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Part two, and this time the house is finished, sited and lived in. An hour out of Christchurch at Springfield, Luke and Dean walk through a 70 square metre Whio Homes build with James and Leesa Anderson. It's an adaptation of their Piwakawaka design, delivered on the back of a truck just before Christmas and livable within four days of landing. Full Foreverbreathe spec: Terra Lana wool insulation, Magnum Board inside and out, LVL framing, a Knightons plantation eucalypt floor and thermally modified radiata cladding and decking. James explains why every fixing in the build is stainless, how a proprietary bracing panel keeps an engineer off the job, and why they stopped trying to make Magnum Board look like plasterboard and made a feature of the joins instead. Then the numbers. Energy modelling put a Foreverbreathe three bedroom at 25 per cent less power to heat than a standard build, and overheating at 0.1 per cent of the year against 8 per cent. One small split system does the whole house. James makes the case for why this isn't Passive House: no mechanical ventilation, no chasing airtightness, natural materials doing the work instead. What you'll learn: - Why every nail, screw and fixing in the build is stainless - How a finished house gets routed and trucked across the South Island at night - What 70 square metres actually gets you, and why it isn't a tiny home - Why they stopped fighting Magnum Board and made the joins a feature - The energy modelling numbers behind a Foreverbreathe home - Why Foreverbreathe doesn't chase airtightness the way Passive House does Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:20 - Springfield, an hour out of Christchurch 00:34 - A 70 square metre Piwakawaka adaptation 00:54 - Foreverbreathe spec and a Knightons eucalypt floor 01:24 - The attic space 01:38 - Terra Lana, Magnum Board and LVL 01:57 - Thermally modified decking02:20 - Delivered before Christmas on the back of a truck 02:41 - Moving houses at night and planning the route 03:46 - Getting a house to the West Coast 04:30 - Walking the house 04:51 - Gable vents and a roof space humidity vent 05:31 - Warm roof against cold roof 06:11 - The deck, the view and the client 06:45 - Ten to twelve weeks, and livable in four days 07:15 - Designing to the top of the snow load 08:26 - Why every fixing is stainless 09:47 - This is not a tiny home 10:56 - Thermally broken aluminium windows 11:09 - Bracing a big opening without an engineer 12:11 - Oil finishes against polyurethane 13:46 - Magnum Board floors, tiles and adhesives 15:00 - The V groove, and not fighting the product 17:32 - Attic storage in a small house 17:50 - What you get in 70 square metres 18:56 - A log burner for the power cuts 19:37 - Solar fitted at the yard 21:00 - When off grid beats a power connection 21:49 - One small split system for the whole house 22:06 - Full height doors 23:20 - Front doors and uPVC 24:55 - Foreverbreathe against Passive House 26:04 - The energy modelling numbers 27:14 - Why they don't chase airtightness 28:50 - Carbon, off cuts and end of life 30:46 - Wool insulation and the people installing it 31:58 - The bedrooms and the bathroom 32:40 - Hot water cylinders, inside or out 33:44 - Underfloor heating on a timber floor 38:05 - Scissor trusses and playing with volume 38:48 - Where to find Whio Homes 39:40 - What a whio actually is Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: James and Leesa Anderson from Whio Homes Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Day two of our New Zealand road trip, and this time the build site is under a canopy. Luke and Dean head out to Whio Homes in Christchurch, made possible by McCormacks Australia. James and Leesa Anderson build high performance modular and transportable homes out of a 100 foot container barn, and every one of them goes to the Foreverbreathe specification. They walk us through why they detail their own frames, how a finished house gets jacked up and trucked out over the fence, and how a team of five staff turns out 12 to 15 homes a year with room to more than double that on a second shift. James makes the case against building to code minimum, and explains why sealing homes up airtight has trapped the off-gassing from petrochemical products inside with the people living there. Then it's into the detail: LVL framing, Magnum Board as the rigid air barrier, Terra Lana wool insulation, clay-based paint, wool carpets, thermally modified cladding, and the jump in cost from aluminium to uPVC to timber windows. Leesa finishes on one of their biggest challenges: convincing clients that bigger isn't better. What you'll learn: - Why a canopy and shipping containers can do the job of a multi-million dollar factory - How a house leaves the yard fully finished and ready to connect on site - What goes into a Foreverbreathe wall, floor and ceiling - Why code minimum is the bare minimum, not the cost-effective option - Why the window frame matters as much as the double glazing - Why a smaller, better-performing home can be the better investment Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Day two in New Zealand: Whio Homes 01:00 - Inside the 100 foot container barn 01:24 - Detailing frames for a vertical sheet install 02:16 - Build height, transport and getting the house out 03:18 - Turnaround time and locking in selections early 04:21 - Why code minimum is the