The Building Talks Podcast

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast ! In this episode, we’re stepping into a part of the design world that often flies under the radar, but impacts all of us daily, landscape architecture. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Debbie Laporte, Director at Orterra, a Brisbane-based design practice making serious w...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast ! We're diving into one of the industry's hottest topics—Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)—with Scott Hearne, Director of Integration & Innovation at Sensum. Scott breaks down what MMC actually means, why it's growing fast, and how it can help solve Austral...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to another episode of The Building Talks Podcast !  Ever feel like the construction industry’s in a bit of strife? Well, you’re not alone - and neither is John Davies, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association (ACA). I finally caught up with John to talk about the big stuff; industry reform, procurement chao...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to another episode of The Building Talks Podcast !  This week, I had a brilliant chat with Dr Gretchen Gagel, a global construction leader with 40 years of experience across the US, Australia, and beyond. She’s the founder of Women Thriving in Construction and a key voice in driving cultural change in the industr...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast !  This week, I had a great yarn with Nauman Akhtar, one of Melbourne’s go-to guys in the world of building services. He’s worked with some big names—D&E Air Conditioning, Multiplex, and Kapitol Group—and now he’s running the show at his own outfit, INSITE Advisory Group. We...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to another episode of The Building Talks Podcast ! This week, I’m catching up with Damien Quinn, a bloke who’s made the bold move from construction project management to tech entrepreneur. Starting out as a cadet while studying, he climbed the ranks at Multiplex, then took the leap into software, start-ups, and s...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast ! In this episode, we’re diving into a fascinating and thought-provoking topic—Post Carbon Inclusion. Our guests for this episode are Ralph Horne and Louise Dorignon from RMIT University in Melbourne. Ralph is the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor at the College of Design and Soc...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to the first episode of Season 4 of The Building Talks Podcast ! This week, I’m chatting with Mick Hawes, a high-performance business coach specialising in the construction industry. As a bestselling author and former elite sports coach with Tennis Australia, Mick brings a unique perspective on achieving success...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to the final episode of the How to BE a Property Developer Series on The Building Talks Podcast ! In this wrap-up episode, Steve Chandler and I tackle the big question: What’s next? If you’ve been following along and are eager to dip your toes into property development, this episode is your guide to taking those...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to the penultimate episode of The Building Talks Podcast for the How to BE a Property Developer Series! This week, Steve Chandler and I explore the all-important topic of delivery in property development—breaking it down into pre-construction design, risk management, and navigating the construction phase. In this...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to the final episode of The Building Talks Podcast Season 3! I’m Martin Preece , and I’m thrilled to close this season with an inspiring conversation featuring George Abraham, Managing Director of Hickory    —one of Australia’s most innovative construction companies. George shares his journey from starting withou...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Ready to crack the code on generating revenue in property development? In this episode of The Building Talks Podcast , I’m joined once again by Steve Chandler , our resident expert for the How to BE a Property Developer Series. This time, we’re talking all things revenue—the essential part of any development project that...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to this week’s episode of The Building Talks Podcast! I’m Martin Preece , and I’m chatting with Rory Hunter, founder and CEO of Model, a pioneering build-to-rent development and investment group. Rory’s journey into property development is incredible—starting in 2005 when he bought an island in Cambodia, transfor...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast ! I’m Martin Preece, and this is Episode 4 of our special How to BE a Property Developer Series with the insightful Steve Chandler. This time, we’re getting into the real work behind managing authority approvals and handling the people side of property development—basically, how...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast! I’m Martin Preece , and in this episode, I’m diving into Australia’s housing crisis with the insightful and passionate Rob Pradolin. Rob’s a seasoned pro in property development, having spent years with big names like Australand (now Frasers ) and leading his own projects since...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome back to The Building Talks Podcast, and Episode 3 of our special How to BE a Property Developer Series with me, Martin Preece, and our expert guest for all seven episodes, Steve Chandler. This week, we’re tackling feasibility studies—one of the trickiest parts of property development! Last time, we covered acquis...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to another exciting episode of The Building Talks Podcast with me, Martin Preece! This week, I had an awesome chat with Tom Macrokanis, founder and director of Macro3D and Macrofab, a fabrication and engineering firm in Victoria. We dive into Tom’s work at Macro 3D, where he's shaking up the construction wor...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to Episode 2 of our special 7-part How to BE a Property Developer Series, on The Building Talks Podcast! Throughout this season, I'll be chatting with Steve Chandler CEO of LEFTA Group and Director at the Property Development Institute. In this episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the ins and outs of...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey Legends! In this week's episode of The Building Talks Podcast , I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Nick Travers, the owner and director of Techne Architects. Nick’s firm has made a big name for itself here in Melbourne, designing some of the city’s most iconic hospitality venues. From trendy cafés to buzzing pub...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends!  Have you ever considered Property Development as a side-hustle, a way to build wealth or add to your retirement fund, or perhaps because your entrepreneurial sprit is itching to have a crack and Development? Well, welcome to the first episode of our special 7 part How to BE a Property Developer Series, which will run al...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! In this episode of The Building Talks Podcast , I had the chance to sit down with Chris Ong,   Managing Director of SYNC. Sync has made a name for itself in the modular construction space, particularly with bathroom pods, having delivered an impressive 29,000 units so far! We dove into Chris's fascinating career jou...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to this episode of The Building Talks Podcast! This week we chat with Ciara Ritchie, a young construction professional in the early stages of her career in the industry. We often hear of the challenges younger professionals face early in their career, and we all recognise the shortage of female participation (and...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Welcome to another episode of The Building Talks Podcast. This time, I had a fantastic chat with Brian Sands, a former CEO turned corporate advisor who specialises in business turnaround and growth, particularly within the construction and property sectors. Brian’s journey from labourer to CEO and now to business coach i...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! Get ready for a cracking episode of The Building Talks Podcast! This week, I sat down with Ronan Walsh and Alan Findlater, the directors of Newbridge, for a deep dive into the world of consulting and client-side project management.  Both legends in Melbourne’s construction scene, Ronan and Alan have built impressive care...

Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! Hey, Legends! We're pumped to bring you this week's episode of The Building Talks Podcast! We had a cracker of a chat with Professor Mathew Aitchison, the CEO of Building 4.0 CRC. With Australia facing a housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures, modular construction and offsite prefabrication are being talked up as potent...