internal walls is covered in a small way by Building Regulations. However, they don’t ensure any particular level of sound insulation to rooms that might be sensitive from other rooms within your house. Jack’s advice is to be sure to consider the issue of noise through floors and walls between rooms.

There are ways to reduce noise between and within rooms

In the design of a room the door will be the weak spot for sound transmission, including the gap at the bottom. Acoustic doors and an acoustic seal on the bottom will improve performance.

In a house with ventilation, noise can sometimes travel from one room to another through ducts. You can improve sound insulation by including crosstalk attenuators in the vents, which let the air through but not the sound.

Rooms designed for recording sound need to have minimal reverberation. Sound absorption can be achieved by putting carpet on the walls and similar use of soft furnishings.

Large and high spaces need more sound absorption

Rooms with higher ceilings or larger volumes are naturally more reverberant and can feel noisy and echoey. The noise level will increase dramatically when more people are in there, says Jack, especially if you have children! The more sound absorption you put in, the more comfortable it will be.

The earlier the better where acoustic advice is concerned

Jack says that acoustic consultants always get brought in too late, or only asked to look at very small bits of very big projects. He understands this, as you don’t want to build your whole house around the acoustics, but says if it were his house, he would want someone like him to look in more detail.

Some audiophile clients might require advice about how rooms respond to sound. Jack can advise on the shape of the room, and recommends that wires for the sound system are planned as part of the electrical works, to avoid more holes in the walls later.

Ventilation systems are designed to deliver and extract air, not to limit noise

As most people will have some kind of ventilation system, Jack says that attention should be paid to getting the acoustics right. This could start with a specification for noise that the builder or the designer has to achieve, so that it will get taken care of in the design. In a Passivhaus, noise levels must not exceed 25 dB(A) in living spaces and 35 dB(A) in bathrooms; noise levels that are very unlikely to annoy.

For other houses, the Building Regulations are less stringent and their legal requirement is even debatable, so they’re not being enforced. Many new houses have some form of mechanical extract, but Jack says that nobody is checking or designing the noise levels for these systems. This presents a big problem: people turn the fan down to reduce the noise, but that then means that they’re not getting enough air.

Racecourse Passivhaus project – measuring the noise levels from the MVHR

Mechanical ventilation systems need to be designed and maintained properly

Absence of design, poor procurement and bad installation can be typical of ventilation systems in current mainstream housing. According to Jack, problems include:
- houses handed over with dirty filters
- residents not knowing they’re supposed to change the filters
- residents not even knowing they have a ventilation system running
Inadequate ventilation in airtight houses can lead to health problems

Mechanical ventilation systems have become more common in new houses as a more efficient way to meet energy performance requirements. However, recent research has suggested that people prefer to control their internal environment by opening windows. Jack warns that if ventilation systems get turned off in very airtight modern houses, you can get health-related issues such as poor air quality and mould growth.

Furthermore, opening windows to provide additional ventilation is the default method to mitigate overheating. However, there is no current assessment for resultant noise so if you’re building in a noisy place, Jack advises bearing in mind both how you provide the ventilation and how you control overheating.

Award-winning double height open plan house – gaps between the timber laths provide the sound absorption with acoustic absorbent material behind

Find out more

Visit the website of Apex Acoustics

Follow Apex Acoustics on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Jack Harvie-Clark

Please connect with me
- Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
- Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
June 15, 2017
HPH153 : How to comply with building regulations – with Phill Skill
Phill Skill explains what building regulations are and how we comply with them.

Interview with Phill Skill

Phill Skill was Head of Planning at Stroud District Council for over 10 years and also featured in the BBC documentary series The Planners. Now he is the Lead Business Consultant at Stroud District Council as well as a member of the board at Gloucestershire Building Control Partnership.

Safety is at the heart of building regulations

Building regulations deal with the physical structure of a building and are there to make the occupants as safe as possible.

For example, it deals with foundations, wall structure, floors and drainage as well as what happens in the case of a fire.

As the homeowner, you are responsible if something goes wrong

The onus of the building regulations is on the house owner, not the builder.

Therefore it is a good idea to draw up a contract with your builder which will indemnify you in the case of issues.

Phill says: “It’s not getting seventy-five percent and we’ll let you build it, it’s getting a hundred percent and we’ll let you build it.”

The regulations themselves are simple to understand

Looking at a copy of the building regulations (in England and Wales; Scotland is similar) the sections with a green background are the actual regulations. These lay out what is expected in broad brush statements.

Phill paraphases: “Staircases should be built so you don’t fall down them.”

Approved documents explain how to comply

Phill continues: “For instance, stairs, it will tell you how high each step should be and how deep each step should be, what angle the stair should be.”

In England, there are two ways to get approved

While the Scottish system is different, in England approval can be granted upfront by submitting drawings to your local authority or it can be back-loaded by getting a building notice.

i) Submitting drawings

By submitting drawings prepared by a draftsperson or architect, the council will check them over and make sure they are compliant. If they are not, they will write to you and ask you to make changes.

While it may take a few weeks to get your approval notice the main advantage is that you iron out any issues before you get to site.

ii) Building notices

No plans or drawings are required with this method so it is quicker, but there will be more inspections on site.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is that you don’t have a contract between you and the builder. So, you don’t actually know what the builder’s going to build because you haven’t given him any drawings!

Also if the building inspector asks you change something you’ll have to make those changes on site and at your own cost.

Phill says: “I would never recommend to anyone that they build a house under the building notice method. They really should have their drawings sorted.”

Work can be approved by either the council or an approved inspector

An approved inspector is an independent person who verifies you are building in accordance with building regulations and they’re regulated by the Construction Industry Council (which is a QUANGO of government).

Phill says: “A lot of approved inspectors work on a risk assessment, a bit like an insurance company. They will assess your job, your competencies, how many buildings you’ve built and then tailor their inspection regime to that. So, if you are a self-builder, doing it yourself, it’s going to cost you a lot of money because they’re going to have to come out more often. With the local authority, it’s effectively a fixed fee regardless of whether you’re Barratt’s or you’re Joe Bloggs.”

Phill’s main advice is that you get what you pay for. Shop around and understand what you’re going to get for your money.

A good building inspector should provide constructive input

A good building inspector will be somebody who tries to educate you as you’re going along. A bad building inspector will be somebody who just turns up, says ‘that’s wrong’ and walk away. While a building inspector is only there to check what you’ve done, they should offer you alternatives.

Site work should not be held up because of an inspection

The building inspector is not a clerk of works and therefore is not there all of the time.

Legally, if the building inspector has been informed that you’ve got to a particular stage, you only have to wait for 24 hours before proceeding.

Phill explains: “If they don’t turn up, you can continue because you gave them the opportunity to visit. Councils will always visit because that’s our policy and that’s how we get insured. As I said earlier, approved inspectors may take a more risk-based approach.”

Inspections fall into 8 stages

The majority of the checks are to do with the groundworks.
1. Commencement (preparing the files)
2. Foundations inspection (to check ground conditions; often combined with the commencement stage)
3. Foundations laid
4. Oversight (to check the insulation and any re-inforcement has gone in)
5. Damp-proof course level
6. Drainage (to check pipes are lined and level)
7. Occupation prior to completion (e.g. drainage check at the end of the project)
8. Completion
Builders/architects should have a good grasp of building regulations

There are about fifteen approved documents ranging from foundations through to fire and electrics. The government has a process of only changing three of them at any one point. As the rate of change is relatively slow too, it should not be too difficult for experienced architects and builders to keep up.

If there is a major change to any building regulations, it would be publicised in their trade magazines and they could also ask a building inspector.

Products change much more quickly

One of the biggest challenges a building inspector faces is keeping up with new products.

