RISE podcast

International collaboration for retrofit

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Host Adam Armour-Florence speaks with Stephen Fernandez, Director and Global Building Retrofit Leader at Arup, to examine how international approaches...

The importance of communication in retrofit

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Claire Brown explores the vital role of communication in delivering successful retrofit programmes. Joined by communications spe...

The importance of 3rd party guarantees

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Host Adam Armour-Florence is joined by industry experts Andrew Champ and Mitch Gee from SWIGA to explore the critical role of third-party guarantees i...

The importance of putting people first with TPAS

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The importance of putting people first with TPASIn this episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Kai Jackson from TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory S...

Healthy homes, healthy lives: what the research shows

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Claire Brown explores the vital connection between housing and health. Joined by Dr. Faye Sanders, a doctoral researcher at the ...

Integrating retrofit into asset management

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Host Adam Armour-Florence speaks with Rafe Bertram, Asset Retrofit and Sustainability Manager at Enfield Council. They explore how retrofit can be eff...

Challenges of being a Retrofit Coordinator

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Newton is joined by Jessica Scott-Hanker, Retrofit Manager at Procast, who brings over five years’ experience delivering retrofit projects ...

Mastering data management with Energy Saving Trust

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Host Adam Armour-Florence is joined by Sean Lemon, Head of Digital, and Dai Grady, Data Scientist and Consultant at Energy Saving Trust. Drawing on th...

Dealing with refusals in retrofit with Midlands Rural

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown is joined by Adam Boam, Tenant Liaison Officer at Midlands Rural Housing, to explore one of the most common challenges in retrofit delive...

Retrofit reimagined: lessons from Aura's evolution

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Gary Robinson, Managing Director of Aura Retrofit. Together they discuss Aura’s evolution from a tra...

Decarbonising heat with heat batteries

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Clare Brown is joined by Iain Duncan, Business Development Director at Tepeo, to discuss the role heat batteries can play in decarbonising housing sto...

Retrofit realities: powered by modelling software

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown welcomes Niall Gibson, Head of Sales at IES, to discuss the practical realities of delivering retrofit projects using building performanc...

Little House of Retrofit with Southern Housing

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Claire Brown speaks with Jo Butterfield, Sustainability Engagement Lead at Southern Housing, about the Little House of Retrofit proje...

Navigating retrofit through tenant liaison with First Choice Homes Oldham

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Claire Brown explores the vital role of tenant liaison in delivering successful retrofit programmes. Joined by Olivia Greenhalgh...

Solving the fabric retrofit scale-up challenge

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Claire Brown is joined by Adam Slader and Alex Whitcroft, co-founders of VundaHaus. Together they explore the real barriers holding r...

Contractor’s vs Designer’s design responsibilities

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this RISE podcast episode, host Claire Brown speaks with Joseph Wittenberg, Principal Consultant at Turner and Townsend, about one of the biggest r...

Compliance in practice: making sense of PAS standards

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Host Jonathan Newton speaks with Nathaniel Butters and Rory Nixon from ECO Serv to demystify one of the most important topics in the retrofit sector t...

Fuel poverty to energy empowerment with Severn Wye

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown is joined by Severn Wye’s Allison Cawley and Claire Latham to examine what fuel poverty truly means, why person-centred retrofit matter...

Warm homes, fair futures: National Energy Action on fuel poverty

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Host Claire Brown is joined by Adam Scorer, Chief Executive of National Energy Action, for a deep dive into fuel poverty, its real human consequences ...

From peers to partners: networking for retrofit success

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jonathan Newton is joined by Matthew Scott, Policy Manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing, and Jon Daley, Head of ESG at Habod...

Switchee speaks: damp, mould, and the retrofit mission

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah McClelland is joined by Tom Robins, Chief Executive of Switchee. Together they explore the implications of Awaab’s Law for the housing and ret...

Thermal imaging in retrofit with IRT

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Claire Brown chats with Lisa Cairns, Business Development and Improvement Manager at IRT Surveys about the power of thermal imaging i...

Fairer Warmth: unlocking grants & support for energy efficiency

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown speaks with Andrew Ross and Kat Runnalls from the Centre for Energy Equality about Fairer Warmth, a digital platform designed to make ene...

Terraced streets with Rossendale Valley Energy

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown is joined by Andy Pinches, Operations Director at Rossendale Valley Energy, to explore the practical challenges and innovative solutions ...

