The Build Insite Podcast

Build Insite

Welcome to the Build Insite Podcast – back with Season 2 and a renewed mission to bring you raw, practical building insights from across Australia and beyond. Led by a passionate team of builders and industry professionals, we explore the latest in construction techniques, design innovation, and the tools shaping modern building. But this isn’t just a trade chat — it’s a space for real stories, sharp lessons, and conversations that go beyond the build. Beginning Season 2, we’re doubling down on what matters: Smarter, healthier homes Business strategies that support better living Technology and systems that future-proof your work The balance between building, business, and well-being From high-performance homes to behind-the-scenes of iconic builds, we’re spotlighting the people, ideas, and challenges driving the industry forward. Whether you’re just starting out or leading your crew, you’ll find something valuable here — every week. Let’s build better, together.

  1. 6d ago

    #71 Live at the Bowens Expo: Design That Lasts with Rebecca from Laminex and Anthony from Evve Group - Part 1

    Sustainable isn't only about the product. It's also about how it gets installed and used on site. Episode two of the mini-series, live on the Circa stage at the 2026 Bowens Building + Innovation Expo. Luke and Dean sit down with Rebecca from Laminex and Anthony from Evve Group, a supplier and a builder looking at design from both ends. Rebecca explains how Laminex keeps up with trends and colours, its long history as an Australian manufacturer, and the ranges that let a builder hit a budget without losing the look. Anthony talks about managing client expectations when price is front of mind, and why getting clients into Circa to touch and feel products makes selections easier. They finish Part 1 on manufacturing locally, the back story clients don't see when they choose a cheaper option, and whether it is getting harder to get a job to a signed contract. What you'll learn: - How Laminex decides what trends and finishes to bring out - How builders manage budgets without losing the design - Why touch and feel matters in selections - What local manufacturing means for sustainability - Where Anthony sees opportunity in a tough market Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:05 - Welcome to the Build Insite Podcast, live from the Bowens Expo 01:07 - Rebecca and Laminex 01:30 - Anthony and Evve Group 02:04 - How Laminex follows trends 02:47 - An Australian manufacturer 04:06 - Builder's range versus premium 05:30 - Managing budgets and expectations 07:19 - What Circa does for builders and suppliers 08:40 - How trends are set 10:33 - Seeing it up close: touch and feel 12:26 - Sustainability and local manufacturing 14:18 - The back story clients don't see 15:33 - Getting to a signed contract Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Rebecca from Laminex and Anthony from Evve Group 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

  2. Oct 25

    #70 Live at the Bowens Expo: Getting New Products Into Homes with Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon Homes - Part 2

    Architects are happy to try a new product. Builders are usually where it stops. Part 2, still live on the Circa stage at the 2026 Bowens Building + Innovation Expo. Luke and Dean pick up with Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon Homes on why new products struggle to reach the market, and what builders can do about it. David owns the builder's side of it, and talks about choosing clients who are willing to try something better. Julia explains why having a product on show at Circa and through Bowens makes builders more likely to give it a go. They get into clients facing too much choice, using AI for research but still asking the builder, and why there is no inspection point for the parts of a house that matter most for performance. Then the bigger picture: the National Construction Code as the minimum, not the target, how David's team has taken to high performance building, why trades need to understand the whole system, and an industry that is more willing to share than it used to be. What you'll learn: - Why builders are often the blocker for new products - How a display space like Circa helps a product get used - Why there is no inspection point for high performance work - Why the NCC is the minimum, not the goal - How a team changes when the builder teaches them the why Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Getting new products to market 01:56 - Are builders the blocker? 03:16 - Sharing the cost with the client 03:57 - Why Circa and Bowens matter for new products 05:19 - Too much choice, and using AI 07:33 - The next five to 10 years 08:01 - No inspection point for high performance 09:20 - Passive House and the NCC as the minimum 11:12 - How David's team has changed 13:20 - Learning the whole system 14:10 - Collaboration since COVID 16:28 - Enough work to go around 17:32 - What's next for Hycon Homes 19:56 - Where to find Hydrowood and Hycon Homes Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon 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

  3. Oct 18

    #70 Live at the Bowens Expo: Underwater Timber and High Performance Homes with Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon Homes - Part 1