For example, insulation can become more effective and therefore less might be needed in the construction (so it’s not just a case of checking the thickness of the insulation!).

The completion certificate is not a warranty

The most important document in this process is the completion certificate.

This is not a warranty but states that, to the best of the inspector’s ability, the building is complete and compliant.

Your completion certificate will be required when you sell your home

Solicitors will want to see your completion certificate in order to convey your house.

Phill says: “That’s great for the profession because you have to have that completion certificate. And you cannot sell a property without it.”

Find out more

Download the building regulations from the Planning Portal

Follow Phill Skill on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Phill Skill

Why it’s worth visiting the Potton’s Self Build Show Centre

Regen Media is currently producing a video for Potton on the value of visiting their show centre in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

I know the site well having been there numerous times, but it was intriguing to hear the many reasons that people give for coming to popping in (depending on where they are in their self build project).

However, top of the list is inspiration and that alone is a good enough reason to check out these five fully furnished homes (including the UK’s first show home constructed to Passivhaus standard).

Please connect with me
- Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
- Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
November 30, 2016
HPH123 : How different is building a home in the USA versus in the UK? – with Michelle Nelson from Build Your House Yourself University
Michelle Nelson, from the Build Your House Yourself University podcast, and Ben Adam-Smith discuss the differences and similarities between self building in the UK and the USA.

Interview with Michelle Nelson

Michelle has been producing the Build Your House Yourself University podcast in the United States since the beginning of 2016. Like Ben Adam-Smith she is keen to build her own house and the podcast is her way of sharing the knowledge she is gaining along the way. She sees her podcast as being like a big study group, which she both leads in teaching the basics of residential construction and home design, but is also a peer. She enjoys using podcasts as a medium for learning as it is a way for people to multitask. As an enthusiastic learner herself she loves that people can learn while carrying out chores, exercising or doing any number of other tasks.

Michelle’s dream was to build her own house in the countryside, until she spent a few months living in the countryside and realised that actually she valued living closer to shops, restaurants and her workplace far more! She is now saving hard so that she can buy a plot in a suburb, with a view. Where she is, there is plenty of land and the city is driveable rather walkable. Concern about the reliance on cars is something which she says is not on the radar of most Americans.

US homes can be rated based on their energy efficiency

Michelle says one of the best things she has learned about on her journey so far, is all about the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), which rates houses according to their energy efficiency. Independent companies can perform tests while your home is under construction. There are different targets available so depending on your budget and your interest in energy efficiency, it can help determine the type of insulation, heating, ventilation, cooling, windows, doors etc that you will put into your new home.

A house needs to be strong as well as pretty!

Another discovery that Michelle made was a company (Simpson Strong-Tie) that uses a system with a continuous load path. They use ties, fasteners and metal bolts that connect the roof to the wall studs, the wall studs to the flooring, and the flooring to the foundations. As some parts of the USA are particularly vulnerable to storms, tornadoes and hurricanes, this strengthening of the house means it is less likely to be damaged by high winds.

Three things that are great about the housing industry:

In the USA

Michelle’s first choice is that, with the exception of the large, over-crowded cities, the USA generally benefits from having plenty of land available.

Secondly, the US is fortunate enough to have a plentiful number and diversity of suppliers and materials.

Thirdly, residents are open, proud and happy to show off their houses, whether that be sharing ideas in person or on the internet.

In the UK

Ben credits the UK with having a real diversity of projects, particularly when it comes to self building.

Secondly, he believes in the UK we have a number of people doing great, innovative, problem solving work, and if their word could just reach a wider audience we could go a long way.

Thirdly, self builders in the UK are very open to sharing. They tend to be happy to show people their houses and are honest about their projects, including explaining where they went wrong which can be so valuable to other potential self builders.