bare minimum 05:00 - Airtight homes and trapped off-gassing 05:39 - The Foreverbreathe materials list 07:19 - The dry bathroom from day one 07:53 - A small team and managing growth 08:41 - 12 to 15 homes a year, and scaling up 09:25 - Why a barn beats a multi-million dollar factory 11:02 - Piles, transport and setting the house on site 12:43 - Fully finished before it leaves the yard 13:23 - Delivered Tuesday, moved in by the weekend 14:04 - Second dwellings and granny flat enquiries 15:13 - Log burners and heating in the South Island 16:27 - Magnum Board, silica and finishes 18:04 - Cladding options 21:01 - Windows: aluminium, uPVC and timber 23:34 - Why bigger isn't better 25:03 - Floor plans and designing with the client 26:42 - Wrap up Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: James and Leesa Anderson from Whio Homes Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

A running shower, no fan, and a mirror that won't fog up. That's when the ForeverBreathe system stops being theory. We're still in Christchurch with Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes for part two of our New Zealand road trip, made possible by McCormacks Australia. If you missed part one, go back and listen to that first. This time the conversation moves from the wall build-up to what it's actually like to live and work with the system. Kelly and Andrew unpack where the ForeverBreathe specification came from, why HealthBased Building owning it takes risk off the designer, and what the air quality monitors in their homes are picking up. A box of door handles, a courier bag, a bench being wiped down: all of it sends TVOC readings spiking, which raises the question of why we keep building with those materials in the first place. There's also an honest look at the hard part: getting plasterers and painters to follow a process that's slower and less forgiving than gypsum and acrylic, and why they now certify trades before letting them near the product. Plus the bathroom demo, the carbon numbers, and the answer to the question everyone asks: what does it cost? What you'll learn: - Why a tested specification shifts risk away from the designer and builder - What everyday items are doing to the air inside your home, and why Green Star and Homestar don't measure it - How to get trades on board with a product that won't tolerate shortcuts - Why a ForeverBreathe bathroom stays warm and dry without the fan running - How Magnum board and wool insulation keep pulling carbon for years after handover - The real cost premium over minimum code, and where the payback comes from Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:21 - Where the ForeverBreathe specification came from 01:44 - Performing homes vs healthy homes 02:33 - Live air quality readings inside the home 03:45 - Off-gassing paint and the four-week sore eyes 04:42 - Door handles, courier bags and TVOC spikes 06:05 - Why Green Star and Homestar don't test for this 07:25 - Getting plasterers and painters to follow the process 09:20 - Why trades need certification to work with the system 11:50 - Keeping installation in-house 12:28 - The bathroom test: no humidity, no fogged mirror 16:05 - Why the bathroom is never the cold room 17:13 - Free heat from moisture: 1.4 watts per square metre 18:38 - Homes that keep sequestering carbon after handover 20:40 - What does a ForeverBreathe home cost? 21:53 - Life away from the tools 22:45 - Advice for young builders and apprentices 24:35 - What's next for Premium Homes 25:46 - Wrap up Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes NZ 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

First time the Build Insite Podcast has left Australian soil. And we've landed in Christchurch for a good reason. This one's a special episode. Luke and Dean have packed the mics and headed across the ditch for a New Zealand road trip, made possible by McCormacks Australia. Huge shout out to Glenn and the McCormacks team for getting us over here. We're recording inside the Premium Homes display home in Christchurch, and a lot of the products you'll hear about are already available in Australia through McCormacks. Our guests are Kelly and Andrew, school mates turned business partners who started Premium Homes nearly 20 years ago after Kelly, a sparky by trade, got sick of wiring houses that weren't plumb or square. They walk us through what the Christchurch earthquakes did to the local industry, how New Zealand's leaky home crisis unfolded, and why the push for airtight homes is setting up the next round of problems: sweaty walls, hidden mould and what the Americans have called sick building syndrome for two decades. Then it's into the ForeverBreathe system itself. Magnum board inside and out, wool insulation in the middle, breathable paint, and no vapour barrier at all. It goes against everything most builders were taught, but the numbers on moisture handling, R value stability and energy performance are hard to argue with. What you'll learn: - Why individually approved products can still fail as a system - How wool insulation holds moisture without losing its R value, and why fibreglass doesn't - What Magnum board does that plasterboard and building wrap can't - Why a breathable wall keeps timber drier than a sealed one - Who carries the risk when a designer specifies a wall build-up, and how a tested specification changes that Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:33 - Build Insite lands in Christchurch 01:26 - Meet Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes 02:42 - How the Christchurch earthquakes changed construction 03:56 - Approved products, untested systems 05:37 - What caused New Zealand's leaky home crisis 07:38 - Sweaty homes, mould and sick building syndrome 09:36 - Inside the ForeverBreathe wall system 11:07 - Wool insulation vs fibreglass: moisture and R value 14:05 - Letting moisture move through the wall 16:16 - Why there's no building wrap 17:28 - Putting Magnum board to the test 18:50 - Where's the education on moisture and mould? 