Get It Right with Undercover Architect

Hello! This is Episode 355, and I’m back with Part 2 of the latest project update with HOME Method members, Louise and Zane, who are renovating their Melbourne Californian Bungalow. They’re early in their design phase, and whilst they have a floor plan design that’s starting to tick the boxes on their wishes and wants, it’s still sneaking up over their budget.  This is...

Hello! This is Episode 354, and in it, we’re getting an update from HOME Method members, Louise and Zane, about their renovation project.  If you’re curious about what the early parts of a project experience are like as you choose your team and commence work with them, this is going to be super helpful information for you. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, d...

Hello! This is Episode 353, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Ben, about the renovation and extension of his and his partner’s 1920’s Californian Bungalow in Melbourne. As we jump into Part 2, I talk more with Ben about their budget, and how they’ve worked with it over these design changes and the timeline, as well as the way Ben and Mike are now v...

Hello! This is Episode 352, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Ben. He and his partner, Mike, are designing the renovation and extension of their Melbourne Californian Bungalow. In this episode, you’ll hear how Ben and Mike came up with their renovation and extension design, and some of the challenges they had along the way. They followed a more traditional route of tender...

Hello! This is Episode 351, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Tatiana, about her new build in regional Queensland on a site with a specific Council Buffer Zone they’re having to contend with. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/351 ] If you missed Part 1 of our conversation,...

Hello! This is Episode 350, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Tatiana. She lives with her partner and three boys in regional Queensland, and is getting ready to design and build their new home. We meet Tatiana at the very beginning of her journey. Their project faces challenges, including a tight budget, council restrictions due to a nearby water treatment plant, and managing s...

Hello! This is Episode 349, and in it, I’m going to discuss a topic that is, I believe, often the promoted ‘thing’ out there through glossy mags and social media: ‘How to create a luxurious home’.    And because it seems to be promoted so heavily, by inference, it seems that it’s supposed to be one of the goals when creating your ideal home.   How...

Hello! This is Episode 348, and I’m back with HOME Method member, Michael as we continue the conversation about the construction of his new home in Western Australia - a home that he and his wife intend to retire to and enjoy a relaxing lifestyle that makes the most of the beautiful location. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.un...

Hello! This is Episode 347, and Michael is back to give us the latest update on his new build project in Western Australia (which is currently under construction). Michael first came on the podcast in July 2024, in Episodes 323 and 324, and took us through the early phases of his project, including working with his designer and resolving the overall design, materials and details for his future hom...

Hello! This is Episode 346, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with electrician, Brendan Lang, from Get Off Gas. We finished Episode 345 Brendan sharing insights about his own home renovation, and how he tackled it. Brendan has opened his home for Sustainable House Day and uses it as a fantastic demonstration of how to improve an existing home through electrification and energy effici...

Hello! This is Episode 345, and in it, I’m talking with Brendan Lang from Get Off Gas. Brendan is an electrician and is joining me to talk about how we can get off gas in our existing homes, and when renovating or building our homes, and choose to electrify our homes instead. I believe we should be getting off gas, improving the energy efficiency of our homes and reducing their energy consum...

Hello! This is Episode 344, and in it, I’m celebrating the 8th birthday of the Undercover Architect podcast. I can’t quite believe it’s been 8 years that I’ve been doing this. And given it’s been a while since I’ve done a solo episode, I thought I would take this episode to share some updates with you about home design, building and renovating, what we’re seeing in Undercover Architect, and life i...

Hello! This is Episode 343, and I’m back with Cindy, HOME Method member, designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, giving us an update on her new build. We’re talking about her Smart Home System design, selection and specification, as she shares the details of including this in her new build project. And we also discuss how she’s worked with her build team to ensure the sustainable details - even...

Hello! This is Episode 342, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Cindy. Cindy is a HOME Method member, and she’s also a designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, who has designed her own new home which is currently under construction. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/342 ] Cindy was on the podcast...

Hello! This is Episode 341, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Sophie, about her Perth-based renovation of a 2 bedroom Californian bungalow into a beautiful home for her and her family. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/341 ] If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Sop...

Hello! This is Episode 340, and in it, I’m talking with homeowner and HOME Method member, Sophie, about the renovation of her Californian bungalow in Perth, Western Australia. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/340 ] Sophie and her partner finished their renovation project in April 2023, just 6 weeks before they...

Hello! This is Episode 339, and I’m continuing my conversation with Jan and Landon about their new build in Sydney’s north on an amazing site that’s been in Landon’s family for many years. In fact, it’s where Landon grew up, and after 39 years of living together in another part of Sydney, Jan and Landon are selling up, and moving to this location they both love and have a strong connection with, t...

Hello! This is Episode 338, and in it, I’m speaking with Jan and Landon about the new home they’re planning to build on an amazing site in Sydney’s north. Jan and Landon are a super interesting couple with a really interesting project. For starters, they’re both 73 years old as they embark on this ambitious project of building a new home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, do...

Hello! This is Episode 337 and in it, I continue my conversation with HOME Method member, Ellen.  Their new build project is underway in Ballarat, Victoria, and it’s for herself, her partner and their two teenage kids. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/337 ] If you missed Part 1 of my conversation, be sure to h...

Hello! This is Episode 336 and in it, you’re going to meet HOME Method member, Ellen. She and her partner are building a new home in Ballarat, Victoria and have a really interesting project journey to share. Ellen and her partner bought their property with the view to do a knock-down rebuild. However, as it can, life got in the way, and time passed, with their project taking longer than expected....

Hello! This is Episode 335, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with Andy Pace from The Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA, where we dive into the most impactful decisions in a new build when creating a healthy home. We also discuss improving indoor air quality, how to support your health and well-being through your project choices and decisions, and the process Andy uses to audit the int...

Hello! This is Episode 334, and in it, I’m talking with Andy Pace from the Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA. Andy is joining me to talk about his role as a Healthy Home Concierge and Founder of The Green Design Center , and how he helps and works with homeowners in all locations, to not only supply healthy and sustainable building products and materials, but also provide advice through consul...

Hello! This is Episode 333, and in it, I’m sharing information about an amazing company that’s Australia’s leader in textile recovery and recycling. UPPAREL, based in Melbourne, Victoria, is a BCorp Certified company, and is an award-winning leader in textile recovery and recycling, providing convenient solutions to textile waste for both consumers and businesses. [For all resources mentioned in t...

Hello! This is Episode 332, and I’m back with HOME Method member, Elizabeth, and discussing the renovation of her brick home in a Bushfire BAL Rated Flame Zone area. In this episode, we talk more about the investigations Elizabeth will be doing as she dives into her renovation project, and my suggestions on how to keep working to her ideal project timeline.  We also talk through some of the renova...

Hello! This is Episode 331, and I’m looking forward to introducing you to HOME Method member, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has been one of our long-time members, having joined HOME Method, or an earlier iteration of the program, almost 5 years ago in 2019. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/331 ] In the world of online...