Presented by editor of Housing Management and Maintenance magazine, James Parker, this podcast episode collects the key recommendations from the Building Insights LIVE industry round table which looked at Solutions for Decarbonising Social Housing.

Sponsored by WMS Underfloor Heating, LHC Procurement Group, Intergas Heating and Mira Showers, and chaired by Matt Baird of Spring Housing, the event explored a range of key solutions to the challenge, including from the supply chain perspective. It was a frank and open discussion on the pressing need to find solutions to retrofit the UK's social housing for lower bills and lower carbon. The podcast includes recommendations from delegates on the best ways to take advantage of the ongoing £1.29bn Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, including industry collaboration and engagement with tenants.

James Parker presents key findings and highlights from the recent Building Insights LIVE round table on secondary heating’s role in new housing developments’ resilience. Sponsored by Percy Doughty, Charlton & Jenrick and Jotul UK, the discussion looked at how the stoves industry can support housebuilders and homeowners in identifying the best options, with wood burning stoves now permitted under the Future Homes Standard.

*Disclaimer: Danielle Michalska-Morris of Taylor Wimpey says that secondary heating is currently not part of standard specification.

In association with BuildStore Mortgage Services; James Parker, editor of Housebuilder and Developer magazine speaks to Tom McSherry, National Business Development Manager, BuildStore Mortgage Services.

Tom gives us the benefit of 20+ years of experience at Buildstore and housebuilding in a very pertinent conversation around short-term funding – such as bridging loans. He outlines in particular the support and clarity developers need to navigate current financial storms.

This is a special Ask the Manufacturer episode, brought to you in association with Grant Westfield, an award-winning bathroom design specialist manufacturer. James Parker, editor of Housebuilder and Developer speaks to specification sales director Jamie Sandilands about how recent regulation changes around tanking in baths, showers and wetrooms are driving more robust waterproofing in residential projects. He explains some time and cost-saving solutions to the challenges.

In this Ask the Expert episode in association with BuildStore Mortgage Services, James Parker speaks to Tom McSherry, National Business Development Manager at BuildStore Mortgage Services. He explains how the company, which is 25 years old this year, has unlocked the possibility of self-build and home renovation for a much wider demographic thanks to innovative mortgage products such as guaranteed stage payments. Tom also tackles some of the myths around self-build mortgages.

Highlights of the Building Insights LIVE round table held in London in July, on Inclusive & Sensory Design for Education Environments. Sponsored by Interface and Dulux Trade, it saw designers discussing challenges for creating education environments that can support the widest range of neurodiverse needs in mainstream education.

Highlights of the second meeting of a new cross-disciplinary Design for Inclusivity Network for sharing good practice on inclusive design. This round table was sponsored by Amtico Flooring and Johnstone's Trade Paints and took place at Amtico's London Flooring Studio. Expert designers, academics, manufacturers and care professionals tackled many challenges, from design for dementia to broader inclusivity issues.

Highlights from the recent Building Insights LIVE round table staged by Housing Management & Maintenance magazine, looking at how to manage data to provide the ‘Golden Thread of Information’ on higher-risk buildings. Sponsored by K Systems and Winkhaus, the event at the Institute of Directors in London saw a range of experts exchanging strong views about what the sector needs to optimise safety.

Will the Future Homes Standard come into force in 2025 as planned? This was just one of many questions addressed around the challenges of building homes 75%-80% lower carbon emissions than current standards, by our expert round table held at the Institute of Directors in London in May. Held just as the controversial Home Energy Model was due to launch, this well-timed event featured major housebuilders and five sponsors (Kingspan Insulation, Glen Dimplex, WMS Underfloor Heating, E.ON and MIRA), and contained a host of essential industry insights. This podcast episode presents a selection of highlights from our biggest discussion yet.

Jon Lowy talks James Parker through the ins and outs of performance specifications, why they’re important for specifying zinc roofs and walls correctly, and what architects tend to get wrong. He also explains how VMZINC is helping specifiers navigate current territory where cost-based value engineering is still occurring, even post-Building Safety Act.