20:26 - Getting designers and builders to change 21:58 - Who owns the risk in a wall specification 23:08 - Wrap up Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes NZ 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Two years out of his time and Jake's already running boys on site. Matt reckons the trick isn't finding good tradies, it's giving them a reason to stay. Part 2 with Matt and Jake from MS Constructions picks up on what happens after the apprenticeship ends. Jake talks about stepping into project management, learning the construction manager's side of the job, and copping the odd older tradie who walks straight past him to talk to someone who looks the part. Matt gets into the systems side of the business. He's brought WonderBuild and AI into MS Constructions with help from Adam at WonderOps, and his crew are now running site diaries, photos and timesheets from their phones. His reasoning is simple: automate the background so the office team can spend more actual time with clients. There's also a solid stretch on why builders need to stop hiding. Matt's built a network of builders around Australia he can ring about anything, and both he and the hosts make the case that asking the same question to a different person is often what finally makes it click. What You'll Learn - What the first few years after qualifying actually look like on site - How incentive structures can keep good carpenters in your business - Why upskilling your trades matters as much as upskilling your own team - How site diaries, photos and AI are changing rural building operations - Why Matt says business coaching changed his business tenfold - What both blokes would tell someone thinking about picking up the tools Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:18 – Life After the Apprenticeship 01:33 – Earning Respect as a Young Leader on Site 02:22 – Incentives and Keeping Good People 02:53 – Building Team Culture Outside of Work 03:51 – The Four Hour Drive and What It Says About Education 05:13 – Upskilling Your Trades, Not Just Your Carpenters 05:51 – AI, WonderBuild and Site Systems 08:28 – How WonderOps Helped Matt Get Started 09:35 – Knowing Your Strengths and Asking for Help 10:46 – Why You Should Ask the Same Question Twice 12:24 – Life Outside the Business 13:52 – The Changes Exciting Them Most Right Now 14:31 – Advice for Anyone Starting Out 15:38 – Where to Find MS Constructions Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Matt & Jake  from MS Constructions 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Five carpenters. Four hours in the car. One day off the tools. That's what education looks like when a builder actually means it. Matt from MS Constructions has driven his team down from the Vic and New South Wales border to the Bowens Rethink Building Hub, and he's brought his qualified chippies and construction manager with him. Joining him is Jake, who did his apprenticeship under Matt and has since watched two major NCC changes land inside his first few years on the tools. In Part 1, Matt talks openly about scaling the business back, why turnover stopped being the scoreboard, and how hiring for attitude instead of skill changed the way his crew shows up every day. Jake shares what it was like coming through an apprenticeship with no clue what he wanted to do, and what he's learning now about condensation, wraps and passive principles that simply weren't taught a few years ago. There's also an honest conversation about mistakes. Matt reckons he doesn't trust a builder who says they've never had a problem, and he explains why pulling failed work apart with his team has become one of the most valuable training exercises in the business. What You'll Learn: - Why hiring for attitude beats hiring for skill, and how culture holds a small team together - What scaling back actually did for build quality, client selection and stress levels - How working across two state licences forces a higher building standard - Why involving your whole team in code changes takes the pressure off the builder - How social media has become a client filter and a training tool at the same time - What condensation, mould and the NCC changes mean for builders who haven't updated their practices Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:42 – Meet Matt and Jake from MS Constructions 01:26 – Building Across Two State Borders 03:28 – Why Matt Brought His Whole Team Four Hours 05:06 – Jake's Apprenticeship Journey 06:53 – How the Business Has Changed 08:44 – Hiring for Attitude and Team Culture 09:54 – Scaling Back and Choosing Quality Over Turnover 11:17 – Using Social Media to Attract the Right Clients 13:00 – Learning From Mistakes and Failed Work 14:28 – NCC Changes, Wraps and Condensation 16:25 – Why Builder Education Isn't