Three challenges within the housing industry:

In the USA

There is not a very popular self build movement in the USA. Michelle also says that while homeowners are generally very open and sharing with information, she has not found the same to be true of builders and general contractors. In fact she has so far had all requests to interview them for her podcast refused! This is in great contrast to the UK where Ben says people of all occupations within the building industry have generally been very helpful and willing to contribute their expertise.

Secondly, sub-contractors are less likely to prioritise self builders over other work. Michelle says these kinds of projects tend to be put on the back-burner while sub-contractors carry out work for general contractors, so it can be difficult to get them scheduled.

Thirdly, there are challenges financing self builds. Michelle does say however that banks tend to be more receptive if there is someone hired on the project that does have building experience, even if that’s employing a site manager if you’re planning to do the actual building work yourself.

In the UK

Firstly, Ben feels that nearly all house building in the UK is driven by profit, which sadly doesn’t lead to quality results. Michelle comments that this is not unique to the UK and is much the same in the USA.

Secondly, there is no easy process if you’re trying to learn this for the first time. Considering it could be one of the biggest steps and projects you take on in life, there is no straight forward route for doing it. Michelle agrees that this is the same in the USA.

Finally, building a home in the UK is only for the wealthy. While Ben accepts this isn’t exactly true and it certainly shouldn’t be that way, it does seem that if you have plenty of money to throw at it the journey is that much easier.

The USA has building permits / zoning departments

The name can vary from region to region, but essentially this is where you get your initial building permit from. Their involvement starts right at the beginning of the process where they approve the project, progressing through site inspections throughout and ending with final approval and a certificate of occupancy.

Although varying from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, there are also homeowner associations, which are a kind of governing body for the neighbourhood. They will look at plans and decide whether the size, materials etc are appropriate for the locality.

Find out more

Visit the website of Build Your House Yourself University

Michelle says GardenWeb (part of Houzz) is a great forum where people share their house-building experience.

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Michelle Nelson.

The Hub update

This month we have added a new module to The Hub called Getting Started. This is perfect for you if you’re just starting your research.

At Long Barrow, the Passivhaus case study that we are following, they are putting up the steel frame (which went up in just 5 hours!) and we find out why there is a steel frame in the first place and how they are being careful of thermal bridging.

Future Hub topics will include sweat equity, finishing off a home and roofing options.

If you feel you can contribute to the topic of sweat equity and can provide useful advice – whether you put in the work yourself and it paid off, or maybe you wish you’d never done it, then please do get in touch.

Please connect with me
- Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
- Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
April 6, 2016
HPH099 : My New Developer House has No Loft Insulation – with Luke Mahon
It has been almost a year since Luke Mahon took ownership of a new-build developer house, which he soon discovered lacked insulation! He talks us through his experience and the ongoing battle to get the house completed.

The Property Location and Size Were Ideal

The development was in their target area between Heathrow Airport and Reading town centre, whilst also being close to countryside. After being impressed by a show home on a similar development and hearing good reviews from his wife’s grandparents who had been very pleased with their own Taylor Wimpey home, they decided to purchase the property.

Within a Month the House Seemed Unreasonably Cold and Draughty

The large master bedroom in the eaves had been one of the reasons Luke was drawn to the house, but by the October (within a month of moving in) they were going to bed shivering from the cold and the breezes in the room. On investigating an area of the loft, Luke discovered there was no insulation!

Uninsulated loft space

The developer agreed to rectify this but Luke was insistent that even after insulation was added to the loft space it was still uncomfortably cold and was convinced it was still lacking in insulation. Luke describes how after much arguing they agreed to cut holes in the walls – and sure enough, found no insulation! After they stuffed some insulation in there and patched up the holes, Luke was desperate to have the work completed before his family arrived at his house for Christmas, and says on the last working day before Christmas he was given paint and a roller to paint the walls himself as all the painters had gone home.

