Episode notes
We sit down with Helen from Renew to unpack why the idea of a sustainable home still gets treated like a luxury, when it should really be the baseline. We talk about the shift happening across the Australian building industry , where sustainable housing , energy efficient homes , and high-performance building are becoming more mainstream. Better design decisions, not just bigger budgets, can lead to healthier, more comfortable, and more resilient homes. We get into the practical side of sustainable design and what actually makes a difference in real homes. Things like orientation , shading ,…
Podcast
Mindful Builder
Matthew Carland and Hamish White · Learning · English
Join Matt from Carland Constructions and Hamish from Sanctum Homes in a podcast discussing sustainable building practices and passive house concepts. They also talk to experts from all avenues of the building industry to share their knowledge and insights on what the industry looks like today.
More from Mindful Builder All episodes →
-
E117 · 17 May 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Ask us anything with Buildingsciology
“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…
-
E116 · 10 May 2026 · 56 min
How to stop working in your business
“Version one is better than version none.” James Brown means it in the most practical way possible for builders. A rough first system in your building business is better than no system at all. Not the perfect process. Not the spreadsheet you will build “when things slow down”. Just something written down that gets the ball rolling, so you can test it, hand it to someone else, and improve it over time. If you have ever felt like the business owns you, this conversation will feel familiar. Quoting at night, solving problems all day, trying to remember what you promised clients and trades, and…
-
E115 · 3 May 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
This is a big can of worms
“Legally, you can still build a house with no membrane.” That line from Villy Yordanov, Pro Clima’s Innovation Engineer, sets the tone for this conversation about what is technically allowed versus what actually leads to durable, healthy homes. We unpack the gap between building compliance in Australia and real-world building performance , particularly in weatherproofing , moisture management , and the building envelope. A big focus is the NCC 2025 changes and how some cladding types can bypass performance solutions. On paper, that can look like simpler compliance. On site, it can create…
-
E114 · 26 Apr 2026 · 48 min
Getting romantic with your craft
A German journeyman carpenter walks into our studio and within five minutes, we are thinking, hang on… have we made modern life way more complicated than it needs to be? Erik is living a tradition that feels almost impossible in 2026. He is travelling for three years and one day , working wherever he can, learning from other tradespeople, and doing it all without a mobile phone . Not as a gimmick. As a way of life. Erik’s story centres around the German tradition of the Journeyman Years , a rite of passage where carpenters leave home to sharpen their skills, meet other craftspeople, and…
-
S1 · E4 · 22 Apr 2026 · 16 min
Weekly Building Gossip - More Homes, Rising build costs and Silica Issues
Weekly Goss – April 23, 2026 Matt and Hamish are back from Adelaide to discuss the latest housing developments in Canberra, a major safety crackdown on silica dust, and the importance of representation in the trades. In This Episode: The Canberra Housing Deal: The ACT and Commonwealth governments have signed a $250 million deal to deliver 4,900 homes, with over 1,700 reserved for first-home buyers. The Rising Cost of Building: A look at the staggering 74% increase in building costs since 2009 and the impact of global events on the industry. Silica Safety Crackdown: South Australia is leading…
-
S1 · E3 · 15 Apr 2026 · 19 min
Weekly Building Gossip - 16th April 2026
In this episode, Hamish and Matt navigate the "geopolitical bruises" impacting the Australian construction industry in early 2026. They discuss the sharp rise in material costs driven by global tensions, the controversial shift in Victorian builder licensing, and the silver lining of surging apprenticeship numbers. The duo emphasises that while the climate is "doomy," transparent communication and creative contract management (like provisional sums) are the keys to survival. Key Discussion Points 1. The "Strait of Hormuz" Effect & Rising Costs The industry is facing a second wave of price…
-
E112 · 12 Apr 2026 · 39 min
The future of the mindful builder
The Australian building industry is shifting fast, and in this episode, we discuss what that really looks like on the ground. From economic pressure and labour shortages to changing technology and AI-driven disruption, this is an honest conversation about the reality of running a building business in a market that feels increasingly uncertain. If you are a builder in Australia , a construction business owner , or part of the wider residential construction industry , this episode will likely hit close to home. A big focus in this discussion is pre-construction and the hidden work that happens…
-
S1 · E2 · 8 Apr 2026 · 17 min
Weekly Building Gossip - 9th April 2026
Episode Title: The NCC Maze, Red Tape Blues, and a Win for Passive House Date: 9 April 2026 Hosts: Matt & Hamish In this second instalment of The Weekly Gossip , Matt and Hamish navigate the "grey areas" of the 2025 National Construction Code (NCC) updates and the mounting administrative burden currently squeezing the life out of small building businesses. We also look at some progressive moves in South Australia and shout out a Kiwi builder doing the absolute "impossible" on the side of a cliff. Inside This Episode: The NCC "National" Discrepancy: Why are some states adopting the 2025…
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
