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  • The Hidden Danger in Every Old House

    The Hidden Danger in Every Old House
    2026/07/05
    “If you can’t hit 0.6 ACH on a brand-new build, you probably shouldn’t be building.”Let’s stop tip-toeing around the reality of the Australian housing market. We are throwing up volume-built boxes and high-density apartments that are practically end-of-life before they’ve even seen their first winter. We sat down with Linden Thorley, architect, Passive House designer, and chair of the Australian Passive House Association Retrofit Committee.We take a look into why retrofitting the existing 9.5 million homes in Australia is the single biggest business opportunity for trades over the next decade. Linden walks us through the differences between a cosmetic renovation and a high-performance retrofit, detailing how his team utilises the PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) to model data and manage moisture, insulation, and ventilation risks case-by-case.We don't hold back on the real pain points of the industry either. We talk about the skyrocketing costs of business insurance, why Australian labour rates are fundamentally shifting project costs, and how to structure building contracts using provisional sums for airtightness so builders aren't crushed by unexpected site variations.Linden also breaks down his frustrations with legacy bank valuations that prioritise bloated 300-square-meter floor plans over highly efficient, smaller family homes.Finally, we hit the political wall: how heritage advisors and council planners are actively preventing energy efficiency upgrades, and the clever, practical drawing tricks CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 – Introduction02:08 – The Passive House Association Retrofit Committee & Playbook04:12 – Finding the Ideal Market: How Long Does the Shift Take?05:45 – Passive House as a Design-Agnostic Calculation Tool07:11 – Can a House Be Great If It Doesn’t Reach Certified EnerPHit?09:00 – Retrofitting Multi-Story Blocks vs. Standard Residential10:38 – Managing Airtightness Expectations with the Builder13:36 – How to Contract for Airtightness: The Provisional Sum Solution15:21 – Dealing with Double Brick and Suspended Timber Floors16:23 – The Spray Foam Debate in Subfloors vs. Walls18:41 – The New Build Advantage vs. Retrofit Blind Spots19:16 – A Case Study: Turning a 25 ACH House into an 8 ACH Home22:27 – Threading Centralized MVHR Systems Through Bulkheads23:28 – The Necessity of the ECI Process for Architects26:16 – Why Don’t We Just Knock Them All Down?27:43 – Renovation vs. Extension vs. Retrofit29:47 – Do We Overcomplicate the Carbon Conversation?31:14 – Lessons from Toronto: The 100 Macnab High-Rise Retrofit32:38 – Drawing the Line: When to Demolish an Existing Fabric37:28 – Forcing Council’s Hand with Legal NCC Clauses39:34 – Is Passive House Actually a Premium-Priced Product?41:11 – Breaking Down the True Cost of Australian Site Labour44:46 – Linden’s Fire Loss & Installing His Own INTELLO Membrane48:26 – Thermal Envelope vs. High-End Cabinetry53:03 – The Intensity Slump on Modern Australian Building Sites55:26 – Overheads, Insurance Hikes, and Free Market Economics57:41 – The 3-Story Walk-Up: How Codes Limit Small Footprint Living58:21 – Why Banks Hate Small Homes and Force Massive Floorplates01:01:45 – Macroeconomics, Inflation, and Building for the Top 10%01:08:37 – MEGT Mindful Moment: Harnessing the Un-Jaded Apprentice Mindset01:11:16 – Connect with Linden ThorleyLINKS:Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtConnect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    1 時間 13 分
  • The Builders Standing Up to a Broken Industry