    Most people expect build quality to be low and accept it. Julia Hall reckons the industry shouldn't, and neither should the people buying. Recorded live on the Circa stage at the 2026 Bowens Building + Innovation Expo, Luke and Dean kick off a three-part mini-series with Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon Homes. Julia explains where Hydrowood comes from: standing forests flooded when Tasmania's hydroelectric dams were built, harvested from a barge with a waterproof chainsaw, and the studies it took to prove the timber was still good and the harvest was safe. David shares how he went from apprentice to builder, into teaching building and construction, and back to building when he saw the same curriculum he'd learned decades earlier still being taught. From there it's SIP panels explained simply, the rise of recycled and reclaimed products, and clients who now research what goes into their home before they meet the builder. Julia runs through what Hydrowood is used for, and David explains why Hycon Homes builds on ground screws, working with the ground rather than levelling it. What you'll learn: - How timber is harvested from underneath a dam - Why David left building for teaching, and what brought him back - What a SIP panel is, in plain terms - Why recycled and reclaimed products have taken off - What ground screws are and why Hycon Homes uses them Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:12 - Welcome to the Build Insite Podcast, live from the Bowens Expo 01:17 - Julia and Hydrowood 02:05 - Harvesting timber from under the water 02:40 - The red tape behind it 04:26 - David and Hycon Homes 05:20 - From apprentice to builder 06:58 - The biggest changes in the industry 08:19 - The turning point: builder, teacher, builder again 10:29 - What a SIP panel is 11:12 - Recycled and reclaimed products 13:01 - Clients who do their research 14:42 - What Hydrowood is used for 15:58 - Ground screws: working with the ground 18:34 - Building the system as a family Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Julia Hall from Hydrowood and David from Hycon 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

  4. Oct 11

    #69 The Case for Wool Insulation: Terra Lana with Caleb and Brad

    Ask a builder what they like about fibreglass and the answer usually comes back the same: the price. Back in the shearing shed at High Peak Station, just outside Christchurch, Luke and Dean sit down with Caleb and Brad from Terra Lana, the afternoon after touring the Terra Lana factory, made possible by McCormacks Australia. Caleb covers where Terra Lana started, as a lighter retrofit product, and how the years since have gone into making the highest quality product they can. He explains how wool manages the moisture every home creates, holding that vapour in the fibre rather than the air pocket, so it keeps performing to its R value. Then what goes into a batt: oddments off the fleece, end-of-line carpet yarn that has never been walked on, and a polyester binder, thermally bonded, and backed by a long warranty. Brad joins and takes on the hard part: shifting the habits of an industry that accepts the cheap, convenient product because on paper it meets the same code. He talks market share, the architects who value what Terra Lana stands for, and why every product they make is either biodegradable or recyclable. The crew get into the zero-waste factory, where offcuts go straight back to the start of the line and the plastic packaging comes back to be recycled into posts for vineyards and farms. Luke raises mould and callbacks, and Brad explains how much water wool can take on before it loses its thermal properties. Caleb talks about the builders who put wool in their own homes but let the client pick fibreglass on price, and Dean makes the case for a minimum standard. Brad finishes on what the upgrade really costs, how many sheep it takes to insulate a house, and why the difference is smaller than most builders think. His challenge to Australian builders: the product is here now through McCormacks Australia, so there's no excuse. What you'll learn: - What Terra Lana makes and how the business has changed over the years - How wool manages moisture inside a ceiling or wall - What goes into a wool batt, from fleece oddments to recycled carpet yarn - How a zero-waste factory handles offcuts and plastic packaging - Why Caleb says builders who switch to wool don't go back - What the upgrade costs, and how many sheep it takes to insulate a house Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome to the shearing shed at High Peak Station 02:13 - Working with New Zealand farmers 03:48 - What Terra Lana does 04:29 - Wool in products you'd never expect 06:17 - Where the business is focused now 07:27 - Wool versus fibreglass: managing moisture 08:53 - Fleece oddments and recycled carpet yarn 10:50 - Thermal bonding and the warranty 12:45 - Brad joins 13:17 - Shifting the industry's habits 16:37 - Market share and the architects 17:25 - Getting the builder on board 18:33 - A zero-waste factory 19:21 - Recycling the plastic into posts 21:06 - Earth and wool: what Terra Lana stands for 23:04 - Mould and callbacks 24:56 - Clearing up the misconceptions 26:19 - The price, and what builders put in their own homes 28:15 - Finding builders who value quality 29:08 - How many sheep it takes 29:50 - A message to Australian builders 30:55 - What the upgrade costs 33:04 - Where to find Terra Lana in Australia 33:57 - Seeing the houses perform 34:55 - The farms behind the wool 35:36 - Wrap up Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Caleb and Brad from Terra Lana 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

