Made To Build by HIA
Episodes
The Digital Apprentice: AI for builders, explained
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can builders use AI like an apprentice? This is AI for builders explained. In this episode, business strategist Therese Tarlinton breaks down what’s...
How This ‘Flying’ Roof Got Built and won VIC Home of the Year | Made to Build Podcast HIA
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The client wanted a wine cellar. It turned into a full-scale Home of the Year build. Mark Supple from Mazzei breaks down delivering a complex home on...
Designing Smarter: Solving the Missing Middle Housing Crisis
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Housing policy, planning constraints and industry ego are stalling the homes we actually need. Architect AJ Bala, Director of DNA Architects, unpac...
Why Modular Isn’t Cheap Prefab — It’s Tight, Controlled, and Repeatable
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Clients are asking for prefab — but most builders are still picturing cheap boxes and design limits. This episode clears things up.Steve Bridger, fo...
Bad Sites Lose Good People: Jo Farrell on the Behaviours That Matter
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Good people are leaving worksites. Productivity cops it. Culture is usually why. In this episode, carpenter and Build Like a Girl founder Joanne “Jo...
Momentum Over Margin – Choosing the Right Systems, People and Purpose for a Boutique Build Business
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Get a practical look at running a business like an engine, so you’re not just wearing every hat. Caleb Adams, founder of Pilgrim Homes, follows the ...
Building Better Cities: How Australia Can Cut Carbon and Meet Housing Demand
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What can we learn from international cities to build more affordable, sustainable communities? Professor Philip Oldfield explains how 15-minute cities...
The Tradie Trap: Why Most Builders End up Owning a Job, Not a Business
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re flat-out but still not getting ahead, this episode shows you the way out. Andy and Angela Smith from Lifestyle Tradie break down the sys...
Behind the Build: Award-Winning Renovation of 1900s Heritage Home by Build Theory
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Look behind the build of a 1900s heritage villa with brothers Hamish and Jed Villis of SA’s Build Theory. They transformed a run-down city house...
3D Printed Houses: How Dune Build’s Innovative Concrete Tech Works
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
3D-printed homes are here thanks to Ballarat-based duo Paige Gercovich and Ash Quiddington from Dune Build, one of Australia’s first companies using...
From Blueprint to Brand: The Builders Wife & King Homes Story | Made to Build Podcast
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Veronica and Mark King from King Homes NSW pull back the curtain on what it’s really like running a family building business together. From grow...
Renovation TV vs Reality: Setting the Record Straight with James Treble
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Builders don’t get second takes. Interior designer and TV personality, James Treble, calls out the myths of reality TV, budget traps, and tips to ke...
Apprentices: New Ways to Train & Recruit the Best Young Builders
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Builder Rob Watchorn has trained plenty of apprentices and learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t. Rob shares real-world ways to engage...
Surfside House: An Epic Coastal Build | 2024 HIA-CSR NSW Home of the Year
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Go behind the scenes of the Surfside House in Avalon Beach, crowned 2024 HIA-CSR NSW Home of the Year. Builder Joel Jones shares the challenges and tr...
Connected ‘Smart’ Kitchens and Bathrooms: What’s Next For Home Design
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin Hepper, Kitchens and Bathrooms specialist, unpacks how futuristic connected homes (where kitchens can ‘talk’ to bathrooms) are closer than y...
How HIA's 2025 Australian Home of the Year was built in 10 Months!
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Architect and builder Sarah Waller shares how she built HIA's 2025 Australian Home of the Year in only 10 months. 'Blackwood' is a clean, ...
Scaling with smarter systems – Tips from building 40+ custom homes a year
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Good trades stick around when the boss is hands-on and leads by example. Anthony Karlovic of First Avenue Homes didn't do a traditional apprenticeship...
Ditching old-school thinking & building better teams with CRA Construction
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Allen, CEO of CRA Construction, shares how she stepped up from the office to lead a growing team - and why hiring more women made business sense. ...
How to build a business you could sell - even if you never will
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Branding that stands for something. A bible for your build quality. Leaders who lift the load. Ryan Goodwin from Mode Group lays out how to build a bu...
Renovation Reality Check: Patrick McDowell (McDowell Building) | Made to Build Podcast
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick from McDowell Building chats about renovations - how to handle dust, noise, and tricky old homes. He’s big on clear plans, honest chats with...
Growth Pains, Design Trends & Next-Gen Builders
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We pitched the mics on the expo floor at National Conference and squeezed three sharp chats into one hour: Merrick Watts – comic-turned-entrepreneur...
Future Focus — HIA Presidents’ Take, 10-Star Builds, and One Bold Career Move
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We rolled the mics to HIA National Conference and stitched three chats into a one-hour bonus ep. Featuring: Ian Hazan & Debbie Johnson (HIA Presid...
One Roof, No Surprises - The Tass Design-Construct Model
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Aaron Tass were done with plans changing after the slab was poured, so they put the architect’s desk next to the builder’s. A multi-award ...
Power Shift — How Anthony Igmen Helps Builders Nail Electrification
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Solar used to be a “nice‑to‑have.” Now tougher NCC energy‑efficiency targets are steering every new build toward full electrification. Antho...
The 1% Rule — Why the Little Things Matter in Building Better
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Callery is a builder on a mission to make homes perform better — and help other builders do the same. In this ep, he shares how chasing the ‘...
Hyperfocus & Hustle - How Neil Hipwell Built FutureFlip From the Ground Up
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Neil Hipwell left school at 14, started hiring tradies by 20, and built FutureFlip into one of the most recognised design and build companies in the c...
This is 'Made To Build'
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Made To Build. The voices shaping the future of residential building in Australia. Each ep brings you the stories, lessons, and practical ...