Most builds get into trouble long before anyone picks up a hammer. They get into trouble in the design. In this episode of The Good Builder, Az sits down with Vicky Cutler, a registered architect across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria with more than twenty years in residential design, and the founder and director of Cutler and Co. Her argument is simple. The builder should be in the room from the start, not handed a finished set of drawings and asked to price them. Vicky makes the case against tendering and for collaboration from inception. Get a builder involved early, get a real cost breakdown, and design something that can actually be built to budget. She explains where the old tension between architects and builders comes from, how it cracks open on site, and why most of it traces back to working in isolation and ego. The conversation covers the early decisions that quietly cost builders later, from construction method to site access. It covers the render that looks the part but cannot be built, and what that does to a client's trust. And it covers the practical side most builders overlook, including charging for time in the early stage like any other consultant. For builders, trades and suppliers, the takeaway is direct. A good designer alongside you does not add cost. It takes a large share of the stress, the rework and the risk off the table. Vicky also shares what she is building now, from commercial work across the coast to a boutique resort in Sri Lanka, and what a real working partnership between a builder and an architect looks like when both leave the ego at the door.Show notes Most builds get into trouble long before anyone picks up a hammer. They get into trouble in the design. Az sits down with Vicky Cutler, registered architect across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria with more than twenty years in residential design, and the founder and director of Cutler and Co. Her case is simple: the builder belongs in the room from the start, not handed a finished set of drawings and asked to price them. What we get into: Why working in isolation is the root of most builder and architect tensionThe argument against tendering, and what to do insteadThe early decisions that quietly cost builders later, from construction method to site accessThe render that looks the part but cannot be built, and what it does to client trustWhy builders should charge for their time in the early stage like any other consultantHow a good designer can take a large share of the stress, rework and risk off the tableThe state of women in construction, and why Queensland needs to lift its gameWhat Vicky believes makes a good builderChapters 00:00 Why the builder and the designer need to meet 01:52 Meet Vicky Cutler and Cutler and Co 03:47 Residential vs commercial: designing for how people live 07:12 What architects really do beyond the drawings 14:34 The early decisions that quietly cost builders later 17:30 Where the architect and builder tension comes from 19:19 The case against tendering 21:49 Why builders should charge for their early stage time 27:51 Renders that sell vs renders you can build 36:13 How a good designer takes the stress out of a build 43:00 Leaving the ego at the door 50:45 Women in construction and lifting Queensland's game 1:01:45 What makes a good builder Guest: Vicky Cutler, Founder and Director, Cutler and Co https://cutlerco.com.au/ Follow The Good Builder for more conversations with the people building a better industry. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct. The software platform built by Australian Builders for Australian Builders. Get yiour 30-day trial at https://myconstruct.com/
