The Build Insite Podcast

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 - Introduction00:42 - Getting new products to market01:56 - Are builders the blocker?03:16 - Sharing the cost with the client03:57 - Why Circa and Bowens matter for new products05:19 - Too much choice, and using AI07:33 - The next five to 10 years08:01 - No inspection point for high performance09:20 - Passive House and the NCC as the minimum11:12 - How David's team has changed13:20 - Learning the whole system14:10 - Collaboration since COVID16:28 - Enough work to go around17:32 - What's next for Hycon Homes19:56 - Where to find Hydrowood and Hycon Homes
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:12 - Welcome to the Build Insite Podcast, live from the Bowens Expo01:17 - Julia and Hydrowood02:05 - Harvesting timber from under the water02:40 - The red tape behind it04:26 - David and Hycon Homes05:20 - From apprentice to builder06:58 - The biggest changes in the industry08:19 - The turning point: builder, teacher, builder again10:29 - What a SIP panel is11:12 - Recycled and reclaimed products13:01 - Clients who do their research14:42 - What Hydrowood is used for15:58 - Ground screws: working with the ground18:34 - Building the system as a family
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:30 - Welcome to the shearing shed at High Peak Station02:13 - Working with New Zealand farmers03:48 - What Terra Lana does04:29 - Wool in products you'd never expect06:17 - Where the business is focused now07:27 - Wool versus fibreglass: managing moisture08:53 - Fleece oddments and recycled carpet yarn10:50 - Thermal bonding and the warranty12:45 - Brad joins13:17 - Shifting the industry's habits16:37 - Market share and the architects17:25 - Getting the builder on board18:33 - A zero-waste factory19:21 - Recycling the plastic into posts21:06 - Earth and wool: what Terra Lana stands for23:04 - Mould and callbacks24:56 - Clearing up the misconceptions26:19 - The price, and what builders put in their own homes28:15 - Finding builders who value quality29:08 - How many sheep it takes29:50 - A message to Australian builders30:55 - What the upgrade costs33:04 - Where to find Terra Lana in Australia33:57 - Seeing the houses perform34:55 - The farms behind the wool35:36 - Wrap up
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:27 - Welcome to High Peak Station01:00 - 10,000 acres of sheep, deer and cattle01:46 - Breeding Perendales for meat and wool02:55 - How a fleece is graded, and what goes into insulation04:36 - Building a healthy home with wool05:51 - Asthma and a badly built house06:25 - Mould, and fibreglass in the roof06:58 - Running the station: staff and working dogs07:59 - AI and Halter collars on the farm08:55 - Weighing sheep with a phone camera10:21 - Genetics and EID tags10:42 - Getting young people into farming11:38 - The same problem in the trades12:30 - Why wool over fibreglass13:44 - Make a conscious choice14:13 - Wrap up
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:20 - Springfield, an hour out of Christchurch00:34 - A 70 square metre Piwakawaka adaptation00:54 - Foreverbreathe spec and a Knightons eucalypt floor01:24 - The attic space01:38 - Terra Lana, Magnum Board and LVL01:57 - Thermally modified decking02:20 - Delivered before Christmas on the back of a truck02:41 - Moving houses at night and planning the route03:46 - Getting a house to the West Coast04:30 - Walking the house04:51 - Gable vents and a roof space humidity vent05:31 - Warm roof against cold roof06:11 - The deck, the view and the client06:45 - Ten to twelve weeks, and livable in four days07:15 - Designing to the top of the snow load08:26 - Why every fixing is stainless09:47 - This is not a tiny home10:56 - Thermally broken aluminium windows11:09 - Bracing a big opening without an engineer12:11 - Oil finishes against polyurethane13:46 - Magnum Board floors, tiles and adhesives15:00 - The V groove, and not fighting the product17:32 - Attic storage in a small house17:50 - What you get in 70 square metres18:56 - A log burner for the power cuts19:37 - Solar fitted at the yard21:00 - When off grid beats a power connection21:49 - One small split system for the whole house22:06 - Full height doors23:20 - Front doors and uPVC24:55 - Foreverbreathe against Passive House26:04 - The energy modelling numbers27:14 - Why they don't chase airtightness28:50 - Carbon, off cuts and end of life30:46 - Wool insulation and the people installing it31:58 - The bedrooms and the bathroom32:40 - Hot water cylinders, inside or out33:44 - Underfloor heating on a timber floor38:05 - Scissor trusses and playing with volume38:48 - Where to find Whio Homes39:40 - What a whio actually is
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:42 - Day two in New Zealand: Whio Homes01:00 - Inside the 100 foot container barn01:24 - Detailing frames for a vertical sheet install02:16 - Build height, transport and getting the house out03:18 - Turnaround time and locking in selections early04:21 - Why code minimum is the bare minimum05:00 - Airtight homes and trapped off-gassing05:39 - The Foreverbreathe materials list07:19 - The dry bathroom from day one07:53 - A small team and managing growth08:41 - 12 to 15 homes a year, and scaling up09:25 - Why a barn beats a multi-million dollar factory11:02 - Piles, transport and setting the house on site12:43 - Fully finished before it leaves the yard13:23 - Delivered Tuesday, moved in by the weekend14:04 - Second dwellings and granny flat enquiries15:13 - Log burners and heating in the South Island16:27 - Magnum Board, silica and finishes18:04 - Cladding options21:01 - Windows: aluminium, uPVC and timber23:34 - Why bigger isn't better25:03 - Floor plans and designing with the client26:42 - Wrap up
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