Procurement lessons across three waves: strategies for success

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown is joined by Francis Young, Associate Director at Ksquared, to unpack key procurement lessons from delivering retrofit projects across th...

From pilot to pioneer: the Nottingham Energiesprong experience

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Newton is joined by Richard Partington and Suzanne Davenport of Studio Partington to explore the pioneering Nottingham Energiesprong retrofit...

Constructive conversations: JCT 2024 in focus

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Host Jonathan Newton is joined by David Barnsley, Associate Director at Turner & Townsend, to explore the JCT 2024 contract update and what it mea...

Breathing easy: the critical role of ventilation in retrofitting

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Newton speaks with Jenny Danson, CEO of the Healthy Homes Hub, about the critical role of ventilation in home retrofitting. Jenny highlights ...

Natural solutions: exploring alternative materials in retrofit

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast, host Claire Brown is joined by Jamie Bartley, CEO & Founder at Unyte, to explore how natural materials, especially hemp, can...

Understanding retrofit standards with Spruce Retrofit Consulting

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast, host Jonathan Newton is joined by Sarah Price, Director at Spruce Retrofit Consulting Ltd, to discuss the importance of understa...

Women in Solidarity for Energy (WISE)

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the main challenges faced by women in fuel poverty and how can they be supported through inclusive, sustainable housing strategies? To help a...

Decarbonising retrofit buildings with data: insights from Atamate

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast, Jonathan Newton is joined by Joe Miles, Founder and Project Director at Atamate. Together they explore the benefits of a data-dr...

Carbon Co-op Levenshulme: A blueprint for scaling up retrofit

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode host Jonathan Newton is joined by Hannah Dixon, Director at Progress in Practice, to discuss the Carbon Co-op Levenshulme Area Ba...

Harnessing Heat: The Language of Air Source Heat Pumps

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Jonathan Newton is joined by Wes McGeeney, Net Zero Technical Manager at Thirteen Group to discuss the language around air source heat...

Silent threat: understanding radon & the risks 

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly is Radon and what should housing stock owners be doing to identify, monitor, and mitigate radon risks as part of their retrofit planning ...

Fighting Overheating & Protecting the Vulnerable with Shade the UK

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Overheating and its impact on vulnerable communities in the UK is a growing concern. In today’s podcast, Jonathan Newton is joined by Andy Love from...

Women in Retrofit with Her Retrofit Space

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the biggest challenges women face in building long-term careers in retrofit, and how can the community help overcome them? To explore this, C...

Data insights and programme evaluation with DG Cities

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast we look at how a data-driven approach can enhance the effectiveness of retrofit initiatives and drive smarter decision-making in ...

AI-Powered solutions for heat pump installs with Dabalox

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Claire Brown discusses the benefits of using AI-powered solutions for heat pump installs with Caroline Bowen and Chris Arnold fr...

PAS 2030 – understanding the standards & avoiding suspension with LHC  Procure

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can contractors and housing providers avoid PAS 2030 suspension and maintain compliance for their projects? To explore this important issue, Jonat...

The Community Retrofit Hub project

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Jonathan Newton discusses The Community Retrofit Hub project with Colin Timmins and Filipe Amarante from National Energy Action ...

Deterioration of retrofit

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, host Jonathan Newton is joined by Dr Martin Fletcher, Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Sustainability Institute. Martin gives an ...

Lessons learnt from the HUG programme

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can housing stock owners incorporate lessons learned from retrofit projects to improve future initiatives? To help answer this, Steph Dylak, Progr...

Technology acceptance

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Sarah McClelland talks to Dan Bowers, Head of Psychology at the University of South Wales, about the significance of technology accept...

Utilising the benefits of app solutions for retrofit

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, our host Jonathan Newton is joined by Bryan Charter, CEO at SuSy house, and Katherine Piper, Customer Operations Manager at Bristol C...

Historic England Advice Notes (HEANs)

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Brown is joined by Charles Smith who is the Policy Director of Policy development at Historic England. Charles outlines what exactly is classed...

Contract termination in retrofit projects

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Contract termination is an important topic but not one that’s often discussed. Joseph Wittenberg, Senior Consultant at Turner & Townsend, joins ...

Retrofit case studies with Ecospheric

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode Kit Knowles, Director at Ecospheric, talks to host Sarah McClelland about his background and experiences in the retrofit sector. ...

