iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Retrofitting MVHR and shading is what we should be doing before considering aircon. But good system likely more expensive than aircon, so funding is needed.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

The quiet rage I feel as a Passivhaus consultant living in a 5-year-old house that overheats horribly every heat wave, knowing how simply some minor design changes, shading and MVHR could have avoided it completely. Sitting here contemplating simplest way to retrofit MVHR and shading.

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The Woodlouse (John Butler) @the-woodlouse.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Keeping the sun out is a lot easier than trying to cool the house afterwards. Wish I could do upstairs too, and that UK standard house design was actually fit for purpose. 25 degrees inside and rising, but rising much more slowly than without the blankets.

Blankets hanging over the outside of patio doors and a window, to stop the sun getting in, at the back of a modern semi-detached house.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

I just read a planning application to convert a historic storage building into a shop and flat, and now I'm angry. Not because they want to convert it, but because my 84 m2 two bed semi-detached house (which feels like a luxury to have to myself) would fit into their proposed 3 bed flat 5.7 times!

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

This probably belongs here, really.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Update: social sustainability included at building and works level, not much (anything?) in Standards for construction product level, which is disappointing. Is there anything at raw material sourcing level? About to look.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Writing some course material about sustainable building materials. Started writing that the standard LCA approach was detailed on environmental impact but ignored social sustainability. Thought: must check this is true. It is NOT! The framework standard very much includes social sustainability

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

I can feel the draught coming in around the outside of my window frames. This house is only five years old. To fix this properly I'd need to hack into the plaster all around each window and remove the cills. Such invasive work shouldn't be needed in new houses, but frequently is.

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Luke McGee @lukemcgee.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Sees local newspaper post about rising sea levels. Don’tLookAtTheComments Don’tLookAtTheComments Don’tLookAtTheComments. Looks at the comments. AAAARGH!

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

I’ve very much neglected this account. General life pondering and rubbish-talking now happen on my other account. Not sure how many of the Passivhaus/low-carbon/low-impact construction people are still active on here, but just in case: Hello! [waves].

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Gareth Dennis @garethdennis.uk · 15/07/2025

The UK still needs HS2, delivered in full. There's no viable alternative. Me, from years back, making this point:

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

It's national Get That Slightly Squeaky Fan Out of the Loft Day for those of use that don't live in a house where overheating risk was properly considered. It's already 24° in my office but the air movement from the fan helps it feel more comfortable, squeak not withstanding.

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The Woodlouse (John Butler) @the-woodlouse.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

This episode is amazing. If you want to know what it’s actually like being autistic (as opposed to the stereotypes) it’s a must-listen. I’m autistic & this episode is just about the most validating thing I’ve listened too, ever. Also, effing funny. Also the best (wholly justified) righteous rants.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Migrants have not done “incalculable damage to our society”. People scapegoating, othering, and encouraging hatred of migrants (and others) *have* done that.

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Dreamliner Ontario @mostlyharmless.northsky.social · 01/05/2025

UK MPs: 1. The Supreme Court ruling is not "the law", nor has it changed existing legislation. 2. The EHRC's interim update is also not "the law". It isn't even "guidance". 3. The upcoming EHRC guidance, likewise, is not "the law". Again, the legislation hasn't changed. 1/

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Juraj Mikurcik @jurajmikurcik.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Love this chart

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Good things: 1. Finally able to concentrate on work again enough to make progress through the first of several late reports 2. Coffee break in the sun outside my back door, staring at the sky 3. See my first swift of the year gliding about above 4. See a Kite (the bird variety) drifting about above

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Workspace officially decommissioned until after house move next week! Hopefully up and running again with minimal delay. Brace, brace.

A half-dismantled workstation, with empty screen stands still reaching out above a desk, with one computer monitor facedown on the desk below it. Various books and albums are visible, including a PHPP manual to the left of the desk. Pots and speakers are on the shelves behind.

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Sara Gibbs @sararoseg.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

This analogy definitely works if your kid has a disability or health condition that means they can’t get a Saturday job and if they don’t get a Saturday job, you let your kid starve to death

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

The recording of my recent webinar is now up. It's a an overview of some key retrofit physics and what that means practically onsite for installers and for successful low energy retrofit. youtu.be/ca1rPFt51a4?...

youtu.be

Dorset Retrofit Reimagined: Building Skills for a Retrofit Future - Webinar 2

YouTube video by Dorset CAN

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

SBUK’s latest webinar, this lunchtime

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Heads-up that I've changed my bluesky handle to @jbsustbuild.bsky.social from @thewoodlouse.bsky.social to avoid confusion with my creative alter ego (@the-woodlouse.bsky.social). It's always possible that this will make things worse, but at least I've tried!

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Potentially combinations of them all, depending on the day.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Watching a very depressing but incredibly useful smoke test video of a post retrofit house. Lots of leakage at floor to wall junction (suspect leakage through floor, and wall not properly sealed to floor), and a fair bit around windows (both through window seals, and join of window to building).

