PODCAST · education
Mindful Builder
by Matthew Carland and Hamish White
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.Further to this, Matt and Hamish are building a platform through the podcast to discuss mental health issues that arise in the building industry. The industry can be quite negative at times and there is a great deal of stigma around what it means to be a "tradie".Matt and Hamish are here to shine a light of positivity on the industry and share relatable topics that will help you in your own building or construction business.
Episodes
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Build Without This and Your Home Fails
You can’t build ten versions of the same house, live in them for ten years, and then pick the best one. We’re sitting down with thermal modelling specialist Cameron Munro to talk about why “model early and model often” should be a non-negotiable part of pre-construction, whether you’re chasing...
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Tendering Your Build Is a Costly Disaster
“At some point, someone’s paying for that tender.” Tendering sounds fair on paper. Same drawings, three builders, pick the best price, move on. But once you understand what it actually costs to price a job properly, and how tendering rewards omissions, risk loading, and variations, it starts to...
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Where Most Building Dreams Quietly Die
Good design isn’t something you look at. It’s something you live in. We sit down with James Goodlet from Altereco Design to talk about what “good design” actually means in the real world, and what a proper pre-construction process looks like when it’s done properly. We get into why comfort is…
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Your Block Is Hiding an Expensive Disaster
A proper site visit isn’t a stroll around the block. It’s where you catch the stuff that turns into $30k surprises later. We’re back with Brad from Sanford Buildco to have a conversation about what a site visit should actually involve, and why doing it properly is one of the simplest ways to...
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How Builders Really Price Your Construction
“There’s no such thing as a quick estimate.” Estimating is one of the biggest parts of pre-construction, and it is also where builders lose time, money, and trust when the process is loose. We sit down with Rick Hughes from Estimating Online to take a look at why the idea of a “quick estimate” is...
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The Building Project That'll Ruin You Financially
“Budget does not mean your build cost.” Matt drops that early, and it should be printed on every set of concept plans. In this episode of The Mindful Builder Podcast, Matt and Hamish sit down with Brad McEwan from Sanford Buildco for a blunt chat about project feasibility and why so many custom...
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The Building Clients We Refuse to Work With
“If you keep ending up with bad clients, that’s a you problem.” Matt doesn’t sugar coat it, and honestly, he’s right. In this episode we kick off our pre-construction series by talking about the building clients we refuse to work with, and why picking your client is one of the biggest risk…
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I hit rock bottom, everyone thought I had it all
"How rock bottom do you have to let me hit before you actually help me?" Brad McEwan’s words hung in the air after we wrapped, because they’re all too familiar in the building industry. In this episode, we go past the surface stuff and talk honestly about what it looks like when you’ve been...
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We Got Challenged on Everything We Believe
In this episode, Joel (Heidi Build) hijacks the mic for an unfiltered conversation about the realities of building in Australia. We break down why builders can feel “owned” by a client for years after a contract is signed, how viral “circus build” videos damage trust in the whole industry, and…
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The Truth About Cheap Aussie Windows
If you’ve ever wondered why Australian homes feel freezing in winter and brutal in summer, this episode makes it painfully clear. “Suppliers in Australia are still delivering single-glazed aluminium windows,” and that one sentence explains a lot about comfort, energy bills, condensation, and why…
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What tradies won't say publicly
In this episode, we sit down with Joel from Heidi Build and Andrew “Hoppo” from Hoppo Construction for a no-script, no-agenda chat. It starts with what makes tradie creators actually work online: being approachable, having an opinion, and showing up as yourself. Joel breaks down why the polished,...
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The Day I Almost Quit Building for Good
James Turner from JTurner Constructions didn’t plan to start a building business. A torn ACL and a forced shift into subbie life pushed him into it, and he built the company the way most builders do: decks, renos, extensions, then new homes. Two and a bit years ago, he was ready to pull the pin....
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The Tradie Who Lost It All and Came Back
“The difference between a good businessman and a bad businessman is the good one fails and learns.” A tradie builds momentum fast. Makes money fast. Spends it faster. Learns the hard way about GST, tax, super, and the cost of looking like you’ve “made it”. Then the pressure stacks up, burnout…
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The Estimating Mistake That Costs You Thousands
“You’re at the mercy of the quality of the 2D plans.” We sit down with Tom from Vision 2 Estimating (V2E) to talk about why traditional construction estimating and 2D-only take-offs are costing builders real money. If you’re quoting off PDFs, squinting at elevations, and hoping the details sort...