Optional Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Matt & Jake  from MS Constructions 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Day one on site, and there's asbestos. What happens in the next ten minutes tells a homeowner more about their builder than anything in the tender. In this second half of the conversation at Callery Creek House, Zoe and Andrew get into the part of a build that most people only understand in hindsight: how communication actually works between a homeowner and a builder, and what happens when it doesn't. We recorded this on handover day, with the keys about to change hands, so everything is still fresh. They share the advice they'd give anyone about to sign a building contract, from working out your own values before you start researching, to visiting an open home and talking to a builder's current client. There's also a warning about builders juggling too many sites at once, and a strong case for getting every site meeting decision confirmed in writing. It's not all process. Zoe wrote a blessing and had it embedded in the concrete pour, which landed at the threshold by pure chance, and a gum leaf left a perfect stencil in the burnished slab that they chose to keep. We also talk about the night Zoe found herself at the Master Builders National Awards as a current client, watching her own builder go up on stage. What you'll learn: - Why the first problem on site tells you more about your builder than the sales pitch - How to set a communication rhythm before you sign, and why it should be in the contract conversation - Why documenting site meeting outcomes in writing protects both sides, not just one - What to ask about a builder's workload and site supervision before you commit - Why locking in selections before construction takes stress off the critical path Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Advice for homeowners choosing a builder 00:53 Do your research and visit a site 02:42 Why communication makes or breaks a build 03:21 Day one and the asbestos discovery 04:18 Agreeing a meeting rhythm before signing 05:53 Why everything needs to be documented 08:32 A blessing in the concrete pour 12:14 The gum leaf in the slab 13:53 The Master Builders Awards night 16:14 Tips for homeowners starting a build 18:49 Why your builder's workload matters 21:23 What they wish they'd known 22:13 The two week look ahead and the whiteboard 25:13 What they'd do differently 25:50 Getting selections done early 26:49 What this home means to them 28:14 Wrap up 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Most build stories get told by the people getting paid to be there. This one comes from the couple who lived in the middle of it, for nine months, with three kids and a dishwasher in the bathroom. In this episode we're sitting at the finished marble benchtop of Callery Creek House with Zoe and Andrew, the homeowners. It's a rare thing to hear a renovation unpacked from the client's side of the table, and they don't hold back. We cover how a "bit of a tizzy up" turned into a full two storey extension, why an 18 month design process was worth every minute, and what it actually feels like to live on your own building site while it's being built around you. Zoe brought a long held commitment to sustainable design and passive house principles to the project. Andrew brought a refusal to let her compromise on them. Between the two of them, and an architect willing to design for performance, the brief was set well before a builder was ever engaged. That timing turns out to be one of the biggest lessons of the episode. We also get into how they chose their builder, what almost sent them in a different direction, and the one thing that ultimately got Callery Building over the line. Spoiler: it wasn't the glossy finished photos. What you'll learn: - Why careful design takes time, and why you should be worried if it doesn't - What early contractor involvement gives you, and what it costs you to skip it - The real pros and cons of living on site during a renovation, from both sides - How to interview builders and what homeowners are actually assessing - Why showing the hurdles publicly builds more trust than showing the highlights Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:28 Meet Zoe and Andrew 02:13 Buying the house and the original bungalow 03:38 What sold them on the location 05:12 From a tizzy up to a full renovation 07:55 Where the sustainability passion came from 09:57 Lessons from previous builds 11:47 Living on site during the build 16:18 A word on site safety 16:43 Time, quality and cost 18:36 Engaging an architect 20:07 Why early contractor involvement matters 21:04 Why good design takes time 22:55 What they learned about each other 26:01 Choosing a builder 28:24 Why social media sealed the decision 29:25 Advice for builders 30:19 Wrap up 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