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 - Introduction00:21 - Where the ForeverBreathe specification came from01:44 - Performing homes vs healthy homes02:33 - Live air quality readings inside the home03:45 - Off-gassing paint and the four-week sore eyes04:42 - Door handles, courier bags and TVOC spikes06:05 - Why Green Star and Homestar don't test for this07:25 - Getting plasterers and painters to follow the process09:20 - Why trades need certification to work with the system11:50 - Keeping installation in-house12:28 - The bathroom test: no humidity, no fogged mirror16:05 - Why the bathroom is never the cold room17:13 - Free heat from moisture: 1.4 watts per square metre18:38 - Homes that keep sequestering carbon after handover20:40 - What does a ForeverBreathe home cost?21:53 - Life away from the tools22:45 - Advice for young builders and apprentices24:35 - What's next for Premium Homes25:46 - Wrap up
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

First time the Build Insite Podcast has left Australian soil. And we've landed in Christchurch for a good reason.
This one's a special episode. Luke and Dean have packed the mics and headed across the ditch for a New Zealand road trip, made possible by McCormacks Australia. Huge shout out to Glenn and the McCormacks team for getting us over here. We're recording inside the Premium Homes display home in Christchurch, and a lot of the products you'll hear about are already available in Australia through McCormacks.
Our guests are Kelly and Andrew, school mates turned business partners who started Premium Homes nearly 20 years ago after Kelly, a sparky by trade, got sick of wiring houses that weren't plumb or square. They walk us through what the Christchurch earthquakes did to the local industry, how New Zealand's leaky home crisis unfolded, and why the push for airtight homes is setting up the next round of problems: sweaty walls, hidden mould and what the Americans have called sick building syndrome for two decades.
Then it's into the ForeverBreathe system itself. Magnum board inside and out, wool insulation in the middle, breathable paint, and no vapour barrier at all. It goes against everything most builders were taught, but the numbers on moisture handling, R value stability and energy performance are hard to argue with.
What you'll learn:- Why individually approved products can still fail as a system- How wool insulation holds moisture without losing its R value, and why fibreglass doesn't- What Magnum board does that plasterboard and building wrap can't- Why a breathable wall keeps timber drier than a sealed one- Who carries the risk when a designer specifies a wall build-up, and how a tested specification changes that
Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:33 - Build Insite lands in Christchurch01:26 - Meet Kelly and Andrew from Premium Homes02:42 - How the Christchurch earthquakes changed construction03:56 - Approved products, untested systems05:37 - What caused New Zealand's leaky home crisis07:38 - Sweaty homes, mould and sick building syndrome09:36 - Inside the ForeverBreathe wall system11:07 - Wool insulation vs fibreglass: moisture and R value14:05 - Letting moisture move through the wall16:16 - Why there's no building wrap17:28 - Putting Magnum board to the test18:50 - Where's the education on moisture and mould?20:26 - Getting designers and builders to change21:58 - Who owns the risk in a wall specification23:08 - Wrap up
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: 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

