Get It Right With Undercover Architect

Hello! This is Episode 344, and in it, I’m celebrating the 8th birthday of the Undercover Architect podcast. I can’t quite believe it’s been 8 years that I’ve been doing this. And given it’s been a while since I’ve done a solo episode, I thought I would take this episode to share some updates with you about home design, building and renovating, what we’re seeing in Undercover Architect, and life in general. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/344] And, in September we marked the 10th birthday of Undercover Architect itself. Combine that with it being December at the time of recording this, and coming up to the end of the year, it’s a great time to review, reflect, celebrate and plan. There’s three things in particular I want to chat about in this episode. The first is about HOW we live, and some conversations and research I’ve been doing lately, that I’m keen to understand if you’d like to hear more about. The second is abou

Hello! This is Episode 343, and I’m back with Cindy, HOME Method member, designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, giving us an update on her new build. We’re talking about her Smart Home System design, selection and specification, as she shares the details of including this in her new build project. And we also discuss how she’s worked with her build team to ensure the sustainable details - even those they may have never done before - are being correctly included and built in her home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/343] If you haven’t had the chance to hear the first part of this conversation, you can head back to Episode 342, and hear Cindy share details of how she’s navigated having the timber frame of her home exposed to the elements and wet weather for longer than anticipated. And what that meant for mould growth and remediating the frame before the project could continue.  This can be a big problem for many proj

Hello! This is Episode 342, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Cindy. Cindy is a HOME Method member, and she’s also a designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, who has designed her own new home which is currently under construction. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/342] Cindy was on the podcast about 5 months ago in Episodes 321 and 322, giving us her first update on her project, and sharing her design phase and early construction experience. She’s back to talk about some of the challenges that weather has brought for the construction process: in particular dealing with a wet timber frame that has grown mould, and needs to be remediated before the project continues. We’ve had a few members inside HOME Method navigating this challenge this year, as the weather has been wet for long periods of time in many parts of Australia, and that can wreak havoc on an exposed timber frame of a home during construction. Ti

Hello! This is Episode 341, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Sophie, about her Perth-based renovation of a 2 bedroom Californian bungalow into a beautiful home for her and her family. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/341] If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Sophie, be sure to head to Episode 340 to catch up now. You can find it at www.undercoverarchitect.com/340 and there’s a full transcript there as well. In this episode, Sophie shares how they tested the design, and there’s some really great methods that Sophie and her partner used to gain confidence they were making the right choices, in everything from the layout of the home, to the size of specific cupboards and joinery design. Sophie also talks about their budget, and how she set it, went about managing it, tracking it and staying on track across her project duration. And Sophie shares a great way she helped herself m

Hello! This is Episode 340, and in it, I’m talking with homeowner and HOME Method member, Sophie, about the renovation of her Californian bungalow in Perth, Western Australia. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/340] Sophie and her partner finished their renovation project in April 2023, just 6 weeks before they welcomed their first child, a baby girl, into the world, and brought her home to their newly created renovation.  There’s nothing like a baby’s due date to put pressure on project deadlines! And, if you don’t have kids already, it can be tricky to design a home that will suit a growing and changing family, especially over the long term. However, as you’ll learn from my conversation with Sophie, she has so much helpful information to share about how she and her partner: purchased the right property to renovate how they thought about their design how they selected their team and the way she navigated her projec

Hello! This is Episode 339, and I’m continuing my conversation with Jan and Landon about their new build in Sydney’s north on an amazing site that’s been in Landon’s family for many years. In fact, it’s where Landon grew up, and after 39 years of living together in another part of Sydney, Jan and Landon are selling up, and moving to this location they both love and have a strong connection with, to build a new, Passive House home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/339] Jan and Landon are both in their 70s and are retired teachers. And their project has an amazing range of specific demands including how they’ll age well and healthily, still being able to live an active life, whilst preparing for various scenarios that may occur. And also be able to accommodate family, especially adult grandchildren who also live or stay with them. If you missed Part 1 of my conversation with Jan and Landon, head back to Episode 338 to catch

Hello! This is Episode 338, and in it, I’m speaking with Jan and Landon about the new home they’re planning to build on an amazing site in Sydney’s north. Jan and Landon are a super interesting couple with a really interesting project. For starters, they’re both 73 years old as they embark on this ambitious project of building a new home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/336] They’re selling their home of 39 years, and they’re moving to a different part of Sydney to build their new home. However they’re building on a site they have a lot of history and connection with, as the block they’re building on has been in Landon’s family for over 70 years. Jan and Landon are designing and building their home as a passive house, and they’re working with a Passive House builder that uses prefabrication to manage the quality, consistency and timeliness of their projects.  They’re currently in the design phase, and their architect and

