Shows
The Built EnvironmentSydney Build Panel: How Builders Can Cut Carbon: Timber, Heat Pumps & Low-Carbon ConcreteRecorded live at Sydney Build, Dean is joined by Sean Bull (Xlam), Zac Kerr (Stiebel Eltron) and Dylan Viviers (Holcim) to explore how construction can meaningfully reduce carbon emissions.The panel unpacks the difference between embodied carbon and operational carbon, and where builders, designers and suppliers can take practical action today.From mass timber and prefabrication to heat pumps, solar integration and low-carbon concrete, the discussion focuses on collaboration, education and systems thinking over single silver bullet style solutions.In this episode:What mass timber and CLT are and how they store...
2026-03-1239 minThe Built EnvironmentVentilation Explained: Heat Recovery Systems & Airtight HomesThis is Part 2 of Dean’s conversation with Tom Stephenson from Stiebel Eltron. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, start there first.In this episode the conversation moves beyond heat pumps to the broader systems that make high-performance homes work — ventilation, airtightness, building fabric and energy management.Tom walks through the design of his own all-electric home, explaining how geothermal heating, ventilation with heat recovery, thermal storage and solar generation work together to reduce energy demand while improving comfort.The discussion also explores the practical realities of high-performance construction, including humidity management, coolin...
2026-03-1044 minThe Built EnvironmentHeat Pumps Explained: Efficient Hot Water, Heating & the All-Electric Home (Part 1)Dean sits down with Tom Stephenson from Stiebel Eltron to unpack heat pump technology and the role it plays in electrifying modern homes.Tom explains how heat pumps work, why they’re significantly more efficient than gas systems, and how pairing them with solar PV changes the way homes consume and store energy.They explore why improving building fabric should come before adding mechanical systems, and how architects, builders and developers are starting to rethink energy systems in residential construction.The conversation explores:How heat pumps workWhat Coefficient of Performance (COP) meansWhy he...
2026-03-0348 minThe Built EnvironmentEmbodied Carbon & Timber: The Case for Plantation ForestryDean sits down with Daniel Gudsell from Abodo to unpack timber, forestry and embodied carbon, and how material choices shape the long term impact of what we build.Daniel shares the origin story of Abodo, from exporting timber into the Pacific Islands to developing thermally modified radiata pine as an alternative to old growth hardwoods.Daniel also breaks down how fast growing plantation timber can store carbon more rapidly than slow growing species, and why the discussion needs to move beyond single issue sustainabilityThis episode is all about understanding forestry, carbon accounting...
2026-02-231h 14The Built EnvironmentCross Laminated Timber Explained: Carbon, Cost & ConstructionDean sits down with Sean Bull from Xlam to unpack cross laminated timber (CLT) — how it’s made, how it performs, and whether it can play a meaningful role in reducing embodied carbon across Australian construction.Sean shares his journey from structural engineering and post-tension concrete into the mass timber space, and explains how CLT panels are manufactured, pressed and machined in Australia using radiata pine sourced from PEFC-certified forests.The conversation explores:What CLT actually is and how it’s manufacturedFire resistance levels (FRLs) and performance pathwaysAcoustic considerations in multi-residential buildsEmbodied carbon vs biogen...
2026-02-161h 06The Built EnvironmentMould, Moisture Control & Airtightness in Modern ConstructionDean sits down with former builder and Passive House tradesman now working with Pro Clima, Stewart Scholten from Scholton Group, to talk about membranes, moisture management, airtightness and the shift happening in Australian construction.Stu shares his journey from carpentry apprenticeship through high-end residential construction, working with Bellavarde, delivering the first certified Passive House in the Northern Rivers, and transitioning into building science and product education.This episode is about understanding how better detailing, better science and better collaboration can lead to longer lasting buildings.In this episode:Why WRBs and membranes...
2026-02-091h 46The Built EnvironmentPassive House: Principles, Performance and Practical ApplicationPassive House is one of the most misunderstood concepts in residential construction... often dismissed as “too expensive,” “too European,” or “not suited to Australian climates.” In this episode, Dean sits down with Daniel Kress, founder of Smart Plus Academy, to talk about what Passive House is, how it works, and why builders need to understand it.Drawing on decades of experience across Germany, Ireland, Canada and Australia, Daniel explains the building physics behind comfort, airtightness, moisture control and energy use, and why most Australian homes still get these fundamentals wrong. The conversation also explores cost myths, window performance...