The code is moving. Slowly. But there's a lot you can do without waiting for it. Part two with Jess from Climasure picks up where we left off, starting with the state of the NCC and what the next update means for builders. South Australia's energy efficiency pause, the drained and vented cavity change everyone's talking about, and why blower door testing already sits in the code as a verification option that almost nobody uses. From there, Jess gets practical. If you want to build better but can't overhaul everything on your next job, where do you start? Her answer is a step by step: benchmark with a blower door test, then get serious about membranes and moisture management, then build the team around it. Because a builder pushing high performance without the right client, trades and designer is fighting uphill. The back half goes into the two rabbit holes Jess is currently down. EMFs, including the moment a monitor reading dropped because the electricity was travelling through her body. And mould, which she calls a silent killer for good reason, with a story from a client whose respiratory problems cleared up only after a leaking shower wall came out. What you'll learn: - Where the NCC is heading, and why drained and vented cavities are a game changer for moisture management - Why air tightness sitting in the code as an option is still a win, and how the UK does it differently - The step by step for builders who want to improve without blowing the budget - Why energy efficiency upgrades have unintended consequences if you don't understand the whole system - What foil backed membranes can no longer be used for, and what to check on your spec - Why hidden mould is so serious, and what a mould inspection actually involves Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:21 - Where the NCC is at 03:09 - Drained and vented cavities 04:00 - Is the code heading in the right direction 07:56 - The rabbit hole of building science 09:28 - Where to start if you want to build better 12:32 - Membranes and the one product Jess swears by 14:41 - What's next: the EMF rabbit hole 18:05 Mould, moisture and chronic illness 21:03 - Studying building biology 22:17 - Where to find Jess and the Building Sciology Podcast 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

You can't control what you don't measure. And in most homes, no one's measuring anything. Recorded on site straight after the final blower door test at the Callery Creek House project (4.1 air changes an hour, for the record), this episode brings back one of Build Insite's most popular guests, Jess from Climasure. Third time on the show, and she's brought a whole new rabbit hole with her. Jess walks us through her path from doing energy efficiency star ratings for the building code, to realising that what gets designed, what gets assessed and what actually gets built can be three very different things. That realisation set off a domino chain: blower door testing, ventilation, Passive House, hygrothermal modelling, and now building biology. We also get into her own podcast, the international guests she's landed, and the internet's very strong opinions about insulating brick cavity walls Then things get interesting. Jess has just started working in the EMF space, taking radio frequency, electric field and magnetic field readings on a certified Passive House site before the slab was even poured. Plus the everyday stuff most people never think about, like what happens to particulate matter when you fry an egg on a gas cooktop, and why the CO2 in your bedroom is probably sitting at more than double what it should be. What you'll learn: • Why a blower door test is the cheapest, easiest way to measure how a building actually performs, and exactly what it exposes (window installs, downlights, skirting gaps, even your key lock) • When you can test mid build on a membrane system, and why anticon makes that a lot harder • What EMFs are, how they're measured, and why "you can't control what you don't measure" applies here too • The indoor air quality numbers worth knowing: CO2 targets, particulate spikes from cooking, and the monitors Jess uses at home and on the road • Practical advice for younger builders who want to build better but don't know where to start Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:50 - What Jess has been up to at Climasure 02:12 - From star ratings to building science 04:30 - Starting a building science podcast 10:01 - The brick cavity wall insulation debate 11:56 - EMFs explained 14:52 - Indoor air quality: what you can't see 19:34 - Where builders should start with testing 23:29 - What a blower door test actually is 25:27 - The best and worst results Jess has tested Host: Luke Callery Guest: Jessica Kismet from Climasure 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

The real test of a building business isn't the boom times. It's how you communicate, hire and hold your ground when things get tight.   In Part 2 of this conversation on the Build Insite Podcast, Dean and Luke continue the chat with Brett Way from VW Building Projects. This time, the focus shifts from heritage craftsmanship to the engine room of running a strong building business through uncertain conditions.   