The Hidden Danger in Every Old House

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 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 MARKERS 00:00 – Introduction 02:08 – The Passive House Association Retrofit Committee & Playbook 04:12 – Finding the Ideal Market: How Long Does the Shift Take? 05:45 – Passive House as a Design-Agnostic Calculation Tool 07:11 – Can a House Be Great If It Doesn’t Reach Certified EnerPHit? 09:00 – Retrofitting Multi-Story Blocks vs. Standard Residential 10:38 – Managing Airtightness Expectations with the Builder 13:36 – How to Contract for Airtightness: The Provisional Sum Solution 15:21 – Dealing with Double Brick and Suspended Timber Floors 16:23 – The Spray Foam Debate in Subfloors vs. Walls 18:41 – The New Build Advantage vs. Retrofit Blind Spots 19:16 – A Case Study: Turning a 25 ACH House into an 8 ACH Home 22:27 – Threading Centralized MVHR Systems Through Bulkheads 23:28 – The Necessity of the ECI Process for Architects 26:16 – Why Don’t We Just Knock Them All Down? 27:43 – Renovation vs. Extension vs. Retrofit 29:47 – Do We Overcomplicate the Carbon Conversation? 31:14 – Lessons from Toronto: The 100 Macnab High-Rise Retrofit 32:38 – Drawing the Line: When to Demolish an Existing Fabric 37:28 – Forcing Council’s Hand with Legal NCC Clauses 39:34 – Is Passive House Actually a Premium-Priced Product? 41:11 – Breaking Down the True Cost of Australian Site Labour 44:46 – Linden’s Fire Loss & Installing His Own INTELLO Membrane 48:26 – Thermal Envelope vs. High-End Cabinetry 53:03 – The Intensity Slump on Modern Australian Building Sites 55:26 – Overheads, Insurance Hikes, and Free Market Economics 57:41 – The 3-Story Walk-Up: How Codes Limit Small Footprint Living 58:21 – Why Banks Hate Small Homes and Force Massive Floorplates 01:01:45 – Macroeconomics, Inflation, and Building for the Top 10% 01:08:37 – MEGT Mindful Moment: Harnessing the Un-Jaded Apprentice Mindset 01:11:16 – Connect with Linden Thorley LINKS: Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt] Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod [https://www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/] Connect with Hamish: Instagram: @sanctumhomes [https://www.instagram.com/sanctumhomes/] Website: https://www.yoursanctum.com.au/www.yoursanctum.com.au/ [http://www.yoursanctum.com.au/] Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructions [https://www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/] Website: https://www.carlandconstructions.com/www.carlandconstructions.com/ [http://www.carlandconstructions.com/] Mentioned in this episode: Proclima Sponsor [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima]

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 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 MARKERS 00:00:Introduction 01:32: Meet Bec Kempster: Managing Six Builders 05:05: From Nightclubs to Architect Coaching: Bec’s Journey 09:44: The Business of Architecture vs. The Building Trade 13:16: Leaving the Past & Aligning with Sustainability 21:20: The Material Lifespan & Circular Economy 22:36: Unpacking the Five Pillars of the Theory of Change 23:51: TAFE Collaborations with Melbourne Polytechnic 28:41: Industry Collaborations: From Renew to Master Builders 30:10: Changing the Name? Builders Alliance vs. Building Alliance 34:49: Overcoming the Industry’s Lack of Education 39:06: Volume Builders & The Impact of 7-Star Verification 40:04: State of the Market Report: The Transitioning Builder 41:41: Documenting the Journey: Content Strategies for Tradies 48:07: High Performance vs. Custom Build Realities 49:45: The Real Cost of Matthew’s Grand Designs House 51:55: Celebrating Social Traders Certification LINKS: Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt] Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod [https://www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/] Connect with Hamish: Instagram: @sanctumhomes [https://www.instagram.com/sanctumhomes/] Website: https://www.yoursanctum.com.au/www.yoursanctum.com.au/ [http://www.yoursanctum.com.au/] Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructions [https://www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/] Website: https://www.carlandconstructions.com/www.carlandconstructions.com/ [http://www.carlandconstructions.com/] Mentioned in this episode: Proclima Sponsor [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima]

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 carpenter, spent years in the trade, then went back to uni and completed a Bachelor of Applied Physics before landing at Pro Clima. That mix of site experience and building science makes him one of the most practical voices in the high performance building space, especially when it comes to building envelope design, condensation management, and the details that keep homes durable. We get into the building details that keep failing across Australian housing: box gutters, flat roofs, balconies over living areas, and planter boxes. Different details, same problem. Waterproofing risk. Dave breaks down why these designs leak, why minimum compliance is not the same as good building, and what builders and designers can do earlier in the process to avoid expensive failures later. We also take a look at the NCC (National Construction Code), DTS (Deemed to Satisfy), verification pathways, and why “compliant” does not always mean “safe” or “durable”. If you care about building quality, moisture control, airtightness, and building homes that actually last, this episode will give you practical language and a better framework for decision-making. 👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Meet Dave From Pro Clima 01:57 Carpentry To Physics Path 04:39 Subbie Cashflow Reality 09:08 Profit First Bank Buckets 13:18 Carpentry As Career Launchpad 15:34 Learning Passive House Fast 20:10 Pro Clima Role And Bad Details 21:52 Box Gutter Flow Risks 23:35 Minimum Falls and Roof Pitch 25:31 Why Box Gutters Fail 26:27 Window Flashing vs Code 27:22 DTS and Compliance Paths 29:13 CodeMark and Site Proof 31:51 Air Seals and Spray Foam 33:31 Passive House on a Budget 34:40 Three Envelope Basics 36:28 Anticon Mythbusting 38:32 Warm Roof and Truss Heels 42:44 Mindful Moment Apprentices LINKS: Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt] Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod [https://www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/] Connect with Hamish: Instagram: @sanctumhomes [https://www.instagram.com/sanctumhomes/] Website: https://www.yoursanctum.com.au/www.yoursanctum.com.au/ [http://www.yoursanctum.com.au/] Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructions [https://www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/] Website: https://www.carlandconstructions.com/www.carlandconstructions.com/ [http://www.carlandconstructions.com/] Mentioned in this episode: Proclima Sponsor [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] Proclima Sponsor [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima]

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 stability, it’s hard to accept what “normal” housing has been getting away with. Jackson has been building certified Passive Houses and energy efficient homes in South Australia for more than a decade, and he keeps it simple. No magic. No secret sauce. Just good design, tight detailing, and refusing to cut corners where it counts. We take a look at what makes a home feel consistently warm (or cool), how the building envelope does the heavy lifting, and why comfort is a measurable outcome, not a marketing line. One of the best parts of this chat is how practical Jackson is about targets. Not every project needs certification, and not every client wants the same thing. We talk Passive House principles, performance tiers, and how to choose the right materials and systems for the brief, the budget, and the climate. The point is not the badge. The point is building performance, durability, and homes people can actually afford to live in. We also get into the real-world negotiations builders face: design vs function, heating choices (including hydronic heating and wood fires), and what “cosy” really means in a well-built home. Plus, Jackson shares why he’s using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in his own build, and why systems and processes are the backbone of a sustainable building business. If you’re a builder, architect, designer, or homeowner who cares about sustainable construction in Australia, this episode will shift how you think about good building. 👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Enduro Builders And Climasure 03:33 Scaling Passive House 05:50 Cost Premium Breakdown 07:54 Airtight Ceiling Strategy 11:01 Performance Solutions 16:20 Three Build Standards 17:34 Design Build Debate 22:56 Selling Comfort Not Tech 26:20 Rammed Earth Benefits 29:07 Solar Shading Tradeoffs 31:35 Hydronic Negotiations 33:52 Designing His Own Home 36:39 Forever House Priorities 37:48 Design Choices and Tradeoffs 38:50 Healthy Home and Fire Safety 41:28 CLT Structure and Insulation 43:43 Bushfire and Wind Detailing 44:51 Windows and Supply Chain 46:01 Interior Finishes and Joinery 47:29 Build Schedule and Winter Risks 51:43 Business Numbers and WIP 57:09 Coaching and Better Systems 01:03:27 Mindful Moment LINKS: Enduro Builders: https://www.endurobuilders.com.au/ Climasure: https://www.climasure.com.au/ Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt] CR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/ [https://www.crkennedy.com.au/] Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod [https://www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/] Connect with Hamish: Instagram: @sanctumhomes [https://www.instagram.com/sanctumhomes/] Website: https://www.yoursanctum.com.au/www.yoursanctum.com.au/ [http://www.yoursanctum.com.au/] Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructions [https://www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/] Website: https://www.carlandconstructions.com/www.carlandconstructions.com/ [http://www.carlandconstructions.com/] Mentioned in this episode: Proclima Sponsor [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima]

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 expensive fixes for decades. If you care about better homes, healthier homes, and what the future of construction should actually look like, this one’s for you. Jesse’s whole approach is simple and repeatable building systems. We look at practical building science for real sites: the building envelope, airtightness, membranes, wraps, and the kind of construction details that can be done consistently across projects without relying on luck or one superstar tradie. A big focus is moisture management and ventilation, because moisture safety is the foundation of durable homes. We get into vapour-permeable assemblies, how leaky buildings happen, and why mould in Australian homes is often the outcome of small decisions made early. We also touch on the debate around energy efficiency and building codes (NCC), and how chasing energy targets without understanding moisture can create unintended consequences. If you’re a builder, architect, designer, certifier, or homeowner trying to understand high performance homes without the hype, this conversation will help. Topics include sustainable building, passive house principles, condensation control, indoor air quality, and what it takes to build homes that last in Australian climate zones. 👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇 00:00 Meet Jesse Clarke 01:03 Simple Repeatable Systems 01:36 Australia Study Origins 02:12 Healthy Envelope Basics 03:21 Tropics Mould Reality 05:33 Future Building Trajectory 07:17 Carbon Versus Health 10:24 Energy Code Debate 15:10 Density And Housing Targets 19:13 Why Codes Move Slowly 22:48 Standards Board Conflicts 28:10 Membrane Standard Breakthrough 30:57 R&D Heat and Vapour Tradeoffs 34:48 Consensus Voting Explained 38:22 Leaks and Insurance Policy Wraps 42:04 Iterating to Build Better 43:19 Builder Journey Timeline 47:53 Mindful Moment Closing LINKS: Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima] MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt [https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt] Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod [https://www.instagram.com/themindfulbuilderpod/] Connect with Hamish: Instagram: @sanctumhomes [https://www.instagram.com/sanctumhomes/] Website: https://www.yoursanctum.com.au/www.yoursanctum.com.au/ [http://www.yoursanctum.com.au/] Connect with Matt: Instagram: @carlandconstructions [https://www.instagram.com/carlandconstructions/] Website: https://www.carlandconstructions.com/www.carlandconstructions.com/ [http://www.carlandconstructions.com/]