Get It Right With Undercover Architect

Hello! This is Episode 239, and in it, I’m speaking with Hamish White from Sanctum Homes, a Melbourne-based building business specialising in passive house, sustainable and high performance homes. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/239] If you’re considering a Passive House or you’re already designing one, or you simply want to know more about the non-negotiables in building a high performance, comfortable and sustainable home, you’ll find this episode really helpful. And, if you’re interested in building with Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs, or you’ve been investigating Hempcrete as an alternative, then definitely stay tuned. Plus, you’ll also hear how powerful it can be to have a builder involved in the pre-construction phase, as Hamish talks through the way they make this work with their clients. I first came across Hamish and Sanctum Homes via social media, and specifically

Hello! This is Episode 238, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with Jane Hilliard. Jane is the Founding Director and Head Designer at Tasmanian based design studio, Designful. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/238] This is Part 2 of my interview with Jane, so if you haven’t listened to Part 1, pause this episode, and head back to Episode 237. And you can find that by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/237. In this episode, I continue talking with Jane, and we start by discussing how she helps clients stay on track with their initial design and lifestyle goals.  We also discuss the specific design strategies that Designful use to keep their homes compact, yet spacious and super functional. Plus, we talk about their accessible, pre-designed floor plans available through their business Homeful. Jane has some amazing and super actionable information to share in this episode, so I’m really look

Hello! This is Episode 237, and in it, I’m speaking with Jane Hilliard. Jane is the Founding Director and Head Designer at Tasmanian based design studio, Designful.  [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/237] I’m so excited to be bringing Jane to the podcast, because she and her team have the most inspiring and fantastic way to consider and navigate your home design journey, wherever you’re located. I first came across Designful’s work last year, and since then, have been really enjoying the projects they create, and the ethos their work is founded on.  If you’re wanting to design, build and renovate a sustainable home that truly reflects you, supports your lifestyle and creates a haven for you and your family … and you’re curious about what that means for your design journey, I think this episode will be super helpful for you. I can’t wait for you to hear what Jane Hi

Hello! This is Episode 236, and this is Part 3 of my conversation with James Cornell from Life Panels, and we discuss the topic of home insulation. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/236] If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to head back to Episode 234, where you’ll hear James discuss thermal performance and understanding the airtightness and breathability of your home. You can find it by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/234 And if you haven’t listened to Part 2, where we discussed moisture control, thermal mass and other means of overheating control, check out www.undercoverarchitect.com/235 In this episode, James wraps up his conversation with me by discussing insulation for acoustic and fire protection. We also talk about R-Values, and you’ll learn more about the specifics of the Wood Fibre products that Life Panels supplies. James Cornell has been an industry expert on the topic o

Hello! This is Episode 235, and this is Part 2 of my conversation with James Cornell from Life Panels. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/235] If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to head back to Episode 234, where you’ll hear James discuss thermal performance and understanding the airtightness and breathability of your home.  In this episode, James will continue sharing his wealth of knowledge on how to improve your home’s building envelope and create an energy efficient and thermally comfortable home through your selection of building materials for the floors, walls and roof of your home. We’re talking about thermal mass, and things such as relative humidity, and decrement delay. And if that sounds bamboozling - never fear - James will help us understand it much more simply.  Frankly, it’s awesome knowledge to have when discussing your home’s construction with your t

Hello! This is Episode 234, and in it, I’m kicking off a 3 part series of interviews with James Cornell from Life Panels, all about building healthier homes. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/234] James Cornell has been an industry expert on the topic of construction and sustainability for over 20 years. As a licensed builder and master carpenter, and also as a Passive House Certified Consultant, he has become increasingly interested in sustainable construction and the use of materials in creating a better way to build and, ultimately, live.  He’s also the founder and owner of Life Panels, a business that supplies sustainable wood fibre insulation and building systems for walls, roofs and floors of any residential projects. James has an amazing knack of demystifying the topics of building envelopes, building performance, and building science.  So, if you’re keen to understand more about how to c

Hello! This is Episode 233, and in it, I continue my conversation with Jeremy Spencer from Positive Footprints.  [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/233] This is Part 2 of my conversation about creating a sustainable, energy efficient and Carbon Zero home.  If you haven’t heard Episode 232 and Part 1 of the conversation, be sure to pause now, and go back and listen to it. And then you can come back to this episode once you do. In this episode, Jeremy shares more information on how to choose a sustainable builder, and how to consider various choices in your home to radically improve its energy efficiency and performance overall. This episode kicks off with me jumping back to a point Jeremy made in Part 1, or Episode 232, about heat pump air conditioning.  With space conditioning comprising 43% of a home’s energy use, making an efficient selection for your air conditioning can make a huge difference