Hello! This is Episode 337 and in it, I continue my conversation with HOME Method member, Ellen.  Their new build project is underway in Ballarat, Victoria, and it’s for herself, her partner and their two teenage kids. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/337] If you missed Part 1 of my conversation, be sure to head back to Episode 336 and catch up there. In that episode, Ellen shares how they found their home, made the decision to do a knockdown rebuild, and their design journey as well. You can listen or download the PDF transcript by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/336 In this project update, you’ll hear more about how she chose their builder, and moved their project into construction, making their selections along the way. Ellen is also a psychologist by profession, so she shares more amazing insights about some psychological aspects of making a project like this happen. The way she explains them is so helpful for

Hello! This is Episode 336 and in it, you’re going to meet HOME Method member, Ellen. She and her partner are building a new home in Ballarat, Victoria and have a really interesting project journey to share. Ellen and her partner bought their property with the view to do a knock-down rebuild. However, as it can, life got in the way, and time passed, with their project taking longer than expected. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/336] Ellen shares more about this, and how she’s navigated her project to maintain momentum, managed the uncertainty along the way, and is achieving the outcome that’s being realised in their home, which is now under construction. Ellen is also a psychologist by profession - so it’s also super interesting to hear her also share her insights into the psychological aspects of navigating a project journey.  I loved this conversation, and I hope you do too. Remember, if you’d like to grab a full trans

Hello! This is Episode 335, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with Andy Pace from The Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA, where we dive into the most impactful decisions in a new build when creating a healthy home. We also discuss improving indoor air quality, how to support your health and well-being through your project choices and decisions, and the process Andy uses to audit the integrity of the products he stocks at The Green Design Center. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/335]. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of our conversation, it’s definitely worth catching up on first. Head back to Episode 334, or download the free transcript at www.undercoverarchitect.com/334. Andy Pace is a Healthy Home Concierge and Founder of The Green Design Center, a leading resource for homeowners and contractors looking to source products that are healthy and green, and receive expert consulting advice on designing and build

Hello! This is Episode 334, and in it, I’m talking with Andy Pace from the Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA. Andy is joining me to talk about his role as a Healthy Home Concierge and Founder of The Green Design Center, and how he helps and works with homeowners in all locations, to not only supply healthy and sustainable building products and materials, but also provide advice through consultancy, on what’s required to achieve a healthy outcome for both existing and new homes. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/334]. When Andy reached out to connect and chat about coming on the podcast, I thought it was a really great opportunity to compare notes, and discuss the evolution of green and healthy building practices.  We’ve both got over 30 years industry experience, but on opposite sides of the globe. And so, it was brilliant to have this conversation, and discuss the exciting developments we’ve seen in the industry as th

Hello! This is Episode 333, and in it, I’m sharing information about an amazing company that’s Australia’s leader in textile recovery and recycling. UPPAREL, based in Melbourne, Victoria, is a BCorp Certified company, and is an award-winning leader in textile recovery and recycling, providing convenient solutions to textile waste for both consumers and businesses. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/333]. UPPAREL first came onto my radar when previous podcast guest, Joost Bakker, shared some of their incredible products on social media.  As Joost is super passionate about zero waste products, he was at the UPPAREL Factory and showing the panels being made from recycled textiles, and it was amazing to see the process and the volume of waste UPPAREL are able to recycle. Waste that would normally go to landfill. So, I knew I wanted to get UPPAREL on the podcast, and put them on your radar, as i think there’s some really excitin

Hello! This is Episode 332, and I’m back with HOME Method member, Elizabeth, and discussing the renovation of her brick home in a Bushfire BAL Rated Flame Zone area. In this episode, we talk more about the investigations Elizabeth will be doing as she dives into her renovation project, and my suggestions on how to keep working to her ideal project timeline.  We also talk through some of the renovation decisions she’s making based on the home being in a BAL Flame Zone area.  [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/332.] If you missed Part 1 of my conversation, you can listen to it in Episode 331. You’ll hear how Elizabeth and her family came to purchase this home, who it's being renovated for and her intentions for it. You’ll find that at www.undercoverarchitect.com/331. We share Part 2 in this episode, and you’ll get to hear more about the construction of the existing home, what that means for renovating it, and the various prod

