5 Useful Things for April


Welcome to our April edition of 5 Useful Things. In these mid monthly emails we share with you 5 useful things we have come across during our work and personal time that we hope you will enjoy.

This month we have a variety of discoveries that we hope you will get some value from. If you have stumbled across something that you think our readers would find useful, please let us know!


1. Something to Listen To

Design Matters

Design Matters is one of the first and longest running podcasts in the world, featuring the world's most creative people.

A great place for inspiration.


2. Something To Watch

Building the Seed Bank Cathedral

Looking back at an excellent short Ted Talk from Thomas Heatherwick ‘Building the Seed Cathedral’.


3. Something To Watch

Passivhaus Principles with the Passivhaus Trust

The Passivhaus Trust has a huge range of on demand learning content for both beginners and the more experienced Passivhaus designers and experts. Here we link to the free introductory training.


4. Something Useful

U-Value Calculator

Need to do some quick U-value calculations? This handy calculator from Change Plan is super useful, with pre loaded materials, but also the option to customise all settings, conductivities and more. Free sign up to use.


5. Something to Download

Best Practice Guide to Specification Writing

Best Practice Guide to Specification Writing from NBS. Download the free guide. Provided as a handy word doc so you can edit for your own practice.


I hope you find something here that perhaps you haven't stumbled across before. We will continue to keep our eyes open to anything we think you will find useful or enjoy, and keep you updated every month with our 5 Useful Things. If you want to share something, then please do drop us an email, we would love to hear from you.

This month's selection came from Emma W.

Thank you, as always, for reading our emails and showing us your love and support. It really means a lot.

All our best,

Emma and the First In Architecture Team

First In Architecture

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