Two years out of his time and Jake's already running boys on site. Matt reckons the trick isn't finding good tradies, it's giving them a reason to stay.
Part 2 with Matt and Jake from MS Constructions picks up on what happens after the apprenticeship ends. Jake talks about stepping into project management, learning the construction manager's side of the job, and copping the odd older tradie who walks straight past him to talk to someone who looks the part.
Matt gets into the systems side of the business. He's brought WonderBuild and AI into MS Constructions with help from Adam at WonderOps, and his crew are now running site diaries, photos and timesheets from their phones. His reasoning is simple: automate the background so the office team can spend more actual time with clients.
There's also a solid stretch on why builders need to stop hiding. Matt's built a network of builders around Australia he can ring about anything, and both he and the hosts make the case that asking the same question to a different person is often what finally makes it click.
What You'll Learn- What the first few years after qualifying actually look like on site- How incentive structures can keep good carpenters in your business- Why upskilling your trades matters as much as upskilling your own team- How site diaries, photos and AI are changing rural building operations- Why Matt says business coaching changed his business tenfold- What both blokes would tell someone thinking about picking up the tools
Chapters00:00 – Introduction00:18 – Life After the Apprenticeship01:33 – Earning Respect as a Young Leader on Site02:22 – Incentives and Keeping Good People02:53 – Building Team Culture Outside of Work03:51 – The Four Hour Drive and What It Says About Education05:13 – Upskilling Your Trades, Not Just Your Carpenters05:51 – AI, WonderBuild and Site Systems08:28 – How WonderOps Helped Matt Get Started09:35 – Knowing Your Strengths and Asking for Help10:46 – Why You Should Ask the Same Question Twice12:24 – Life Outside the Business13:52 – The Changes Exciting Them Most Right Now14:31 – Advice for Anyone Starting Out15:38 – Where to Find MS Constructions
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: Matt & Jake  from MS Constructions
🎧 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

Five carpenters. Four hours in the car. One day off the tools. That's what education looks like when a builder actually means it.
Matt from MS Constructions has driven his team down from the Vic and New South Wales border to the Bowens Rethink Building Hub, and he's brought his qualified chippies and construction manager with him. Joining him is Jake, who did his apprenticeship under Matt and has since watched two major NCC changes land inside his first few years on the tools.
In Part 1, Matt talks openly about scaling the business back, why turnover stopped being the scoreboard, and how hiring for attitude instead of skill changed the way his crew shows up every day. Jake shares what it was like coming through an apprenticeship with no clue what he wanted to do, and what he's learning now about condensation, wraps and passive principles that simply weren't taught a few years ago.
There's also an honest conversation about mistakes. Matt reckons he doesn't trust a builder who says they've never had a problem, and he explains why pulling failed work apart with his team has become one of the most valuable training exercises in the business.
What You'll Learn:- Why hiring for attitude beats hiring for skill, and how culture holds a small team together- What scaling back actually did for build quality, client selection and stress levels- How working across two state licences forces a higher building standard- Why involving your whole team in code changes takes the pressure off the builder- How social media has become a client filter and a training tool at the same time- What condensation, mould and the NCC changes mean for builders who haven't updated their practices
Chapters00:00 – Introduction00:42 – Meet Matt and Jake from MS Constructions01:26 – Building Across Two State Borders03:28 – Why Matt Brought His Whole Team Four Hours05:06 – Jake's Apprenticeship Journey06:53 – How the Business Has Changed08:44 – Hiring for Attitude and Team Culture09:54 – Scaling Back and Choosing Quality Over Turnover11:17 – Using Social Media to Attract the Right Clients13:00 – Learning From Mistakes and Failed Work14:28 – NCC Changes, Wraps and Condensation16:25 – Why Builder Education Isn't Optional
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke CalleryGuests: Matt & Jake  from MS Constructions
🎧 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