Hello! This is Episode 331, and I’m looking forward to introducing you to HOME Method member, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has been one of our long-time members, having joined HOME Method, or an earlier iteration of the program, almost 5 years ago in 2019. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/331] In the world of online businesses, that’s a long time … but for me as an architect having worked in this industry since 1994, it doesn’t feel that long!! Elizabeth’s story is a really interesting one, because when she joined, she didn’t know what kind of project she was going to be working on, or where, or with who. You see, Elizabeth’s home sits on land that was rezoned some years ago, which meant that a move was going to be on the cards, but there were a few hurdles to jump through first. Elizabeth decided not to wait for those hurdles, and instead start upskilling herself, so that when they needed to act, she could feel much more comfort

Hello! This is Episode 330. In it, I continue my conversation with Angela, a Tasmanian HOME Method member, currently kicking off the design phase of her project. She and her partner have decided that, instead of doing the knock-down rebuild of their home as was originally planned, they are undertaking a more efficient and lower cost renovation of the existing home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/330] If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Angela and how they arrived at this decision, I encourage you to check out Episode 329. You can find it at www.undercoverarchitect.com/329 and hear what drove their project change after initial discussions about a new build with a local builder. In this episode, we learn more about the design process, and some of the specific renovation preparation Angela has been undertaking to explore the condition and energy efficiency of the existing home. You’ll also hear me giv

Hello! This is Episode 329. In it, you’re going to meet Angela. She and her partner own a block of land with an existing home on it in Tasmania, and after purchasing the home, they started their project journey with the plan to demolish the home and build a new one - otherwise known as a ‘Knock Down Rebuild’ or KDRB! However, once they lived in the home for a little while, their ideas changed. And what was to be a knock-down rebuild project of a new home, has morphed into a planned renovation of the existing home.  [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/329] I think you’ll find it super interesting to hear how Angela and her partner arrived at this project change, and how they’ve sought help and support so they can make informed decisions about creating the right result for them, their budget and their long-term plans. Remember, if you’d like to grab a full transcript of this episode, you can find that by heading to www.underco

Hello! This is Episode 328, and it’s part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Janet, about the pre-build and build phases of her project.  Janet and her partner Paul, have been building a new home in Brisbane on a tricky site, and it’s almost finished! And this is our chance to hear how the construction process has gone. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/328] If you haven’t listened to the first part of my conversation with Janet in Episode 327, head there to bring yourself up to speed. You can find it at https://undercoverarchitect.com/327 to listen or download the transcript. In this Episode, Janet shares with us how their construction process has been. At the time of recording this episode, Janet and Paul are only a few weeks away from moving into their new home.  For many, this can be a time full of stories about battle scars, as homeowners recover from a stressful experience and recount horror stories of a t

Hello! This is Episode 327, and I’ve brought Janet back to talk more about her project of building a new home on a challenging block for her family in Brisbane, Queensland.  We’re talking all about how they selected their builder, tendered their project, made their selections and got ready for construction. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/327] We first met Janet back in Episode 319 and Episode 320, where Janet shared how she and her partner Paul, and their 3 children, started on their project journey in 2021.   Janet shared that they’d lived in their existing home for almost 19 years, and renovated it whilst their two oldest kids were really little.  Janet felt, in hindsight, they rushed it, and now were living in a home that isn’t adapting to the changing demands of family life.  AND she knew they didn’t want to renovate it again, as they felt they’d have to undo things to make the necessary changes. Whilst investigatin

Hello! This is Episode 326, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, June, about their new build of their retirement home in the West Australian coastal town of Green Head. Whilst living remotely from the site - 3.5 hours away. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/326] If you haven’t listened to Part 1, be sure to head back to Episode 325, where you’ll hear June discuss how they thought about ageing in place in their design, and the decisions they made for their coastal location with its harsher conditions. You can find the episode and a downloadable transcript at www.undercoverarchitect.com/325. In this episode, we dive into some of the details of windows and external cladding, and choices made for the location’s conditions and climate resilience.  June discusses how she worked with her team, and her realisation that she didn’t have to be the one to solve all the problems whilst she ensured she was getting

Hello! This is Episode 325, and in it, you’ll meet HOME Method member June, who at the time of recording our conversation, is only a few weeks away from moving into her new home in Western Australia with her partner. June and her partner are both researchers professionally, so when building a new home, you can imagine that their approach involved researching and getting informed so they could navigate their project confidently. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/325] After living in copious rentals as they moved around for work, June and her partner found their ideal lifestyle location on the coast of Western Australia, where they decided to build their new home.  This is their retirement home, so it’s designed for ageing in place. They also wanted it to be low maintenance, highly energy efficient, and built using passive solar and Passive House principles.  In addition, they wanted this home to be pet friendly, climate res