Introduction to Season 8 | A Simple Guide to a Sustainable Home - Episode 0 (Season 8 - A SIMPLE GUIDE TO A SUSTAINABLE HOME)

We’re kicking off a brand new season. We’re up to Season 8 and this season is called “A Simple Guide to a Sustainable Home”. In it, we’ll be diving into

what a sustainable home is how you can achieve sustainability on any budget know-how you need to navigate the minefield of sustainability, and what to consider and target when you’re renovating or building if a sustainable home is something you’re seeking to create.

SHOW NOTES:

Sustainability and Sustainable design is a BIG topic. It’s a complex topic too … all the definitions, considerations, building science, technology and details … not to mention the greenwashing you need to avoid as well.

And so, I’m calling this season “A Simple Guide to a Sustainable Home”. And that’s what I’m aiming to do - keep things simple.

This is not only for the greenies and environmentalists in the Undercover Architect audience - this is great knowledge for everyone to access. Because what you’ll find is that we can save the planet whilst also saving ourselves money, and creating a feel-good home. So whatever of those is your motivation … money, feeling, or planet … learning about sustainability is key in making that happen.

 

So, first things first - how do we define what a Sustainable Home is?

Let’s keep it simple. For me, a sustainable home is one that:

Is designed to support and improve the lifestyle of those that occupy it, in how the home functions and feels Helps maintain and improve its occupants physical well-being and health Minimises or eliminates its impact on the planet, in its use of resources and production of waste And lastly, this can even extend to giving back … in that triple pronged approach … improving the lives in and beyond the home, saving and even making money, and giving back to the environment overall.

Let me tell you some of the topics we’ll be discussing this season … I’ve actually decided to break this season into 2 parts because it is such a big topic, because that will give us the chance to dive into many of the areas I’ve received requests for.

So, in Part 1 of Season 8, we’ll be diving into:

Why this information matters - and how we can underestimate the potential of building and renovating in a sustainable way, even with the smallest changes I’m going to give you some super simple and impactful ways you can make a difference in any project We’ll be talking to experts about energy rating systems, double glazing, thermal mass, solar power, building biology and other key areas that are hot topics in sustainable design We’ll be looking at how to make material choices for sustainability and low tox environments, the criteria you can use, the kinds of questions to ask and what to focus on when making your selections AND I’ll also be bringing some project examples to you, and speaking to their owners, and the professional teams that created them - to get some unique and personal insight into specific challenges and considerations when designing, building and renovating in this way

Sound good? Awesome … so stay tuned for this season … I’m really excited to be travelling on this journey with you, and know we’ll all be learning loads of useful tips, strategies and knowledge in A Simple Guide to a Sustainable Home.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Alexx Stuart’s Low Tox Life website: https://www.lowtoxlife.com/

Her online course “Go Low Tox”: https://www.lowtoxlife.com/go-low-tox/

You can purchase her best-selling book “Low Tox Life” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2N8gibm