    The Builders Standing Up to a Broken Industry
    2026/06/28
    “On paper, six or seven competitive builders trying to run one organisation together makes no sense.”In this episode, we sit down with Bec Kempster, the brilliant Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Sustainable Builders Alliance (SBA), to talk about the messy, necessary business of upgrading the Australian construction sector. Recording from Matt’s newly completed Grand Designs home, we strip back the hype and discuss how the SBA transitioned from a grassroots cause into a highly structured, professional association shaking up national building standards.Bec shares insights from her eclectic background. Spanning commerce degrees, corporate head office fit-outs, and co-founding business coaching systems for architects, to reveal how the SBA is systematically tackling the biggest bottlenecks in the trade. We break down the SBA’s Theory of Change, detailing their current work with TAFEs to build localised trade courses, and their mission to establish crystal-clear definitions for high-performance builds so the market can finally stomp out greenwashing.We also take a look at the data from the SBA's newly released State of the Market report. Bec details the hidden category of "transitioning builders". These are tradespeople who build above code but fail to market it, and drops the statistical proof that builders who explicitly sell health, comfort, and performance secure nearly double the forward pipeline of their competitors.We chat about the reality of custom build costs, volume builder challenges, and why vulnerability and education are a builder's best defence against insolvency in a volatile economy.Whether you are a seasoned builder, an architect looking for better site execution, or a transitioning tradie ready to stop faking it, this episode delivers raw, unfiltered site-level truths.Make sure to listen through to the end to grab your 15% SBA membership discount code!4. CHAPTER MARKERS00:00:Introduction01:32: Meet Bec Kempster: Managing Six Builders05:05: From Nightclubs to Architect Coaching: Bec’s Journey09:44: The Business of Architecture vs. The Building Trade13:16: Leaving the Past & Aligning with Sustainability21:20: The Material Lifespan & Circular Economy22:36: Unpacking the Five Pillars of the Theory of Change23:51: TAFE Collaborations with Melbourne Polytechnic28:41: Industry Collaborations: From Renew to Master Builders30:10: Changing the Name? Builders Alliance vs. Building Alliance34:49: Overcoming the Industry’s Lack of Education39:06: Volume Builders & The Impact of 7-Star Verification40:04: State of the Market Report: The Transitioning Builder41:41: Documenting the Journey: Content Strategies for Tradies48:07: High Performance vs. Custom Build Realities49:45: The Real Cost of Matthew’s Grand Designs House51:55: Celebrating Social Traders CertificationLINKS:Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtConnect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    57 分
  • Stop with the foil faced blanket

    Stop with the foil faced blanket
    2026/06/21

    “Money turns to water.” In this episode, we sit down with Dave from Pro Clima (Technical Innovation Engineer) to talk about the real transition from being on the tools to quoting jobs, running projects, and trying to keep cash flow under control.

    Dave’s story is a good one. He started as a carpenter, spent years in the trade, then went back to uni and completed a Bachelor of Applied Physics before landing at Pro Clima. That mix of site experience and building science makes him one of the most practical voices in the high performance building space, especially when it comes to building envelope design, condensation management, and the details that keep homes durable.

    We get into the building details that keep failing across Australian housing: box gutters, flat roofs, balconies over living areas, and planter boxes. Different details, same problem. Waterproofing risk. Dave breaks down why these designs leak, why minimum compliance is not the same as good building, and what builders and designers can do earlier in the process to avoid expensive failures later.

    We also take a look at the NCC (National Construction Code), DTS (Deemed to Satisfy), verification pathways, and why “compliant” does not always mean “safe” or “durable”. If you care about building quality, moisture control, airtightness, and building homes that actually last, this episode will give you practical language and a better framework for decision-making.

    👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

    00:00 Introduction

    01:15 Meet Dave From Pro Clima

    01:57 Carpentry To Physics Path

    04:39 Subbie Cashflow Reality

    09:08 Profit First Bank Buckets

    13:18 Carpentry As Career Launchpad

    15:34 Learning Passive House Fast

    20:10 Pro Clima Role And Bad Details

    21:52 Box Gutter Flow Risks

    23:35 Minimum Falls and Roof Pitch

    25:31 Why Box Gutters Fail

    26:27 Window Flashing vs Code

    27:22 DTS and Compliance Paths

    29:13 CodeMark and Site Proof

    31:51 Air Seals and Spray Foam

    33:31 Passive House on a Budget

    34:40 Three Envelope Basics

    36:28 Anticon Mythbusting

    38:32 Warm Roof and Truss Heels

    42:44 Mindful Moment Apprentices

    LINKS:

    Our Sponsors:

    Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

    MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

    Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

    Connect with Hamish:

    Instagram: @sanctumhomes

    Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

    Connect with Matt:

    Instagram: @carlandconstructions

    Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Proclima Sponsor

    Proclima Sponsor
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    50 分
  • Chatting with Australias most dialled in builder

    Chatting with Australias most dialled in builder
    2026/06/14
    In this episode, we sit down with Jackson from Enduro Builders in Adelaide to talk high performance homes, energy efficient construction, and what it actually takes to build houses that perform year after year. We recorded inside a Passive House, and once you feel that level of comfort and stability, it’s hard to accept what “normal” housing has been getting away with.Jackson has been building certified Passive Houses and energy efficient homes in South Australia for more than a decade, and he keeps it simple. No magic. No secret sauce. Just good design, tight detailing, and refusing to cut corners where it counts. We take a look at what makes a home feel consistently warm (or cool), how the building envelope does the heavy lifting, and why comfort is a measurable outcome, not a marketing line.One of the best parts of this chat is how practical Jackson is about targets. Not every project needs certification, and not every client wants the same thing. We talk Passive House principles, performance tiers, and how to choose the right materials and systems for the brief, the budget, and the climate. The point is not the badge. The point is building performance, durability, and homes people can actually afford to live in.We also get into the real-world negotiations builders face: design vs function, heating choices (including hydronic heating and wood fires), and what “cosy” really means in a well-built home. Plus, Jackson shares why he’s using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in his own build, and why systems and processes are the backbone of a sustainable building business. If you’re a builder, architect, designer, or homeowner who cares about sustainable construction in Australia, this episode will shift how you think about good building.👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇00:00 Introduction01:08 Enduro Builders And Climasure03:33 Scaling Passive House05:50 Cost Premium Breakdown07:54 Airtight Ceiling Strategy11:01 Performance Solutions16:20 Three Build Standards17:34 Design Build Debate22:56 Selling Comfort Not Tech26:20 Rammed Earth Benefits29:07 Solar Shading Tradeoffs31:35 Hydronic Negotiations33:52 Designing His Own Home36:39 Forever House Priorities37:48 Design Choices and Tradeoffs38:50 Healthy Home and Fire Safety41:28 CLT Structure and Insulation43:43 Bushfire and Wind Detailing44:51 Windows and Supply Chain46:01 Interior Finishes and Joinery47:29 Build Schedule and Winter Risks51:43 Business Numbers and WIP57:09 Coaching and Better Systems01:03:27 Mindful MomentLINKS:Enduro Builders: https://www.endurobuilders.com.au/Climasure: https://www.climasure.com.au/Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtCR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    1 時間 10 分
  • What is the end game of building ?

    What is the end game of building ?
    2026/06/07

    “Do we want 1.2 million crappy houses?” That’s the question Jesse Clark (pro clima) drops early in this episode, and it pretty much sets the tone. We talk about Australian housing supply, building quality, and why “more homes” is not the win if we’re locking in mould risk, discomfort, and expensive fixes for decades. If you care about better homes, healthier homes, and what the future of construction should actually look like, this one’s for you.

    Jesse’s whole approach is simple and repeatable building systems. We look at practical building science for real sites: the building envelope, airtightness, membranes, wraps, and the kind of construction details that can be done consistently across projects without relying on luck or one superstar tradie.

    A big focus is moisture management and ventilation, because moisture safety is the foundation of durable homes. We get into vapour-permeable assemblies, how leaky buildings happen, and why mould in Australian homes is often the outcome of small decisions made early. We also touch on the debate around energy efficiency and building codes (NCC), and how chasing energy targets without understanding moisture can create unintended consequences.

    If you’re a builder, architect, designer, certifier, or homeowner trying to understand high performance homes without the hype, this conversation will help. Topics include sustainable building, passive house principles, condensation control, indoor air quality, and what it takes to build homes that last in Australian climate zones.

    👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

    00:00 Meet Jesse Clarke

    01:03 Simple Repeatable Systems

    01:36 Australia Study Origins

    02:12 Healthy Envelope Basics

    03:21 Tropics Mould Reality

    05:33 Future Building Trajectory

    07:17 Carbon Versus Health

    10:24 Energy Code Debate

    15:10 Density And Housing Targets

    19:13 Why Codes Move Slowly

    22:48 Standards Board Conflicts

    28:10 Membrane Standard Breakthrough

    30:57 R&D Heat and Vapour Tradeoffs

    34:48 Consensus Voting Explained

    38:22 Leaks and Insurance Policy Wraps

    42:04 Iterating to Build Better

    43:19 Builder Journey Timeline

    47:53 Mindful Moment Closing

    LINKS:

    Our Sponsors:

    Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

    MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

    Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

    Connect with Hamish:

    Instagram: @sanctumhomes

    Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

    Connect with Matt:

    Instagram: @carlandconstructions

    Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/
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    53 分
  • Politics vs building

    Politics vs building
    2026/05/31
    We do not usually have politicians on the show, so sitting down with David Southwick, the Planning, Building, and Construction Minister for the Liberal Party’s Shadow government, made for a very different kind of conversation. Less product talk and site detail, more housing policy, building regulation, and the decisions that shape what builders can actually do on the ground. If you work in the construction industry in Australia, this episode is a useful look at the levers that affect your day to day.David’s path into politics is not the usual script. He has been a DJ, a businessman, and a small business owner, and that comes through in how he talks about the industry. A big theme is the need for governments to listen to builders, tradies, and industry experts, not just write rules from a distance. It is a practical conversation about decision-making, consequences, and what happens when policy does not match reality on site.We get into the messy part of the current housing market. Construction costs, interest rates, red tape, delays, and the pressure to increase housing supply fast. But we are not interested in building more homes if they are worse homes. We talk about affordability alongside build quality, comfort, durability, and the long-term cost of homes that underperform. This is where topics like tax, approvals, and compliance start to matter just as much as what happens on site.We also explore future-focused solutions like prefab housing, kit homes, and 3D printing in construction, plus the need for stronger trade education and longer apprenticeships to lift capability across the industry. The thread running through it all is confidence and certainty. Builders need stable settings to invest, hire, and train, and clients need confidence to commit. Whether you agree with David politically or not, this is a grounded builder reality check on how politics and construction intersect, and what needs to change to support better outcomes in Australian housing.👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇00:00 Welcome00:51 David’s Background Story03:40 Minister Role and Big Picture05:06 Housing Crisis and Targets06:10 Taxes and Cost Drivers08:08 Planning Delays and Infrastructure11:08 Confidence and Building Quality14:02 Future Housing and Prefab17:04 Tradies and Apprenticeships20:57 Rogue Builders and Regulation23:22 BPC Critique and Better Enforcement26:23 Promoting Good Builders27:08 Showcasing Great Builders27:59 Standards Should Be Accessible29:36 Minimum Financial Rules Critique31:25 Insurance Gaps And Defects34:41 NCC Freeze And Product Influence36:14 Cladding Liability Nightmare40:30 Red Tape Vs Quality Fixes45:22 Election Promises For Housing49:46 One Silver Bullet Certainty51:20 Getting Youth Into TradesLINKS:David Southwick: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/david-southwick/Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtCR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    57 分
  • More good and less bad