The Snagging List Eventually Contained Over 400 Items

Initially the list was at around 150 items, but over time they discovered many more. While some were very minor and things they would have expected in a new house, others were significant. The list included: cracks on walls, plasterboard not properly matching, toilets in the wrong place, wrong tiles being laid, windows at an angle, doors needing to be replaced, walls needing to be rebuilt as they had been erected incorrectly / at the wrong angle / wobbly because they didn’t have enough studs in them, air bricks too low to the ground or even underground etc.

Luke says he had to fight for this door to be straightened

Luke Used His Marketing Experience to Get His Voice Heard

Luke says he was tired of repair works not progressing and his calls for action being constantly ignored. As they live close to the show home he put up posters in his window to alert potential purchasers. This caught the developer’s attention and Luke says for a period of a few weeks there was communication and numerous promises but that he grew frustrated by this only resulting in minor things being attended to, at a slow pace and a poor standard of work.

After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the issues through the on-site customer services representative, regional office and head office, Luke started his @MyHouseSucks Twitter account. He feels that it is only because of this and the media coverage it generated that he has been able to make any progress.

Poster in the window of Luke’s house

His House Was Not An ‘Isolated Incident’

Luke says he had been told by the developer that the other houses had been checked and didn’t suffer from a lack of insulation and that his house was an isolated incident. Through his Twitter account however Luke discovered his neighbours in the development’s first phase were having similar problems and claims that, despite knowing this, they continued to build further houses on the development with no insulation. Tweets he received from owners of homes built by other developers, led him to believe that the “isolated incident” tactic is commonly used to discourage people from talking to their neighbours and uncovering the extent of deficiencies.

Insulation going into the roof space

A Thermal Survey Was Conducted

It had not been possible to have a survey of the property before completion of the purchase. Luke says he had requested one but that access was refused as it was an active building site. He pushed later for a thermal survey which uncovered the extent of the problems.

Rectification works at the house have involved 14 weeks of workmen on site, a further 4 weeks where they had to move into alternative accommodation, and are currently going through another 4 weeks of backfilled soil being removed. In total, Luke estimates these works have probably taken longer than it took to build the house!

Thermal image after some initial rectification works had taken place

Luke Questions the Role of the National House Building Council

These buildings aren’t signed off by the local council building regulations department, but by the NHBC (National House-Building Council). Upon contacting the NHBC, Luke was told they would have noted the lack of insulation and asked the builder (verbally) to resolve the issue.

Luke is shocked, that not only did they sign off his property which clearly didn’t meet building regulations, but also those of his neighbours, and all of those that he says the developer knowingly built without insulation after discovering the omission in his own house!

With the NHBC being funded by the house builders, Luke asks of the situation:

“These large companies who snap up all the land, build these sub-standard properties, get them signed off by a body that they’re paying for to sign them off, that don’t meet building regulations and that’s all fine?”

A Happy Ending?

Almost a year after moving in Luke says they are down to around a final 10 items on the snagging list so he can see an end in sight.

“I’m so far beyond angry now. I was angry, probably a few months ago. I’m beyond that. I’m dispassionate about it now because it’s taken so long, it’s become part of my life.”

Despite that, Luke foresees that once the works are completed he and his wife will be happy in their home. The reasons why they chose the house will prevail – ie the space, the light, the size of the garden, it’s location backing onto natural parkland.

“And actually throughout all this kind of arduous year of hell, we’ve really built a really nice community here within this first phase because we’ve all got to know each other as neighbours and it’s a really great community of people here. So because of that it actually does feel like home.”

Find Out More

Follow Luke Mahon on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Luke Mahon.

Please Connect With Me
- Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
- Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
September 16, 2015
HPH097 :What Do You Get for Passivhaus Certification? – with Peter Warm from WARM

Peter Warm from WARM: Low Energy Building Practice explains why building to Passivhaus standard is desirable, how certification comes into the equation, and what steps will increase your chances of reaching certification.