Brett opens up about VW Building's Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process, how they educate clients on the unknowns that come with heritage homes, and the challenges of navigating council delays in Victoria. He also gets candid about the current pressure on pricing, fuel costs and material escalations, and how transparent conversations with trades, clients and team are more important now than ever. The discussion moves into team structure, apprentice development, building culture across two divisions, and Brett's personal approach to staying present at home while running a high-performing business. He also shares where he gets his best learning, his honest take on AI in construction, and what the future looks like for VW Building. What You'll Learn: - Why Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) protects both builder and client - How to have honest pricing conversations with clients and trades in tough markets - What real apprentice development looks like across multiple sites - How to set clear communication lines so problems get solved at the right level - Why networking and collaboration are now non-negotiable for solo operators Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:18 - Educating Clients Through Heritage Content 02:33 - Managing Client Expectations and Unknowns 04:13 - Council Delays and Approval Challenges 05:19 - Navigating Price Hikes and Tough Conversations 10:02 - Inside the VW Building Team Structure 11:43 - How They Train and Retain Apprentices 13:19 - Team Events and Run Melbourne 14:22 - Staying Healthy and Switching Off 17:32 - Best Learning Resources and AI in Construction 20:44 - Future Plans and Pipeline for VW Building 24:51 - One Thing to Change in the Victorian Building Industry 26:25 - Rapid Fire Questions 29:30 - Where to Find Brett 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

A heritage facade with an architectural extension is one thing. Conserving Australia's oldest sandstone castle from 1849? That's an entirely different game. In this episode of the Build Insite Podcast, Dean and Luke sit down with Brett Way, co-founder of VW Building Projects. Brett and his business partner Josh started out as childhood friends turned carpenters, working under the same mentor for nearly a decade before going out on their own. Today, VW Building operates two divisions across Melbourne and the Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula, with a sharp focus on true heritage conservation and high-complexity architectural builds. Brett walks us through the story behind Corriell, the oldest building on the Bellarine, where his team is undertaking real restoration work on an 1849 sandstone property once owned by the founders of Drysdale and Newcomb. From six metres of underpinning beneath untouched stonework to hand-stencilled fretwork replicas, this is heritage building at its most demanding. He also opens up about making the sea change to Barwon Heads, splitting roles with his business partner, building culture across two locations, and why VW Building hires the right people first and builds the role around them. What You'll Learn: - Why heritage conservation demands a completely different skillset to standard renovation - How to split roles across two locations without losing momentum as a business - What it actually takes to underpin a 175-year-old sandstone wall - How to manage team culture and communication across two divisions - Why hiring for the person, not the position, pays off long term Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:18 - Brett's Journey into Building 03:07 - Finding the Heritage Niche 04:05 - Splitting the Business Across Two Locations 05:54 - Inside the Corriell Restoration 08:12 - Underpinning 175-Year-Old Stonework 11:31 - The Sea Change to Barwon Heads 13:09 - Avoiding Burnout as a Business Owner 14:42 - Advice for Builders Considering a Sea Change 17:19 - Managing Culture Across Two Locations 20:26 - Hiring the Right People Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery  Guest: Brett Way co-founder and builder from VW Building Projects 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

Every builder has a different DNA. The way you trench plates, wrap a cavity, run your crews. It all changes the price, the program, and the product. So why are most builders still being handed a one-size-fits-all quote? In Part 2, Dean and Luke continue the conversation with Tom Lawson from Vision 2 Estimating, going deeper into how V2E tailors every model to the way your business actually builds. From pre-model meetings and onboarding through to integrating directly with Buildxact and price book setup, this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what makes their process tick. Tom also opens up about where V2E is heading next, including some serious investment in AI tools, a new model viewer release, and plans for an AI chatbot built into the model itself. It wraps with rapid fire questions, plenty of laughs, and a reminder that the builders winning in 2026 are the ones treating estimating like the engine room of the business. What You'll Learn: - Why your "Builder's DNA" should drive every estimate, not generic plan notes - How pre-model meetings catch the costly stuff missing from drawings - The smart way to integrate estimating data into Buildxact and your price book - Why a "measuring stick" beats gut feel when reviewing subbie quotes - Where AI is heading in construction and how V2E is leading the charge Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:20 – What is "Builder's DNA" and why it matters 02:38 – Onboarding and pre-model meetings 04:25 – Inside the V2E team: building the right mix of skills 08:05 – Integrating with Buildxact the smart way 12:00 – Building your price book for instant pricing 14:30 – Why empathy with builders is the V2E difference 16:00 – Using data as a measuring stick against subbie quotes 19:08 – When to bring V2E in and what you need 22:30 – What's next: AI tools, model viewer, and chatbot integration 24:33 – How Michael first reached out to Luke 25:24 – Rapid fire questions 26:35 – Final advice and where to find V2E Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Tom Lawson from Vision 2 Estimating (V2E) 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