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Straw Building UK @strawbuildinguk.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

EPDs & straw 🌾 what do they tell us about embodied carbon? 🌍 Watch our latest webinar with @thewoodlouse.bsky.social 🎥 ➡️ youtu.be/rCIBXu-LKaQ #strawconstruction #embodiedcarbon #epds #sustainablebuilding #biogeniccarbon

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Straw Building UK @strawbuildinguk.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Timber framing or load-bearing straw bale? 🌿🏗️ 25th March, 1pm - 2pm, Hawkland will explore their approach to timber framing for straw bale builds, using their latest project as a case study. 🎟️ Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/timber-fra... #strawbalebuilding #timberframing #naturalbuilding

eventbrite.co.uk

Timber Framing for Straw Bale Construction with Chris Hawker and Ben Nother

Timber framing for straw bale with Chris Hawker & Ben Nother. Case study, best practices & Q&A.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Latest ‘everything in life can be related back to something Douglas Adams wrote’ moment: managed to include in a talk about retrofit, carbon emissions, and building physics, a reference to Dirk Gently, the importance of a holistic approach and the interconnectedness of all things.

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The Woodlouse (John Butler) @the-woodlouse.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Radio 4 continuity announcer waiting just long enough after the 6 O’clock news failed to appear to make me start to wonder whether the shit had finally *really* hit the fan, apocalypse wise

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

A quick overview of EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) & a look at what the UK Straw EPD says about the excellent environmental credentials of straw as a building material. Also covers how biogenic (plant-based) carbon storage *should* be accounted for and a brief look at straw availability

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Imminent! I’ll give a broad overview of how to read EPDs, what goes into making them, and then delve into the low environmental impact of straw

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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 01/02/2025

trans folk are worth fighting for with no other reason than common humanity, but that obviously isn't enough for some people, so shove the evidence in their faces. it has to be LGB WITH the T. Has to be.

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The Woodlouse (John Butler) @the-woodlouse.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Periodic shout-out for the glorious genius of @thedailytism.bsky.social They make me guffaw in an ungainly manner on a daily basis, and help make life better by providing much needed relief from the awfulness of the General State of Things (GSoT), often whilst also commenting on the GSoT

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Daniel G. Aaron, MD, JD @medlawdan.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

States are justifying their bans of transgender health care on a 388-page report called the Cass Review. Supreme Court justices have invoked it. Today, in @nejm.org, Craig Konnoth and I conclude the report is unsound because it departs from standards in medical law, policy, and practice. 🧵(1/12)

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

How quickly a planned schedule goes awry in January.

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Straw Building UK @strawbuildinguk.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Start 2025 with SBUK! Join us on 22nd January at 13:00 GMT to discover sustainable home building with jumbo strawbales 🌾🏡 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sbuk-janua... #strawbuilding

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Why are fee proposals so hard? Does anyone find that? Much as I have a standard template for different types of project, all projects are different so pricing is always hard work.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Frosty saddle! Roads a little twinkly but ok.

Close up of a bicycle saddle in the dark, with frost glistening (lit by a bike light)

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The Woodlouse (John Butler) @the-woodlouse.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

A slither of glowing sky peeps out from behind Portland at Chesil Beach yesterday.

In the left foreground a pebble beach forming a spit disappears into the distance, a dark grey-blue sea to its right and a glimpse of a lagoon to the left of it. At the end of the spit a darker wedge shape (the Isle of Portland) slopes down into the sea to the right hand side. Behind Portland a slither of glowing sky is visible. The rest of the image is grey foggy cloud.

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The Daily Tism @thedailytism.com · 22/12/2024

“They’ll spend the next four weeks playing the same Mariah Carey track on repeat – in the same breath as telling you to stop going on about the Wilhelm Gustloff boating disaster.” thedailytism.com/neurotypical...

thedailytism.com

Neurotypicals to embrace rigid routines known as “traditions”

Non-autistic people worldwide are due to collectively engage in a series of worrying rituals known as "Christmas traditions", according to reports. Despite your family's apparent concern about how muc...

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Maria Farrell @mariafarrell.eurosky.social · 20/12/2024

I've worked in tech policy since 1999 and every single time a politician talks about "getting the balance right" it means they're about to absolute ratfuck you.

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John Butler @jbsustbuild.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Heads up that @strawbuildinguk.bsky.social are now here on Bluesky, with an updated name and a new logo (previously straw bale building UK, updated to reflect the broad range of ways of using straw for low carbon construction).

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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Zero carbon construction: a tantalising concept in a climate emergency, but is it actually a thing? @thewoodlouse.bsky.social + @moreourselves.bsky.social in a must-read piece from earlier this year. Please forgive the punny Shakespearean headline -- that’s on us, not them.

passivehouseplus.co.uk

Much ado about nothing - passivehouseplus.co.uk

Is zero carbon construction actually possible?

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