BUILD Sustainable Building Awards 2023 Best Eco Home Renovation Publication 2023: Beginner's Guide to Eco Renovation In the UK, most homes built before the 1990s are ‘leaky’: cold, uncomfortable and expensive to run. Draughts come from all sides - under the floor, through windows and doors, chimneys, the loft - and attempts to stay warm produce condensation and mould. According to the UN, leaky homes account for one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions across the world and 21% of the UK’s carbon emissions. Most homeowners are unaware that their house is adding to the climate problem, but they are likely to notice that their energy bills are higher than normal. For people with leaky homes, retrofitting is the perfect way to mitigate the impact on both the environment and their bank balance. Judith Leary-Joyce became acquainted with the retrofit process when work began on her Victorian home. What was initially a simple extension project soon transformed into a full retrofit, addressing everything from insulation to airtightness and ventilation. “It was a major learning curve that I found totally fascinating,” Judith comments. “We realised part way through a normal extension build that if we wanted to reduce our carbon footprint, we needed to retrofit. Changing the brief midway meant we didn’t have eco builders, but they were happy to continue and work with us on this new and unfamiliar project.” Judith embarked on an educational journey, striving to learn as much as possible about the process by reading all the technical papers she could find and speaking to every available expert. She says, “We used sustainable products throughout and I found these providers particularly helpful. They really enjoyed that we were doing this for the climate, so took us under their wing.” Ultimately, the project had astounding results. Whilst Judith had been hoping for a 50% reduction in energy usage, she ended up saving 75%. On top of this, the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) changed from D to B, and its value increased by at least £90,000. Judith found that retrofitting became a regular topic of conversation for her, with many people keen to know what she did to her house. They often asked her if it made a difference and expressed their interest in doing the same to their own homes. It became clear that a lot of people would like to retrofit their homes but don’t know where to start. For this reason, she set out to write a simple guidebook that would provide readers with an overview of the process along with all the important terminology and direction, titling the publication ‘Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation’. “I knew my knowledge wasn’t comprehensive, so I found an eco-inspired architect to be my mentor,” Judith explains. “Julia Healey was a fantastic support, reading every word to ensure I was on the right track. She made adjustments and Following a lengthy career spanning the fields of teaching, social work, psychotherapy, and management coaching, Author Judith Leary-Joyce retired and soon began work on her Victorian home. Her experiences with renovating and retrofitting the property inspired her most recent publication, ‘Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation’, an easy-to-read manual that provides readers with a clear, concise layperson’s summary of the retrofit and renovation process. Here, we speak to her to find out more about the book. additions where necessary. When I moved out of her sphere, other experts generously stepped in to play the same role.” In ‘Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation’, Judith aims to simplify the complex and empower the reader to confidently engage with their builders. The book covers a range of topics, including sustainability, the difference between renovation and retrofit, and project planning and set-up. Finally, Judith dives into the retrofit process itself, encompassing all essential stages, from insulation to appliances to décor to recycling. In this, she includes real stories from her own experience, sharing both successes and failures. “I am the ordinary homeowner able to demonstrate that energy-saving, climate-saving retrofit is possible,” Judith summarises. “I hope with the help of this book that consumers will feel able to partner with the building profession, ensuring that sustainability is integrated into every project with a skip in the drive.” For her outstanding book, Judith Leary-Joyce has been awarded the title of Best Eco Home Renovation Publication in the Sustainable Building Awards 2023. We are pleased to congratulate her on this exceptional accomplishment and wish her the best of luck in the future. Contact: Judith Leary-Joyce Company: Eco Renovation Web Address: ecorenovationhome.com Instagram: @ecorenovationhome
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