Cross Laminated Timber Explained: Carbon, Cost & Construction

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1. 

   S1 · E15 · 29 Mar 2026 · 58 min

   Lightweight Cladding and the Shift Away from Brick

   Jason O’Hagan from Weathertex joins Dean to break down one of the more widely used alternative cladding products in Australia. This conversation looks at how Weathertex is made, where it fits in the shift toward lightweight construction, and why more builders are starting to question the materials they use for performance, and also the health and environmental impact. There’s also a broader discussion around prefabrication, carbon, and what actually changes in the industry when materials, methods, and expectations all start moving at once. In this episode: What Weathertex is made from and…

2. 

   S1 · E14 · 12 Mar 2026 · 40 min

   Sydney Build Panel: How Builders Can Cut Carbon: Timber, Heat Pumps & Low-Carbon Concrete

   Recorded live at Sydney Build, Dean is joined by Sean Bull (Xlam), Zac Kerr (Stiebel Eltron) and Dylan Viviers (Holcim) to explore how construction can meaningfully reduce carbon emissions. The panel unpacks the difference between embodied carbon and operational carbon, and where builders, designers and suppliers can take practical action today. From mass timber and prefabrication to heat pumps, solar integration and low-carbon concrete, the discussion focuses on collaboration, education and systems thinking over single silver bullet style solutions. In this episode: What mass timber and CLT…

3. 

   S1 · E13 · 10 Mar 2026 · 44 min

   Ventilation Explained: Heat Recovery Systems & Airtight Homes

   This is Part 2 of Dean’s conversation with Tom Stephenson from Stiebel Eltron. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, start there first. In this episode the conversation moves beyond heat pumps to the broader systems that make high-performance homes work — ventilation, airtightness, building fabric and energy management. Tom walks through the design of his own all-electric home, explaining how geothermal heating, ventilation with heat recovery, thermal storage and solar generation work together to reduce energy demand while improving comfort. The discussion also explores the practical realities…

4. 

   S1 · E12 · 3 Mar 2026 · 49 min

   Heat Pumps Explained: Efficient Hot Water, Heating & the All-Electric Home (Part 1)

   Dean sits down with Tom Stephenson from Stiebel Eltron to unpack heat pump technology and the role it plays in electrifying modern homes. Tom explains how heat pumps work, why they’re significantly more efficient than gas systems, and how pairing them with solar PV changes the way homes consume and store energy. They explore why improving building fabric should come before adding mechanical systems, and how architects, builders and developers are starting to rethink energy systems in residential construction. The conversation explores: How heat pumps work What Coefficient of Performance…

5. 

   S1 · E11 · 23 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

   Embodied Carbon & Timber: The Case for Plantation Forestry

   Dean sits down with Daniel Gudsell from Abodo to unpack timber, forestry and embodied carbon, and how material choices shape the long term impact of what we build. Daniel shares the origin story of Abodo, from exporting timber into the Pacific Islands to developing thermally modified radiata pine as an alternative to old growth hardwoods. Daniel also breaks down how fast growing plantation timber can store carbon more rapidly than slow growing species, and why the discussion needs to move beyond single issue sustainability This episode is all about understanding forestry, carbon accounting,…

6. 

   S1 · E9 · 9 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 47 min

   Mould, Moisture Control & Airtightness in Modern Construction

   Dean sits down with former builder and Passive House tradesman now working with Pro Clima, Stewart Scholten from Scholton Group, to talk about membranes, moisture management, airtightness and the shift happening in Australian construction. Stu shares his journey from carpentry apprenticeship through high-end residential construction, working with Bellavarde, delivering the first certified Passive House in the Northern Rivers, and transitioning into building science and product education. This episode is about understanding how better detailing, better science and better collaboration can…

7. 

   S1 · E8 · 2 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 28 min

   Passive House: Principles, Performance and Practical Application

   Passive House is one of the most misunderstood concepts in residential construction... often dismissed as “too expensive,” “too European,” or “not suited to Australian climates.” In this episode, Dean sits down with Daniel Kress, founder of Smart Plus Academy, to talk about what Passive House is, how it works, and why builders need to understand it. Drawing on decades of experience across Germany, Ireland, Canada and Australia, Daniel explains the building physics behind comfort, airtightness, moisture control and energy use, and why most Australian homes still get these fundamentals wrong.…

8. 

   S1 · E7 · 15 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 3 min

   The Home Warranty Mess: Caps, Claims & Confusion

   In Part Two of this massive conversation, Dean Bowen returns to unpack the most confusing, frustrating and misunderstood part of the building industry: Home Warranty Insurance in New South Wales.. why it exists, how it works, and why the system is failing both builders and homeowners. They get brutally honest about the bureaucratic mismanagement behind the scheme, the insolvency crisis driving record claims, the unrealistic $340,000 cap, and the growing gap between what homeowners think they’re protected against and what the insurance actually covers. If you’re a builder trying to navigate…

9. 

   S1 · E6 · 8 Dec 2025 · 54 min

   The Truth About Builders Insurance: Costs, Claims & Cover You Actually Need

   Insurance is one of the biggest blind spots in the construction industry and often the most expensive. In this episode, Dean sits down with Dean Bowen, founder of DLB Insurance & Risk Solutions, to unpack what builders actually need to know about contract works, liability, claims, premiums, and the risks most policies never explain. From why premiums have skyrocketed, to the truth about subbie injuries, internal labour-hire structures, and the massive gaps caused by facility broking, this conversation is a rare behind-the-scenes look at how insurance really works in construction.. Whether…

10. 

    S1 · E5 · 1 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 22 min

    Electrification Explained: The 5 Key Pathways to Decarbonising Australian Homes with Saul Griffith

    Electrification seems to be the most practical, cost-effective pathway for Australian homes to cut emissions and save money. In this episode, Dean sits down with author, engineer and electrification advocate Saul Griffith to break down the real opportunities in front of us, and what we know is already working. They dig into the practical realities behind the headlines: Why rooftop solar is now so cheap in Australia and what that unlocks The five big household decisions that determine nearly all your emissions “Machine turnover”: how simply replacing things as they fail gets us most of the…