Hello! This is Episode 232, and in it, I bring you a fantastic conversation with Jeremy Spencer, sustainable builder, thermal assessor and director of Positive Footprints.  [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/232] Jeremy and I talk about sustainability and energy efficiency in home renovation and building, but in a way I’ve not discussed in detail on the podcast before. Jeremy and his wife, through their design-build Melbourne-based business, Positive Footprints, specialise in Carbon Zero homes. This is their term for a home that is not only Net Zero, but also low in embodied energy.  What’s all that mean? Well, we’ll be discussing this in more detail, but in short - it means you have a home that produces more energy than it uses AND is considerate of how much energy went into the creation of the products, materials, fixtures and finishes it is constructed from. Which is great for you and the plan

Hello! This is Episode 231, and in it, I’ll be talking about what happens when you find mould in your home, how you should treat mould and what to do to remove mould from your home. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/231] I’m chatting to the amazing Alexx Stuart from Low Tox Life, who has a huge personal and professional knowledge and understanding of mould, and what happens when it’s in the home you live in, how it can impact you, and what you need to do to take care of it, and yourself. In this episode, I ask Alexx these questions: Why is mould something we need to be concerned about?  Is some mould worse than others? Can you have a 'little bit' of mould and it not be too harmful?  Apart from your home being inundated with flood waters, what other signs can there be that you may have mould in your home? What are the ways to get rid of mould from surfaces, soft furnishings, the building itself?

Hello! This is Episode 230, and in it, I’m going to be sharing one of Year 5’s most popular episodes and completing our celebration of 5 years of the “Get it Right” podcast. Back in Episode 219, I kicked off a 5th birthday celebration of the podcast, by rebooting some of the most popular and listened to episodes in each year of the podcast. And then I mixed that up with new episodes to share more information and updates on those specific topics.  It’s been great to receive messages from listeners who are hearing some of these older episodes for the first time, and also from those of you who’ve been here a while, but enjoyed revisiting the content I’ve shared and getting a refresher and reminder of what it covered. In the last episode, I shared info on whether now is the right time to build or renovate your home, and what you need to consider contractually to manage your risk in challenging times like these in our industry. If you haven’t listened to it, you

Hello! This is episode 229, and I thought it might be a good opportunity to answer a common question I’ve been getting a lot lately which is this: “With the way the industry is right now, with the price rises, and everyone so busy, is now the right time to do my project? Should I be starting my renovation or new build, or should I wait until things calm down a bit?” I don’t often do time-specific episodes here on the “Get it Right” podcast, as I like this information to be something that homeowners can get help from at any time.  However, we are in some pretty unusual times, and so I thought it might be helpful to discuss it here.  And as I’ve also been discussing HOME Method in the last couple of episodes, I thought that having this conversation with you about current scenarios and what to be aware of, will also give you a good insight into the types of conversations we get the opportunity to have in HOME Method.  Because that’s what happens in H

Hello! This is episode 228, and as with the last episode, I’ll be talking in more detail about HOME Method, the member community, the group support and covering some of the questions I’m frequently asked about the program. If you’ve been wanting to know more about HOME Method, and if it’s a fit for you and your project - then this will be a great episode for you.  And, this is a continuation of Episode 227, my last episode, where I covered what’s inside HOME Method. So if you haven’t listened to that yet, please check it out. If you’re curious about when is the right time to join HOME Method, or how easy or time consuming it is to navigate, then they’re some of the questions I’ll be answering in this episode. AND if you have NO interest in joining HOME Method, or perhaps you’re already a member of HOME Method, this episode will not necessarily be relevant for you.  Feel free to jump off and catch up on other episodes on the “Get it Ri

Hello! This is episode 227, and let me tell you right up front that I’m going to be talking about my flagship program, HOME Method. So, if you’ve ever been curious about what’s inside HOME Method, or considering whether it’s the right program for you to get support and help as you build or renovate your home, this episode will be perfect, because I’ll be sharing info on what’s inside HOME Method, and what you’ll learn from it. If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say “HOME Method”, but you’re planning to build or renovate your home, or you’ve already got your project planning underway, and you just wish you could get some step-by-step guidance, then stay tuned, as this may interest you. If you’re an existing HOME Method member - hello! And thank you for being here! I love love love working with the homeowners inside HOME Method, answering their questions, showing them the steps and seeing the amazing progress and result

