Sustainable Builders Yak

Send us Fan Mail Some certified Passive House homes feel sterile, and some award-winning biophilic homes are uncomfortable to live in. Architect Talina Edwards asks why we can't have both. Talina is director at Envirotecture based out of Ballarat, Victoria and designed one of Australia's early Passive House projects, in Trentham. Talina explains biophilic design as more than timber and p...

Send us Fan Mail How far behind is Australian construction? In Switzerland, carpenters build every timber house in a digital model before it reaches site. Colin Frei spent twelve years there, went from labourer to carpentry apprentice, and then did six years of further study in timber construction. He's now back in the Adelaide Hills running his own carpentry business.  Colin explains how Swi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you put hemp into a structural brick? Will Stewart, director and co-owner of Natural Brick, joins us to unpack how his team is rethinking one of the most familiar building products around, from what goes into the mix to how it performs once it hits the wall. Natural Brick’s current brick uses hemp grown in NSW, making up around 45–50% of the mix by volume. Rather...

Send us Fan Mail Most climate conversations in sport start with the elite game. Tom Campbell starts with the clubrooms: a grassroots footy club whose power bill dropped from $9,000 a year to $900, with the $8,000 difference going straight back into the club. Brian and Simon are joined by Tom Campbell, co-founder of Footy for Climate, which he started while playing at North Melbourne, in the season...

Send us Fan Mail Australia is the seventh most forested country on earth, yet it imports around $5 billion more timber than it sells, and the gap grows every year. Matt de Jongh, a forester of about 25 years and now with Responsible Wood, the body behind timber certification in Australia and New Zealand, explains how that happened. His blunt version: at home, we have run out of wood. Most of the c...

Send us Fan Mail Australia's National Construction Code climate zones and NatHERS and PHPP models built on them, are calculated from climate averages that are no longer holding. When Brian raises this, Monash University climate scientist Ailie Gallant stops and admits it's a gap: she hadn't considered the building code angle, and says she'll take it back to her team to look int...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Marlow's definition of efficiency in passive house and airtightness will annoy some people: it's doing the bare minimum required to clear the hurdle, which he says is much the same as being really bloody lazy. Andy is a director at Envirotecture, a long-time passive house advocate and former Australian Passive House Association board member — and he thinks the indus...

Send us Fan Mail Kyle Zanetto lost close to $400,000 in a single year working eighty-hour weeks. Luke Davies sat $75,000 in overdraft with a maxed-out mortgage and had to sell his house. Both now run successful Tasmanian building companies — and together founded Future Builder to stop other builders repeating their mistakes. The core of the conversation is what sits between a good builder and a pr...

Send us Fan Mail Most builders are more exposed than they realise, and usually find out at the worst possible moment.  In this episode, Daniel Webber of Webber Insurance, a broker who specialises in complex construction risk, walks through the cover a builder actually needs and what each policy really does. The core of the conversation is the essentials — home warranty, contract works material dam...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Ben Bardon, CEO of the National Australian Apprenticeships Association (NAAA), shares his journey from working as a painter and decorator to becoming one of Australia's leading voices on apprenticeships, skills development, and workforce planning. The conversation explores the challenges facing the construction industry, including labour shortages, apprentice...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Candice Halliday from CNA Design Studio shares her journey from founding a successful architecture practice to becoming a leading voice for emerging professionals within the Australian architecture industry. As the incoming president of Imagine at the Australian Institute of Architects, Candice discusses the importance of collaboration, sustainable design, and cre...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Ben Walsham from Arkata shares his journey from studying as an architect to becoming a certified energy assessor, and how witnessing underperforming, single-glazed luxury developments drove him to step away from traditional volume building to tackle Australia's home performance crisis. The conversation explores how a simple shift in mindset, moving away from...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kyle and Luke from Future Builder share how their platform is helping builders scale their businesses through structured systems, training, and community support. They dive into the fundamentals of running a profitable construction business—from accurate pricing and strong sales processes to effective project management. They also introduce Future Builder’s core t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Damien Collins from RecycleAll and NeverStop Construction shares his journey from plumber to eco entrepreneur, and how building some of Melbourne's most celebrated sustainable projects — including the prototype for the Nightingale Housing model — led him to tackle construction's most overlooked problem: plastic waste. The conversation explores the circul...

Send us Fan Mail In this Rethink bonus episode, Iain from Keystone Construction shares his unique journey into building—from a background in biology and environmental engineering to delivering innovative, sustainable homes. He discusses the challenges of entering the industry, the value of SBA badges in attracting better clients, and why stronger collaboration between designers, architects, and bu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Matt Carland from Carland Construction shares his journey from aspiring surgeon to builder, and how it led him to focus on sustainable, high-performance homes. The conversation explores key challenges in the construction industry, including skills shortages, licensing, and the influence of social media. Matt also highlights the importance of mental health and mind...

Send us Fan Mail In this Rethink bonus episode, Matt from MS Constructions shares a real, on-the-ground perspective—from financing challenges and valuation gaps to the growing divide in builder knowledge. He explores the frustration of delivering high-performance homes in a system that doesn’t yet value them, and why some clients still walk away—even after years of education. Matt also highlights...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sean Maxwell from ATMA (Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association) breaks down the essential intersection of building science, air tightness, and occupant health. He dismantles the industry myth that "houses need to breathe," explaining why modern buildings must be airtight to stay durable while the people inside receive controlled, filtered air....

Send us Fan Mail What’s really holding the building industry back? In this Rethink bonus episode, Matt from Pache Construction shares an honest, on-the-ground perspective—from rising training costs and limited access to education, to the ongoing challenge of apprentice retention. With 17 years of experience, Matt breaks down the gaps he sees across the industry and why improving education, increas...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Alex Campbell, director of Tallwood Custom Built Homes shares his journey from a two-way radio room to becoming one of Western Australia’s most awarded builders. In this episode, he unpacks the realities of building a profitable construction business—covering growth, client selection, insurance challenges, and long-term sustainability. Episode Covers  Building...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Simon Clark and Brian Guinan sit down with Andrew Smith from Weathertex to explore carbon-negative timber cladding and sustainable manufacturing. From their unique fibre-processing method to innovative product ranges like Weather Groove, Prime Board, and Natural Boards, this episode unpacks how low-carbon materials are shaping the future of construction. Episod...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description What happens when experienced builders speak openly about the industry?  In this episode Brian & Simon sit down with Dean Backman and Luke Callery of Build Insite bringing real insight from real people on a pursuit to build better homes. With decades of hands-on experience, they share honest insights on the National Construction Code, labour shortages, sust...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Cathy Inglis, industry expert in masonry and brickwork, joins Brian Guinan and Simon Clark from SBA to explore the future of brick, block, and masonry in Australian construction. She discusses innovative construction materials, bespoke and architectural brick options, labor challenges, robotics in bricklaying, and strategies to support apprentices and small bri...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Melissa Neighbour, Founder and Principal Director of Sky Planning, takes us inside Australian council planning and residential development. She explains how state policies, council approvals, and incentive-based strategies shape projects, explores the shift from quarter-acre blocks to apartments and low-rise infill, and shares insights on sustainability, commun...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description John, Managing Director of Bowens , shares the story of a family-owned business founded in 1894 and his leadership journey since becoming Managing Director in 2005 . We discuss how Bowens has grown through innovation, automation, and a focus on quality, speed, and ease of doing business. The episode explores timber and building supplies, expansion into cladding...