Effective Retrofit Contract Management with Sarah Fox

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Fox is the author of Small Works Contracts in Just 500 Words. In this episode, Sarah talks to host Claire Brown about the importance of effectiv...

Lessons learned from Fishwick retrofit

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Kevin Gawtrey RICS, Senior Building Surveyor, Aldrock and Filipe Amarante, Community Retrofit Pro...

PAS 2035 lessons for Warm Homes with The Specifics Group

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jonathan Newton is joined by Greta Jonsson, Architect & Retrofit Designer, Design Specifics and Amanda Reynolds, Manager, Retrofi...

Mid-Mobilisation Review

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Claire Brown is joined by Ben Hebbert, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend/RISE to discuss mid-mobilisation revi...

Futurebuild 2025 reflections

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Newton is joined by Martin Hurn, Event Director, Futurebuild, and Megan Creswell, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Turner & Townsend/RIS...

Retrofit 25 with The Building Centre

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Andy Gouldson, Commercial Partnerships Manager, Building Centre, to talk through the key themes of ‘...

Technical preparation for Warm Homes with Building Energy Experts

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode host Jonathan Newton is joined by Jack Allen, Managing Director of Building Energy Experts. Jack breaks down all his key tips in prepa...

Considering fuel poverty in your Warm Homes project with Cosy Homes in Lancashire

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast we are joined by Andrea Howe, Energy Efficiency & Affordable Warmth Officer at Blackpool Council, to discuss Cosy Homes in La...

Heat networks and retrofit with Chirpy Heat

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are delighted to be joined by Will Routh, Director and Co-Founder, Chirpy Heat, discussing heat networks in retrofit schemes, what ...

Heat Pump Lessons from Retrofit with Kensa

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’re discussing ground source heat pumps in retrofit schemes. We cover the benefits, the common issues and how to avoid them, as we...

Government funded retrofit evaluation with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode we’re discussing the Government-funded retrofit evaluation that took place at the end of last year. We are delighted to b...

Apprenticeships in retrofit with Warmworks

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, taking place 10 - 16 February 2025, we’re chatting to John Renwick, Communities Manager at Warmworks...

Understanding the Procurement Act 2023 for retrofit

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During this episode we're discussing the Procurement Act 2023, which goes live this February, and the impact it will have to the future of retrofi...

Consortium Governance

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’re chatting with Natalie Gardner, RISE Support Lead, discussing the topic of consortiums and in particular consortium governance....

Indoor air quality and retrofit with the University of York

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the UK most of us spend about 90% of our time indoors, but almost all efforts to reduce air pollution focus on the outdoors. In our latest episode ...

Plus Dane Housing - District Heating

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During this episode we're chatting with Chris Roberts, Sustainability Manager at Plus Dane Housing, about district heating and all things retrofit...

2025 Retrofit Sector Forward Look

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kicking off the RISE podcast for 2025 - We’re delighted to be joined by Natalie Gardner, RISE Support Regional Lead, to take a look forward and disc...

2024 Retrofit Sector Recap

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the last RISE podcast of 2024 we’re joined by Kate Watson, RISE Bespoke Support Lead, to recap on all things retrofit from the year. Kate discuss...

PAS for Warm Homes Projects

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

PAS is a key part and requirement to delivering retrofit projects successfully. In our latest RISE podcast we’re delighted to be  joined by Julian...

Resident Engagement for Warm Homes Retrofit Projects

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During this episode we're joined by Claire Brown, RISE Resident Engagement Subject Matter Expert and PHD Researcher at The University of Manchester. ...

Building Green Futures with Efficiency North

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Equipping the next generation with green skills to deliver retrofit. Our latest podcast is all about green skills and how we develop them through th...

Warm Homes – countdown to submission

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the submission deadlines for both the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant approaching, we’re joined by Kate Watson, RIS...

Carbon Co-op - Retrofit for all toolkit

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Developing and delivering a successful retrofit project requires strong resident engagement. This week we are joined by Ellie Radcliffe, Programme Man...

Retrofitting Historic Archetypes

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joined by subject matter experts Sophie Norton and Dan Leeming, Turner & Townsend, in this latest episode we talk all things Historic Archetypes –...

Warmer Homes: Northumberland County Councils Journey

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re pleased to be joined by Emma Kate Moraitis, Warmer Homes Programme Manager and Connor Backhouse, Retrofit Designer / Team Leader, from Northum...