"A builder who doesn't estimate properly in 2026 is going under." Tom Lawson didn't sugarcoat it, and what follows is a masterclass in why the old way of pricing jobs is leaving builders exposed. This week, Dean and Luke sit down with Tom Lawson from Vision 2 Estimating (V2E), fresh off the Build Insite Hub Launch and Live event at Circa and Bowens in Port Melbourne. Tom flew in from Adelaide to unpack how 3D construction modelling is reshaping the way builders price, plan, and deliver projects. From his early days bouncing between structural engineering and architecture, to seven years detailing roof trusses at K&B Timber, Tom walks through the path that led him to co-founding V2E with Michael. What started as a "why can't we do this for the whole project?" idea has grown into a 17-modeller team helping builders nationwide resolve plans before they hit site. If you've ever been buried under conflicting documents, frustrated by square metre rate guesswork, or burned by design issues that only surface mid-build, this one's going to hit home. **What You'll Learn:** - Why traditional estimating is setting builders up to redo work twice - How 3D modelling catches engineering and design clashes before site - The key differences between SA and VIC frame and truss design responsibilities - Why square metre rates don't reflect what your build actually costs - How visual estimating brings clients into the conversation and unlocks smarter decisions **Chapters:** 00:00 – Introduction 00:27 – Welcome Tom Lawson to the studio 01:15 – Tom's journey: From engineering to architecture to detailing 04:00 – Inside K&B Timber and the world of frame and truss design 05:23 – The idea that sparked Vision 2 Estimating 07:11 – SA vs VIC: How frame design responsibilities differ 10:00 – What is Vision 2 Estimating? 11:04 – Why the traditional estimating process is broken 13:36 – The problem with square metre rates 15:07 – Managing 10+ sets of documents on every project 16:18 – Catching design issues before site (real examples) 19:55 – Helping clients visualise the final build 21:55 – Educating clients through 3D visuals 22:57 – Wrapping up Part 1 Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Tom Lawson from Vision 2 Estimating (V2E) 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite

What if you could find out your dream home was a million dollars over budget before you spent a cent on design fees? That's exactly the problem Saxon Hall set out to solve. In Part 2 of our conversation with Saxon Hall from Align Architecture, we dig into the part of the build process where most projects quietly start to fall apart: the gap between what a client thinks their project will cost, and what it actually costs to deliver. Saxon walks us through his fixed-fee Sketch Design Service, a transparent early-stage process that pairs the architect and builder together from day one, presents two schematic options (one budget-focused, one brief-focused), and ends with a pre-build feasibility document that gives clients real numbers before they're locked into months of design fees. We also get into the bigger picture: why builders and architects still struggle to trust each other, how the industry's old-school teaching shapes that dynamic, and what genuine early contractor involvement actually looks like on a real project. Saxon also opens up about how Align is rethinking contract administration, getting creative with materials to fight rising costs, and why he believes more transparency in the early stages is the single biggest fix the industry needs right now. What You'll Learn How a fixed-fee sketch design process protects clients from spending tens of thousands before knowing if their project is even viable Why presenting two designs (budget vs brief) is the fastest way to find out what a client actually values How a pre-build feasibility document breaks down site costs, construction costs and consultant fees into one clear total project investment Why early builder involvement saves more than money; it saves buildability headaches on site A smarter alternative to traditional contract administration that cuts admin hours without losing oversight Practical examples of using materials creatively to reduce waste and keep budgets in check Chapters 00:00 - Recap and Welcome Back 00:17 - Managing Design Costs from the First Conversation 01:00 - Inside the Sketch Design Service 02:00 - Two Designs: Needs vs Wants vs Reality 03:22 - The Pre-Build Feasibility Document Explained 05:30 - Why Walking Away Early Is a Win, Not a Loss 06:42 - How Builders Can Plug Into the Process 08:00 - Why Clients Still Get Burned (The $1M Story) 11:21 - Trust, Ego and How Architects Are Taught 12:29 - The Real Value of Builder Input in Design 14:55 - Relationships as the Foundation of Every Project 16:07 - Reinventing Contract Administration 19:11 - Getting Creative with Materials and Budget 22:38 - Mentoring the Next Generation of Architects 24:28 - Rapid Fire 26:30 - Wrap Up and Where to Find Saxon Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Saxon Hall from Align Architecture 📸 Saxon on Instagram: @saxonhallarchitecture 📸 Align Architecture on Instagram: @align.architecture.au Listen, Watch & Follow 🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite