What does it actually take to shift an entire industry toward building healthier, higher-performing homes, and where does that change actually begin? In this special episode, Zara D'Cotta of The Healthy Home steps in as guest host and sits down with Mark Wille, author, builder, carpenter, and storyteller, and an integral part of the team behind The Build Show, for one of the most wide-ranging and genuinely inspiring conversations this podcast has had on the culture of construction. Mark brings decades of hands-on experience across renovation, rehab, new construction, and green building supply, and a philosophy about people, relationships, and shared knowledge that cuts through every topic they cover. Together, Zara and Mark walk through why vetting your project team is about chemistry as much as credentials, how building science is happening whether builders acknowledge it or not, and why water control is still the most underserved area in residential construction despite everything the industry has learned. They also dig into the Build HD Standard, a living document being developed to take builders meaningfully beyond code in water, air, vapor, thermal, and installation practices, and why it starts long before the first shovel hits the ground. Mark also shares what it was like to host Zara at The Build Show for EMF testing, why that conversation generated more curiosity than expected, and why he believes the next frontier of sharing best practices belongs to the Spanish-speaking trades. This episode closes with Mark's children's book, The ABCs of Construction Tech, and what he hopes a child, or the adult reading alongside them, will walk away believing about what is possible in the built environment. If you are building, renovating, working in the trades, or just trying to understand what good looks like in this industry, this one will stay with you. THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The ABCs of Construction Tech by Mark Wille: https://a.co/d/0g7do92zBuild HD Standard: buildhdstandard.comThe Build Show website and platform: https://buildshownetwork.com/G-Pod tour featuring Zara’s EMF testing contribution alongside Build Show experts.CONNECT WITH ZARA Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Zara D'Cotta is a Building Biology New Build Consultant, Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist, and founder of The Healthy Home. After navigating two cancer diagnoses and years of environmental illness across multiple water-damaged homes, Zara made it her mission to bridge cutting-edge research and real-world building practice. She holds both the BBNC and EMRS certifications, placing her in a small group of building biologists globally qualified to integrate EMF awareness with moisture control, material health, and healthy design principles into mainstream construction. Today, she works with builders, designers, and industry organizations across Australia and beyond through her Healthy Building Materials Mastermind, her Low EMF Home Design and Construction course, and her consulting and speaking work with some of the most forward-thinking organizations in the built environment. CONNECT WITH GUEST Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Mark Wille is an author, builder, carpenter, and storyteller, and a team member at The Build Show. With decades of hands-on experience across renovation, retrofit, new construction, and green-building supply, Mark brings a deeply relational approach to the industry and a genuine belief that when you know better, you build better. A passionate advocate for Spanish-language building science education and the author of The ABCs of Construction Tech in the You Can Too series, a children's book designed to open young minds to the vocabulary and possibilities of the built environment. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨
