Mindful Builder

“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
MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt
Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod
Connect with Hamish:
Instagram: @sanctumhomes
Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:
Instagram: @carlandconstructions
Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
Proclima Sponsor

“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
MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt
Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod
Connect with Hamish:
Instagram: @sanctumhomes
Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:
Instagram: @carlandconstructions
Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
Proclima Sponsor

“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
MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt
Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod
Connect with Hamish:
Instagram: @sanctumhomes
Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:
Instagram: @carlandconstructions
Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
Proclima Sponsor
Proclima Sponsor

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
MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt
CR Kennedy - https://www.crkennedy.com.au/
Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod
Connect with Hamish:
Instagram: @sanctumhomes
Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:
Instagram: @carlandconstructions
Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
Proclima Sponsor

“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
MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod
Connect with Hamish:
Instagram: @sanctumhomes
Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:
Instagram: @carlandconstructions
Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/