    More good and less bad
    2026/05/24
    “I don’t understand why people build houses like this.” If you have ever said that on site after spotting a leaky junction, a sweaty wall, or a home that is freezing in winter and cooking in summer, you are not alone. This conversation is our pushback against the shortcuts that have become normal in the Australian building industry. The whole point of More Good and Less Bad is simple. Build better homes, make fewer mistakes, and deliver healthier, more comfortable results through better building performance and smarter decisions.We recorded this one at Pro Clima HQ in Sydney with Andy Marlow, director at Envirotecture and a certified Passive House designer. Andy has a rare ability to talk about sustainable building without the greenwashing and without making it feel like a lecture. The focus is on outcomes that matter to homeowners and builders alike. Homes that perform, homes that last, and homes that do not quietly fail behind the plaster.We also dig into the Living Building Challenge, because it is one of the few sustainability frameworks that does not let you cherry-pick the easy bits. It looks at the full picture of holistic sustainability in construction, including materials, energy, water, and health. Not because every project needs a badge, but because it forces better questions about what sustainable construction really means when you zoom out and look at long-term impact.Finally, we talk about making Passive House principles more buildable and accessible through Andy’s Passive House Design and Construct model. Pre-designed, high-performance homes that still leave room for personal choice, without reinventing the wheel every time. We also share the lessons we have learned the hard way, and why building with intention is about mindset, systems, and balancing the ideal with what is financially feasible and genuinely buildable on real sites.👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇00:00 Introduction01:55 Meet Andy Marlow - Envirotecture03:31 Andy’s Path to Architecture06:18 Living Building Challenge Explained10:32 Materials Red List and Declare17:08 Envirotecture Origins and Merge23:15 Passive House Beyond Five25:26 Quality Assurance and Certification31:39 Why Start PH Design Construct34:17 Cutting Costs With Standard Plans34:44 Builder Territories And Low Touch Builds37:13 Margins Overheads And Markup Debate37:54 Repeat Builds And Site Variables39:56 Prefab Options Straw Hempcrete47:52 Cost Transparency And Pricing Stages52:45 Solving Housing With Design Construct57:17 Certification Limits And Client Expectations01:02:07 Mindful Moment And Closing ReflectionsLINKS:Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtCR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    1 時間 13 分
  • Ask us anything with Buildingsciology

    Ask us anything with Buildingsciology
    2026/05/17

    “As builders, you have huge overheads. Massive.” Matt said it mid-conversation and it just sat there, because it is the part people outside the construction industry rarely see. They see the finished home and the invoice. They do not see the cash flow pressure, the holding costs, the insurances, the compliance, the admin load, the delays, and how quickly one wobble in the pipeline can hit a building business. That is where this chat with Jessica Kismet from Climasure, host of the Building Sciology Podcast, really goes.

    Jessica jumps in as guest host and asks the questions builders usually keep to themselves. Money pressure. Risk. Ego. Family. The emotional load of running a residential construction business in Australia, especially when the market is tight and the margin for error is small. If you are a builder, contractor, or tradie trying to stay steady through uncertainty, this episode will feel very familiar.

    We talk openly about the financial tightrope and what it means to actually know your numbers. Builder margins, overheads, pricing, and the real cost of delays are not optional knowledge anymore. Post-COVID, “she’ll be right” is not a strategy. This conversation gets into the learning curve, the mistakes, and the shift from running on instinct to running a more sustainable construction business that can last.

    We also get into bigger industry questions. Would we encourage our kids to become builders? Who is the real villain in the building industry, from legislation to contracts to banks and insurance? How do you set boundaries with clients, protect your process, and avoid the compromises that come back to bite you later? And we finish on the long game of building science, where better outcomes depend on builders, architects, and designers understanding the whole system, not just their part of it.

    👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

    00:00 Introduction

    01:07 Passive House Display Tour

    02:34 Financial Edge Stories

    07:02 Learning Business Basics

    11:31 AI As A Coach

    13:02 Would You Encourage Kids

    16:10 Training Paths And Overwhelm

    20:12 Industry Villains And Red Tape

    29:56 Midlife Balance And Mortality

    32:16 Matt On Not Caring

    40:20 Client From Hell Stories

    44:37 Vetting Clients No Dickheads

    46:15 Fixed Price vs Cost Plus

    49:34 Quickfire Building Science

    50:55 Failures, Mould, and Leaks

    56:18 Builders vs Architects Buy In

    01:01:03 Mindful Moment Apprentices

    LINKS:

    Our Sponsors:

    Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

    MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

    CR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/

    Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

    Connect with Hamish:

    Instagram: @sanctumhomes

    Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

    Connect with Matt:

    Instagram: @carlandconstructions

    Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Proclima Sponsor
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    1 時間 6 分