Made To Build by HIA

How does Tempo Living get clients to site in 10 weeks? Jeremy Whiting breaks down how they hit a 10-day tender, 10-week site start, and how they offer a guaranteed delivery time. He chats on how efficiency actually shows up day to day and where the real cost savings are. Jeremy also gets into how those same decisions drive better sustainability on-site - less waste, smarter layouts, and practical material choices that don’t blow the budget. Tune into this conversation goldmine: - Why standardisation creates efficiency - The hidden cost of delays for homeowners - Sustainable building without compromising affordability - The power of saying “no” to protect systems and quality - AI’s future role in the building industry - Why apprenticeships and trades still offer incredible opportunities Connect 👉 Insta: @tempo.living 👉 FB: @tempoliving 👉 LinkedIn: Jeremy Whiting Tempoliving.com.au

Most custom builders are still reinventing the wheel on every job - and it’s costing time, margin, and headspace. Lee Selkrig and Sam Piasente from Enso Homes, break down the practical habits they’ve pulled from volume builders to tighten things up and deliver architectural homes at scale. From clearer scopes, an Entrepreneurial Operating System, and using suppliers that they love, they have built a business that delivers homes with a custom edge. They talk through the lessons learned from scaling too quickly during the HomeBuilder boom, why they intentionally pulled back from doing 50 homes a year, and how team structure carry the load when things get busy. Lee and Sam also unpack the broader challenges facing the construction industry — from affordability pressures and workforce shortages to maintaining resilience in an increasingly demanding market. The conversation is packed with practical insights for builders trying to grow sustainably. Connect 👉 Insta: @ensohomes 👉 FB: @ensohomes YouTube: @ensohomesgeelong 👉 LinkedIn: Lee Selkrig, Sam Piasente https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-selkrig-6664b0119 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-piasente-2216b9117/ https://ensohomes.com.au/

Can builders use AI like an apprentice? This is AI for builders explained. In this episode, business strategist Therese Tarlinton breaks down what’s actually worth applying from the AI hype. 
From quoting and variations to client communication and paperwork, discover how AI can help builders save hours each week, reduce admin, and improve speed and consistency across jobs. 
AI isn’t here to replace builders - it’s here to scale them. Therese name-drops the tools to use, and how to train AI on your processes and standards so your business becomes less dependent on you. You’ll also learn how AI can analyse your jobs and identify which ones actually make you money today. 
Connect  
👉 LinkedIn: @theresetarlinton

The client wanted a wine cellar. It turned into a full-scale Home of the Year build. 

Mark Supple from Mazzei breaks down delivering a complex home on a windswept Red Hill (Victoria) site, with winery views one side and ocean the other. He covers planning, trade coordination, cantilevered concrete, and 50,000 bricks over a 23-month build - while keeping the client’s vision intact. 

There’s straight advice for builders taking on bigger, more complex jobs - watch and take something back to site.

Discover more at:
Mazzei.com.au
@mazzeihomes

Housing policy, planning constraints and industry ego are stalling the homes we actually need.  
Architect AJ Bala, Director of DNA Architects, unpacks why the “missing middle” — duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartments — remains critically undersupplied, and what needs to change to fix it.  
With over 20 years across residential and commercial projects, AJ brings a grounded, real-world perspective to medium-density done properly — beyond glossy renders and into what actually gets built. He also chats on how builders can drive real industry change through committees. 
In this episode, we cover: 
Designing smarter to reduce build costs  

The ‘Missing Middle’ explained  

Multi-generational living and medium density done properly  

Why approvals drag out for months  

Getting community on board with gentrification  

How policy affects what actually gets built  

How builders can drive real change through committees  

AI in architectural practice  

Connect with AJ: 
👉 Insta: @dna_architects 
👉 FB: @DNAArchitectsCanberra 
👉 LinkedIn: Ajanthan Bala