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Mindful Builder

Mindful Builder

De : Matthew Carland and Hamish White
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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.Copyright 2026 Matthew Carland and Hamish White Economie Management Management et direction
Épisodes
  • The Estimating Mistake That Costs You Thousands

    The Estimating Mistake That Costs You Thousands
    Jul 12 2026
    “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 themselves out on site, this conversation will hit. It’s about accurate building estimates, protecting margin, and pricing work properly in modern Australian residential construction.We take a look at why 3D modelling for builders is not about pretty renders; it’s about clarity. Tom explains how 3D estimating, quantity take-offs, and a proper Bill of Quantities (BOQ) help you see what 2D drawings often hide: junctions, returns, missing scope, and the “we’ll figure it out later” details that turn into budget blowouts. This is especially relevant for custom homes, high performance builds, and any project where small misses become expensive fast.A big theme is what Tom calls your builder DNA. Every builder has a way they build: preferred details, standard inclusions, sequencing, and products. V2E’s approach is to model and estimate based on how you actually build on site, so your pricing matches reality. We also touch on modern estimating tools like PlusSpec (SketchUp plugin), digital BOQs, and connected workflows that make pre-construction smoother and reduce rework, disputes, and variations.If you’re a builder, estimator, architect, or construction business owner trying to improve construction cost planning, tender pricing, and job profitability, check this episode out. We talk estimating systems, pre-construction services, reducing risk, and why better estimating is one of the fastest ways to lift building business profitability without working more hours. CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 Intro03:07 2D plans miss scope and costs06:55 Builder DNA and estimating accuracy08:21 Who owns pricing and variations15:14 Vignettes standards and estimating workflow18:03 Coordination meetings, RFIs, design clarity21:27 PlusSpec BOQ export and take-offs23:16 Builder-friendly BOQ and trade breakdown24:53 Cost codes setup for builders26:27 Import BOQ into estimating software27:02 Four cost buckets for budgeting30:08 Master price lists and cost control32:36 Model collaboration for builders and architects35:14 Estimating as a repeatable system36:59 Model viewer app for site teams39:25 Charging for pre-construction estimating47:40 AI estimating needs clean data50:07 Apprentices: estimating and building careersLINKS:Vision 2 Estimating: https://www.v2e.com.au/Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtConnect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    56 min
  • The Hidden Danger in Every Old House

    The Hidden Danger in Every Old House
    Jul 5 2026
    “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 winter. We sat down with Linden Thorley, architect, Passive House designer, and chair of the Australian Passive House Association Retrofit Committee.We take a look into why retrofitting the existing 9.5 million homes in Australia is the single biggest business opportunity for trades over the next decade. Linden walks us through the differences between a cosmetic renovation and a high-performance retrofit, detailing how his team utilises the PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) to model data and manage moisture, insulation, and ventilation risks case-by-case.We don't hold back on the real pain points of the industry either. We talk about the skyrocketing costs of business insurance, why Australian labour rates are fundamentally shifting project costs, and how to structure building contracts using provisional sums for airtightness so builders aren't crushed by unexpected site variations.Linden also breaks down his frustrations with legacy bank valuations that prioritise bloated 300-square-meter floor plans over highly efficient, smaller family homes.Finally, we hit the political wall: how heritage advisors and council planners are actively preventing energy efficiency upgrades, and the clever, practical drawing tricks CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 – Introduction02:08 – The Passive House Association Retrofit Committee & Playbook04:12 – Finding the Ideal Market: How Long Does the Shift Take?05:45 – Passive House as a Design-Agnostic Calculation Tool07:11 – Can a House Be Great If It Doesn’t Reach Certified EnerPHit?09:00 – Retrofitting Multi-Story Blocks vs. Standard Residential10:38 – Managing Airtightness Expectations with the Builder13:36 – How to Contract for Airtightness: The Provisional Sum Solution15:21 – Dealing with Double Brick and Suspended Timber Floors16:23 – The Spray Foam Debate in Subfloors vs. Walls18:41 – The New Build Advantage vs. Retrofit Blind Spots19:16 – A Case Study: Turning a 25 ACH House into an 8 ACH Home22:27 – Threading Centralized MVHR Systems Through Bulkheads23:28 – The Necessity of the ECI Process for Architects26:16 – Why Don’t We Just Knock Them All Down?27:43 – Renovation vs. Extension vs. Retrofit29:47 – Do We Overcomplicate the Carbon Conversation?31:14 – Lessons from Toronto: The 100 Macnab High-Rise Retrofit32:38 – Drawing the Line: When to Demolish an Existing Fabric37:28 – Forcing Council’s Hand with Legal NCC Clauses39:34 – Is Passive House Actually a Premium-Priced Product?41:11 – Breaking Down the True Cost of Australian Site Labour44:46 – Linden’s Fire Loss & Installing His Own INTELLO Membrane48:26 – Thermal Envelope vs. High-End Cabinetry53:03 – The Intensity Slump on Modern Australian Building Sites55:26 – Overheads, Insurance Hikes, and Free Market Economics57:41 – The 3-Story Walk-Up: How Codes Limit Small Footprint Living58:21 – Why Banks Hate Small Homes and Force Massive Floorplates01:01:45 – Macroeconomics, Inflation, and Building for the Top 10%01:08:37 – MEGT Mindful Moment: Harnessing the Un-Jaded Apprentice Mindset01:11:16 – Connect with Linden ThorleyLINKS:Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtConnect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    1 h et 13 min
  • The Builders Standing Up to a Broken Industry