Interview with Peter Warm

Peter has been an energy engineer all his working life and is fascinated by high performance buildings. Through his involvement with the AECB he got into Passivhaus certification, and this is now a key service offered at WARM: Low Energy Building Practice.

“Glass Boxes are a Huge Problem”

One of the biggest challenges WARM face is communicating to architects that vast quantities of glazing in a Passivhaus actually create a “solar cooker”. While the glazing is expensive it also creates a problem which will need remedying with the additional cost of solar shading.

“Glass boxes” are effectively huge energy consumers, either for heating or cooling.

Passivhaus Certification is a Form of Training for Designers

Peter thinks of the certification process as a form of training because it gives designers a deeper understanding of how the decisions they make impact on the energy performance of their buildings.

If the designer hasn’t reached the Passivhaus standard before then inevitably there is a learning curve. However, the certification process provides support throughout, in order to iron out any issues before they occur.

For designers that WARM have worked with many times before they will be offered a greatly reduced quote because they need far less hand-holding throughout the process. In these cases, it’s really all about the documentation.

“Passivhaus Certification…It’s Just About Building Buildings Sensibly, Doing it Properly”

Peter suspects that in 20 years time the current quality of a Passivhaus will be the norm for a new build. Although much of the UK construction market is currently lagging far behind in terms of build quality and low energy standards, Peter sees retrofits as being a greater challenge for the future. There needs to be more education about the dangers of getting insulation wrong which – if not done properly – can cause mould, condensation and rot as well which in turn can impact on the occupants’ health.

The Steps to Certification

The Quote – This is based on the plans and sketches, an idea of how long the process is going to take and the level of support the designer is likely to need.

Design Review – It is important to review the designs before planning to look at the impact of things like the form factor (on insulation and airtightness) and fenestration (on solar gains).

Checks Before Going On-Site – WARM will usually do their own PHPP calculations to check thermal bridging, airtightness, heating, ventilation, etc.

On-Site Checks – This doesn’t usually apply to small projects. On large ones there can be a high turnover of tradespeople so the checks are helpful in identifying any problems at the time.

The Air Test – Along with the air test they check the commissioning report for the MVHR and make sure the system is working properly and quietly. If they’re happy with everything the information is sent to Germany for the authorisation to issue the certificate.

Reasons Why Buildings Fail Certification

Airtightness – Failing to test while there is still access to the airtightness layer can be a big issue in one-off houses. This needs the doors and windows to be put in at an earlier stage than a builder would normally like.

Building Services – This usually applies more in larger buildings. In particular it is poorly designed or installed ventilation units. When this happens the fan has to work harder which means greater noise.

Not Consulting Throughout – Less common is when people just build their buildings and then approach WARM for certification once it’s complete. In this instance it is likely they will not reach the standard.

As Passivhaus is about the comfort of the occupants, failing certification will mean that it may not be as comfortable as they would like, perhaps living with draughts and MVHR noise. Peter says: “Comfort is one of those strange things where, if you notice it, it’s not comfortable.”

Airtightness was the Biggest Challenge for WARM’s Own Office Retrofit

Built in the 1960s, they have transformed a draughty first floor flat into an EnerPHit standard office.

They achieved this by insulating externally, filling the cavity, insulating between the office and the shop, and putting in roof insulation at rafter level.

Deciding where the airtightness layer was going to go was the biggest challenge, particularly as the shop below was not part of the retrofit.

All the windows were also replaced with high performance triple-glazed windows and an MVHR system was installed.

Inevitably Building Regulations will Catch Up with the Passivhaus Standard

Peter considers Passivhaus as being such common sense that he believes it is inevitable that regulations will eventually meet the standard. With building regulations changing every few years to require more insulation for example, by choosing Passivhaus now your project won’t date.

Peter says: “It will happen. You’re just making it happen a little earlier.”

Find Out More

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Peter Warm.

Please Connect with Us

Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on LinkedIn

Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky

September 2, 2015