Hello! This is the fifth and last mini-sode in our super special series titled “Home Design: 5 Steps Before You Begin”. This mini-sode is called “COMMUNICATION”.    These short and super actionable episodes will help you with the 5 steps you need to take BEFORE you begin your home design.    Be sure to download a free PDF transcript of this and the other four mini-sodes that are part of this series by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/5steps. You’ll also be able to access some additional resources and helpful links for your home design that I’ve included there.   Plus, I’m hosting a free live online workshop later this month. In it, I’ll be sharing the 4 factors that can make or break your project. This free workshop is a fantastic way to learn about the key things to focus on that will help you make your project a success, and the home you create one that works for you and your family.    So, if you’re listening to

Hello! This is the fourth mini-sode in our super special series titled “Home Design: 5 Steps Before You Begin”. This mini-sode is called “CONNECTION”.    These short and super actionable episodes will help you with the 5 steps you need to take BEFORE you begin your home design.    Be sure to download a free PDF transcript of this and the other four mini-sodes that are part of this series by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/5steps. You’ll also be able to access some additional resources and helpful links for your home design that I’ve included there.   Plus, I’m hosting a free live online workshop later this month. In it, I’ll be sharing the 4 factors that can make or break your project. This free workshop is a fantastic way to learn about the key things to focus on that will help you make your project a success, and the home you create one that works for you and your family.    So, if you’re listening to this podcas

Hello! This is the third mini-sode in our super special series titled “Home Design: 5 Steps Before You Begin”. This mini-sode is called “CONDITIONS”.    These short and super actionable episodes will help you with the 5 steps you need to take BEFORE you begin your home design.    Be sure to download a free PDF transcript of this and the other four mini-sodes that are part of this series by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/5steps. You’ll also be able to access some additional resources and helpful links for your home design that I’ve included there.   Plus, I’m hosting a free live online workshop later this month. In it, I’ll be sharing the 4 factors that can make or break your project. This free workshop is a fantastic way to learn about the key things to focus on that will help you make your project a success, and the home you create one that works for you and your family.    So, if you’re listening to this podcast

Hello! This is the second mini-sode in our super special series titled “Home Design: 5 Steps Before You Begin”. This mini-sode is called “COLLECT”.    These short and super actionable episodes will help you with the 5 steps you need to take BEFORE you begin your home design.    Be sure to download a free PDF transcript of this and the other four mini-sodes that are part of this series by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/5steps. You’ll also be able to access some additional resources and helpful links for your home design that I’ve included there.   Plus, I’m hosting a free live online workshop later this month. In it, I’ll be sharing the 4 factors that can make or break your project. This free workshop is a fantastic way to learn about the key things to focus on that will help you make your project a success, and the home you create one that works for you and your family.    So, if you’re listening to this podcast a

Hello! This is the first mini-sode in our super special series titled “Home Design: 5 Steps Before You Begin”. This mini-sode is called “CLARITY”.    These short and super actionable episodes will help you with the 5 steps you need to take BEFORE you begin your home design.    Be sure to download a free PDF transcript of this and the other four mini-sodes that are part of this series by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/5steps. You’ll also be able to access some additional resources and helpful links for your home design that I’ve included there.   Plus, I’m hosting a free live online workshop later this month. In it, I’ll be sharing the 4 factors that can make or break your project. This free workshop is a fantastic way to learn about the key things to focus on that will help you make your project a success, and the home you create one that works for you and your family.    So, if you’re listening to this podcast at

Hello! This is Episode 226, and in it, I’m going to be doing an update to one of Year 4’s most popular episodes and continuing our celebration of 5 years of the “Get it Right” podcast. In the last episode, I shared a reboot of the most popular episode from Year 4 of the podcast. It was from Season 11, which was called “Interior Design Basics”. And the episode was my interview with Karen Haller, who is a Colour Psychologist. It was a fantastic conversation all about how colour can enhance our lives in and beyond our homes, and our knowledge of colours, and how we respond to them, as a vehicle for creating environments that truly suit you and support you. If you haven’t listened to the reboot of that episode, it’s definitely worth checking it out. You can find it at www.undercoverarchitect.com/225 and there’s a free downloadable transcript available as well. In this episode, I’m going to be talking more about choosing colours for your home, and sharing

Hello! This is Episode 225, and in it, I’m going to be sharing one of Year 4’s most popular episodes and continuing our celebration of 5 years of the “Get it Right” podcast. This episode was from Season 11 of the podcast, which was called “Interior Design Basics”. Interior Design Basics was an incredible season where I discussed a huge range of information to know about the design and selection of the fixtures, fittings and finishes for the interior of your home. It was focussed on how to create a functional, durable, family home.  I’m passionate about the fact that styling and trends are something that can trigger ideas, but they’re not what creates timeless design or long term functionality.  And so, in Season 11, through the know-how of a great range of guests, and in sharing my own knowledge, the episodes go beyond the idea of interior styling, and into the performance, specification and detailing of your interiors so you can create a home that wil