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The Hidden Danger in Every Old House
“If you can’t hit 0.6 ACH on a brand-new build, you probably shouldn’t be building.” Let’s stop tip-toeing around the reality of the Australian housing market. We are throwing up volume-built boxes and high-density apartments that are practically end-of-life before they’ve even seen their first...
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The Builders Standing Up to a Broken Industry
“On paper, six or seven competitive builders trying to run one organisation together makes no sense.” In this episode, we sit down with Bec Kempster, the brilliant Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Sustainable Builders Alliance (SBA), to talk about the messy, necessary business of upgrading…
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Stop with the foil faced blanket
“Money turns to water.” In this episode, we sit down with Dave from Pro Clima (Technical Innovation Engineer) to talk about the real transition from being on the tools to quoting jobs, running projects, and trying to keep cash flow under control. Dave’s story is a good one. He started as a...
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Chatting with Australias most dialled in builder
In this episode, we sit down with Jackson from Enduro Builders in Adelaide to talk high performance homes, energy efficient construction, and what it actually takes to build houses that perform year after year. We recorded inside a Passive House, and once you feel that level of comfort and...
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What is the end game of building ?
“Do we want 1.2 million crappy houses?” That’s the question Jesse Clark (pro clima) drops early in this episode, and it pretty much sets the tone. We talk about Australian housing supply, building quality, and why “more homes” is not the win if we’re locking in mould risk, discomfort, and…
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Politics vs building
We do not usually have politicians on the show, so sitting down with David Southwick, the Planning, Building, and Construction Minister for the Liberal Party’s Shadow government, made for a very different kind of conversation. Less product talk and site detail, more housing policy, building...
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More good and less bad
“I don’t understand why people build houses like this.” If you have ever said that on site after spotting a leaky junction, a sweaty wall, or a home that is freezing in winter and cooking in summer, you are not alone. This conversation is our pushback against the shortcuts that have become normal...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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What is a normal house?
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…
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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...
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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…
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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...
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The future of onsite building technology
Construction technology is changing fast, and in this episode, we sit down with Vas from C.R. Kennedy to talk about the tools already reshaping the construction industry. From geospatial technology and 3D site scanning to total stations and robotic set-out systems, this conversation looks at how...
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Weekly Building Gossip - NCC Changes
This episode covers the latest updates in the Australian building industry, including new legislation, code transitions, and innovative materials. Hosts Matt and Hamish analyse recent news, government policies, and emerging technologies impacting builders and homeowners. Matt and Hamish from The...
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What is sustainable design and construction?
“Sustainable design is not just lower energy bills. It is health, comfort, moisture safety, and long-term performance.” We sat down with Marcus Strang, Technical Lead in Passivhaus at HIP V. HYPE, to explore what sustainable building design really means in practice. With a PhD from the University...
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Sustainability consulting and pushing boundries
“Sustainable buildings focus on what's invisible, not visible” In this episode of The Mindful Builder, we sit down with Roberto Petruzzi, an Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) specialist, to unpack what building performance and energy efficiency really mean in practice. We talk about energy...
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From commercial to residential construction
“Commercial teaches you speed and logistics. Residential teaches you people.” In this episode, we sit down with Alistair Meallin, Director at Y Projects, to talk about what it really takes to build high-quality custom homes in Australia. With over a decade in construction and a construction…
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Bridging the construction and Real Estate gap
“Architecture is not just drawings and pretty renders.” In this episode, we sit down with Roger from Borland Architecture to unpack the overlap between architecture, construction, and real estate, and why those worlds are far more connected than most people realise. This is a practical…
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Learning from previous developments and designing sustainably
“Success looks great on social media. The reality is usually messier.” In this episode, we sit down with Liam Wallis, Founder and Managing Director of HIP V. HYPE, to talk about what sustainable development really looks like behind the highlight reel. Not just pretty renders and big…
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Carpenters and being proud about being a tradie
“I’m not just a carpenter.” That’s the energy Sam Aitken brings to this episode, and it is exactly what the construction industry needs more of. Carpentry is not a fallback job. It is craft, problem-solving, and leadership on-site. Sam is also using social media to show what pride in the trade...
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Ask the builders anything - open discussion on our thoughts about the industry
High-performance building is not just about premium products. It is about the system. In this episode, we sit down with Sven Maxa from Maxa Design to unpack what Passive House building really looks like behind the scenes, from airtightness targets to the practical realities of delivering...
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The leader of my energy efficient electric homes
“Most Aussie homes still don’t meet today’s energy standards.” In this episode, we sit down with Tim Forcey, a former chemical engineer turned home energy advisor who has assessed and advised in 1,000+ homes across Melbourne and Victoria. Tim is also qualified to assess homes using the Victorian...
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Building Your Clear Marketing Message
“Stop talking to everyone like they’re in the industry. Talk to them in ways that are going to evoke emotions and what’s important to them.” In this video, we sit down with Laura De Ridder from Sorted Digital Marketing to chat about why so much of the construction marketing we see misses the…
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Australia's most friendly builder?
“I remember crying, driving back to Geelong because it was just too much.” In this Mindful Builder Podcast episode, Devin Grant of Performance Membranes shares the real story behind building a successful construction business and what happens when the workload finally catches up with you. We talk...
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What's wrong with Australian windows?
“We’re dumping energy to maintain comfort.” That’s how Andre Griffs from BINQ sums up what’s happening in far too many Australian homes. We crank the heater, blast the air con, and wonder why the house still feels off. Often, the culprit is simple. The windows are not performing. We sat down with...
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Australia's building lag: The big WHY
"In Germany, you’d never see a timber frame left out in the rain." That’s just one of the eye-opening differences we uncovered with Daniel Jakobs, a master carpenter and construction engineer from Germany, on the Mindful Builder Podcast. Dan has spent over 20 years in high-performance, ecological...
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Is Natural building only for hippies
"Is natural building just for green hippie owner-builders?" We sat down with Rachel from Natural Building Australia to tackle this question head-on. Rachel's academic background and hands-on experience reveal how natural building has evolved from 1990s counterculture to a professionalised…
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2026 Building Trends?
A couple of years ago, we weren't sure if a podcast focused on thoughtful, evidence-based building would resonate with Australia's construction community. Turns out, builders, architects, and clients were hungry for exactly this kind of conversation - real talk about what works, what doesn't,...
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How to Unite Architects & Builders
"Architects design things we can't actually build." We sat down with Saxon Hall, Principal Architect at Align Architecture, to tackle the age-old tension between architects and builders. Saxon's unique perspective as a carpenter's son gives him insight into both sides of this divide. In this...
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Warm vs Cold Roof - Beer and Building Science Australia
The conversation delves into the mould issues arising in bushfire zones, exploring how sealed environments contribute to the problem and the ongoing search for evidence to address these challenges. takeaways The mould issue in roof spaces began in bushfire zones. Sealing buildings to prevent…
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Why isn't passive house growing?
"The message that passive house is better, just isn't reaching people." We explore what actually happens when passive house ambitions meet the realities of Australian building sites - from the builder's perspective, the architect's challenges, and the client's concerns. Today we’re discussing…
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From a soccer world cup to carpenter
“I learned about discipline and resilience at a very young age, all because of this passion that I held. Those lessons have certainly translated into my adult life.” In this episode, we sit down with Sally former Matilda, now a carpenter and business owner, to explore what it’s really like to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.Further to this, Matt and Hamish are building a platform through the podcast to discuss mental health issues that arise in the building industry. The industry can be quite negative at times and there is a great deal of stigma around what it means to be a "tradie".Matt and Hamish are here to shine a light of positivity on the industry and share relatable topics that will help you in your own building or construction business.
HOSTED BY
Matthew Carland and Hamish White
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mindful Builder have?
Mindful Builder currently has 143 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mindful Builder about?
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...
How often does Mindful Builder release new episodes?
Mindful Builder publishes regularly with 143 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Mindful Builder?
You can listen to Mindful Builder on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mindful Builder?
Mindful Builder is created and hosted by Matthew Carland and Hamish White.
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