2026-02-021h 27The Built EnvironmentThe Home Warranty Mess: Caps, Claims & ConfusionIn Part Two of this massive conversation, Dean Bowen returns to unpack the most confusing, frustrating and misunderstood part of the building industry: Home Warranty Insurance in New South Wales.. why it exists, how it works, and why the system is failing both builders and homeowners.They get brutally honest about the bureaucratic mismanagement behind the scheme, the insolvency crisis driving record claims, the unrealistic $340,000 cap, and the growing gap between what homeowners think they’re protected against and what the insurance actually covers.If you’re a builder trying to navigate eligibility, caps, financial revi...
2025-12-151h 03The Built EnvironmentThe Truth About Builders Insurance: Costs, Claims & Cover You Actually NeedInsurance is one of the biggest blind spots in the construction industry and often the most expensive. In this episode, Dean sits down with Dean Bowen, founder of DLB Insurance & Risk Solutions, to unpack what builders actually need to know about contract works, liability, claims, premiums, and the risks most policies never explain.From why premiums have skyrocketed, to the truth about subbie injuries, internal labour-hire structures, and the massive gaps caused by facility broking, this conversation is a rare behind-the-scenes look at how insurance really works in construction..Whether you’re a new builder or...
2025-12-0854 minThe Built EnvironmentElectrification Explained: The 5 Key Pathways to Decarbonising Australian Homes with Saul GriffithElectrification seems to be the most practical, cost-effective pathway for Australian homes to cut emissions and save money.In this episode, Dean sits down with author, engineer and electrification advocate Saul Griffith to break down the real opportunities in front of us, and what we know is already working.They dig into the practical realities behind the headlines:Why rooftop solar is now so cheap in Australia and what that unlocksThe five big household decisions that determine nearly all your emissions“Machine turnover”: how simply replacing things as they fail gets us most of the...
2025-12-011h 22The Built EnvironmentLow Carbon Concrete & Building BiologyWe’re back with Zara D'cotta from The Healthy Home to continue our chat about designing and building healthier homes.This time, the conversation takes an unexpected turn, when Zara raises some concerns about low-carbon concrete. As a builder who’s used Holcim’s EcoPact mixes on site, he digs deeper to separate myth from material fact.After Zara’s segment, you’ll hear directly from Holcim in response to the claims, bringing real world data and onsite context to the discussion.In this episode:Picking up from Part 1: where health and sustainabi...
2025-11-241h 06The Built EnvironmentBuilding Healthier Homes: What the Industry’s Getting WrongConcrete and carbon get all the airtime, but over the next two weeks, we zoom in on the indoor environment.In part one of this chat, Dean talks with building biologist Zara D'Cotta about the five pillars of a healthy home (air, light, water, low-EMF, low-tox), what NCC 2022 condensation changes really mean on site, and the simple design choices that stop you building a mould pit.We'll be back with part two, next week.We cover:Zara’s backstory: cancer, mystery symptoms, and finding building biologyThe 5 pillars of a healthy homeNCC 2022 condensation ma...
2025-11-1756 minThe Built EnvironmentAre Solar and Batteries Reshaping the Future of Energy?From coal loaders to clean energy, Finn Peacock’s journey mirrors Australia’s shift toward renewables. In this episode, Dean sits down with the founder of SolarQuotes.com to unpack what’s really happening in the solar and battery space, and what builders, architects and homeowners need to know right now.They cover:Finn’s path from electrical engineer to solar expertThe truth about system quality, pricing and installer standardsHow to futureproof new builds with solar ready designCommon traps to avoid when choosing solar and batteriesThe rise of electrification and what it means for the building industry...
2025-11-101h 10The Built EnvironmentHow Low Carbon concrete Mixes Are Changing the GameConcrete might be the backbone of our built environment, but it’s also one of the world’s biggest emitters.In this episode, Dean sits down with Dylan Viviers from Holcim to unpack how low carbon concrete is reshaping the construction industry from the ground up.They dig into:What low-carbon concrete actually is (and how it performs on site)Busting the myths: strength, setting time, and costHolcim’s EcoPact range and how it achieves real carbon reductionsUsing recycled aggregate, admixtures, and new techThe road to net zero, and what builders, engineers and architects can do...
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