Lois Hurst

LUNE RETROFIT

Welcome to Lune Retrofit. The focus here is on reducing the space heating energy demand through Fabric First Retrofit to achieve low-energy homes, guided by standards such as PassivHaus and AECB. You'll find content from my academic research, as well as my blog, the Retrospective Retrofit, about my own self-build conversion and low-energy retrofit project in the Lune Valley. If you have any questions, contact me using the form below.

The Retrospective Retrofit

The Retrospective Retrofit

Read my blog about our self-build retrofit journey. Find out about products, approaches and technical detailing for our low-energy home, as well as the experience of living in a building project.

Life-cycle Energy Research

Life-cycle Energy Research

I'm currently working towards my PhD on energy use in domestic retrofits. There is an urgent need to reduce energy consumption in order to mitigate climate change. I'm looking at the life-cycle energy associated with domestic retrofits.

About Me

I'm Lois. I am a PhD student and a self-build retrofitter. I live near Lancaster, in Northwest England with my husband Tom, and our dog. We're more than five years into our retrofit, and the end might now be in sight!

​I try to live a low-impact lifestyle, so reducing energy use for heating the home is really important to me, which is why we're doing a low-energy retrofit. Plus, it means we will have a really healthy and comfortable living environment.

My retrofit experience led me towards a shift in career direction. I have an environmental science education and I used to work as an environmental consultant, so my background and experience enhanced my retrofit learning. I wanted to learn more, so I began my PhD as a way to explore this topic more deeply, and facilitate the beginnings of a career where I can help other people reduce their energy consumption and improve their living conditions.

About Me

Latest News

Lois Hurst - Certified Passive House Consultant

October 2020; Thrilled to announce that I recently received confirmation that I passed my Passive House exam. I am now a fully certified Passive House Consultant and look forward to working on some exciting projects!

My Resarch, in 3 Minutes!

Watch my 3 Minute Thesis animated video to get a flavour of what my research is all about

Recent posts from the Retrospective Retrofit Blog

The Premise of the Design

Having given only a brief introduction to the building in Where it all Began, this post outlines in more...

The Internal Layout and Moving In: January 2015

The Internal Layout and Moving In: January 2015

When we first started moving things into the building, it was early January 2015. The internal temperature registered at...

Diathonite Insulating Lime Plaster – Part 3, Installation

Diathonite Insulating Lime Plaster – Part 3, Installation

This is a short post showing videos and photos of the Diathonite being applied. It was a busy three...