Heat Pump user experiences and FAQs

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During this episode we talk all things heat pumps with Claire Brown, Senior Consultant at Turner & Townsend and Andy Wilson, Carbon Literacy Consu...

DESNZ Policy Updates

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the recent announcement of both the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, we are delighted to be joined by Caroline W...

Archetyping for your retrofit project

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding your housing stock is fundamental to any successful retrofit project. In the latest RISE podcast, we're joined by Dan Leeming, RISE Sup...

Air quality and retrofit

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, our podcast host Jordane Shaw is joined by Simon Jones, Air Quality Consultant and podcast host for Air Quality Matters. Together, th...

Heat Pumps: tackling the problem of over and under specification

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This latest episode of the RISE podcast focuses on monitoring and evaluation techniques for heat pumps, with Dr Richard Jack, Technical Director at Bu...

Retrofit Customer Journey with Marches Energy Agency

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marches Energy Agency (MEA) are an independent charity with the aim of helping households stay warm and well at home. They run free energy advice line...

Retrofit assessment for domestic dwellings with Elmhurst Energy

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode focuses on the ‘BS 40104 Retrofit assessment for domestic dwellings – Code of practice’, otherwise known as the Retrofit A...

Retrofit revisit: 10 case studies

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode focuses on the research and findings of the "Retrofit Revisit: 10 Case Studies" report. Host Sarah Daly is joined by co-authors...

Retrofit experiences with Clarion Housing

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Host Sarah Daly is joined by Paul Norman, Director of Strategic Asset Management at Clarion Housing. Together they discuss a wide range of topics, fro...

Suspended floor risks in retrofit

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a large number of homes built before the 1970s, there is a high possibility that they have a humid, or even waterlogged, floor void. Host Sarah D...

Heritage Retrofit

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode host Sarah Daly is joined by Professor John Edwards, Director at Edward Hart Consultancy. Together they discuss key considerations for...

Social value in Retrofit

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, our host Sarah Daly is joined by Ian Cartledge, Business Development Manager - Green Funding Solutions) at E.ON and Daniel Gatenby, S...

Tackling Hard to Decarbonise Properties

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, our host Sarah Daly is joined by Kasang Kajang, Founding Director of KSquared and Alex Jahanshahi Edlin, Associate Director Sustainab...

Housing 2024 in review

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our host Sarah Daly, is joined today by Sarah Payling, Portfolio director (housing events and Unlock Net Zero) at Ocean Media. Together, they review t...

Retrofit Project Management

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, host Sarah McClelland is joined today by May Lester, Senior Project Manager from Turner & Townsend to discuss the key project man...

Residential Property Logbooks

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nigel Walley from the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA) joins our host Sarah McClelland from the RISE team to discuss what a property logbook is,...

RISE at Housing 2024

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

RISE is excited to be at Housing 2024, which is taking place on 25-27 June 2024 in Manchester. In this latest podcast, our host Sarah McClellend is ...

Introducing SHDF Wave 3

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following the release of the draft guidance for SHDF wave 3 on Monday 13th May, this podcast explores the detail of this wave of SHDF support. Host S...

The value of PAS 2035

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

PAS 2035 is the quality standard for the energy efficiency sector, and a requirement for all government-funded retrofit work. And although it can be a...

Legal Considerations for Retrofit Projects

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Rubianka Winspear of Trowers & Hamlins LLP joins our host Sarah Daly, Associate Director, Turner & Townsend. They...

Embedding EDI in Retrofit, part two

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this second of our two part series exploring EDI in retrofit, our host Sarah Daly discusses the practical steps that can be taken to place greater ...

Embedding EDI in Retrofit, part one

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are three closely linked values that enable us to support the needs of different groups of people. In this p...

Engaging residents between funding announcements

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A resident-first approach to planning retrofit works is vital for the decarbonisation our social housing stock.  Involving residents not only empower...

Building equality in social housing retrofit

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a pressing need to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles into the DNA of housing providers, as they offer transformative p...

Procurement in a hyperinflationary environment

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With inflation continuing to put pressure on the delivery of retrofit projects, how can social housing providers balance rapidly fluctuating costs to ...

Wave 2.2 with Selvin Brown

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast episode, host Sarah Daly is joined by Selvin Brown, Director of Net Zero Domestic for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero a...

Heating technologies

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Choosing the right heating technology for homes can drastically reduce carbon emissions and decrease energy bills for tenants.   In this episode of ...