  5. Oct 4

    #68 Paddock to Wool Insulation: High Peak Station with Hamish and Gemma

    This one goes back to where the insulation starts: on the sheep's back. After a morning touring the Terra Lana wool insulation factory, Luke and Dean head out to High Peak Station, just outside Christchurch at the foot of the Southern Alps, made possible by McCormacks Australia. Hamish and Gemma farm about 10,000 acres there, running 4,200 Perendale ewes alongside deer and beef cattle. Hamish explains why they breed Perendales, a small, hardy, dual-purpose New Zealand sheep with a bright white, hard-wearing wool, and how every fleece gets graded on micron, brightness, whiteness and length. The top grade goes into rugs that can be dyed any colour. The next step down is just as good in quality but not as pretty, and that's the grade Hamish reckons ends up in insulation. Gemma talks about building their home 15 years ago with young kids and asthma in the family, and why wool insulation and wool carpet were never in question. Dean shares his own story of living in a badly built, uninsulated house. Then it's on to where farming is heading: Halter collars on the cattle, phone cameras that weigh a sheep, and why young people who understand the technology now see farming as a cool industry to be in. Luke draws the same line to the trades. Dean finishes on the hard question: why should builders move away from fibreglass? Hamish's answer is that wool closes the loop. In his view it clears the air, it's flame retardant, and it breaks down in landfill within three years. His advice to anyone choosing products: don't get sold on the story, look at where they come from and where they end up. What you'll learn: - Where wool insulation starts, from the paddock to the factory - Why a hard-wearing Perendale fleece suits building products - How a fleece is graded, and which grade ends up in insulation - Why a family with asthma chose wool insulation and wool carpet - How AI and wearable technology are changing livestock farming - Hamish's case for wool over fibreglass Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:27 - Welcome to High Peak Station 01:00 - 10,000 acres of sheep, deer and cattle 01:46 - Breeding Perendales for meat and wool 02:55 - How a fleece is graded, and what goes into insulation 04:36 - Building a healthy home with wool 05:51 - Asthma and a badly built house 06:25 - Mould, and fibreglass in the roof 06:58 - Running the station: staff and working dogs 07:59 - AI and Halter collars on the farm 08:55 - Weighing sheep with a phone camera 10:21 - Genetics and EID tags 10:42 - Getting young people into farming 11:38 - The same problem in the trades 12:30 - Why wool over fibreglass 13:44 - Make a conscious choice 14:13 - Wrap up Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery Guests: Hamish and Gemma from High Peak Station 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

  6. Sep 27

    #67 Inside a Finished Foreverbreathe Home: Whio Homes at Springfield with James and Leesa - Part 2

    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

  7. Sep 20

    #67 Modular, Transportable and Foreverbreathe: Inside Whio Homes with James and Leesa - Part 1

    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

  8. Sep 13

    #66 Getting Trades on Board with a System That Won't Take Shortcuts with Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes - Part 2

    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

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About

Welcome to the Build Insite Podcast – back with Season 2 and a renewed mission to bring you raw, practical building insights from across Australia and beyond. Led by a passionate team of builders and industry professionals, we explore the latest in construction techniques, design innovation, and the tools shaping modern building. But this isn’t just a trade chat — it’s a space for real stories, sharp lessons, and conversations that go beyond the build. Beginning Season 2, we’re doubling down on what matters: Smarter, healthier homes Business strategies that support better living Technology and systems that future-proof your work The balance between building, business, and well-being From high-performance homes to behind-the-scenes of iconic builds, we’re spotlighting the people, ideas, and challenges driving the industry forward. Whether you’re just starting out or leading your crew, you’ll find something valuable here — every week. Let’s build better, together.

Information

  • Creator
    Build Insite
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Build Insite Podcast

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