    The Builders Standing Up to a Broken Industry
    Jun 28 2026
    “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 the Australian construction sector. Recording from Matt’s newly completed Grand Designs home, we strip back the hype and discuss how the SBA transitioned from a grassroots cause into a highly structured, professional association shaking up national building standards.Bec shares insights from her eclectic background. Spanning commerce degrees, corporate head office fit-outs, and co-founding business coaching systems for architects, to reveal how the SBA is systematically tackling the biggest bottlenecks in the trade. We break down the SBA’s Theory of Change, detailing their current work with TAFEs to build localised trade courses, and their mission to establish crystal-clear definitions for high-performance builds so the market can finally stomp out greenwashing.We also take a look at the data from the SBA's newly released State of the Market report. Bec details the hidden category of "transitioning builders". These are tradespeople who build above code but fail to market it, and drops the statistical proof that builders who explicitly sell health, comfort, and performance secure nearly double the forward pipeline of their competitors.We chat about the reality of custom build costs, volume builder challenges, and why vulnerability and education are a builder's best defence against insolvency in a volatile economy.Whether you are a seasoned builder, an architect looking for better site execution, or a transitioning tradie ready to stop faking it, this episode delivers raw, unfiltered site-level truths.Make sure to listen through to the end to grab your 15% SBA membership discount code!4. CHAPTER MARKERS00:00:Introduction01:32: Meet Bec Kempster: Managing Six Builders05:05: From Nightclubs to Architect Coaching: Bec’s Journey09:44: The Business of Architecture vs. The Building Trade13:16: Leaving the Past & Aligning with Sustainability21:20: The Material Lifespan & Circular Economy22:36: Unpacking the Five Pillars of the Theory of Change23:51: TAFE Collaborations with Melbourne Polytechnic28:41: Industry Collaborations: From Renew to Master Builders30:10: Changing the Name? Builders Alliance vs. Building Alliance34:49: Overcoming the Industry’s Lack of Education39:06: Volume Builders & The Impact of 7-Star Verification40:04: State of the Market Report: The Transitioning Builder41:41: Documenting the Journey: Content Strategies for Tradies48:07: High Performance vs. Custom Build Realities49:45: The Real Cost of Matthew’s Grand Designs House51:55: Celebrating Social Traders CertificationLINKS:Our Sponsors:Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclimaMEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megtConnect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpodConnect with Hamish:Instagram: @sanctumhomesWebsite: www.yoursanctum.com.au/Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructionsWebsite: www.carlandconstructions.com/Mentioned in this episode:Proclima Sponsor
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    57 min
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