Hey, Legends! In the latest episode of The Building Talks Podcast, we're venturing into the fascinating world of data centres, a booming asset class making waves in Australia's development landscape. To unravel the mysteries, I had the pleasure of chatting with Simon McFadden, Industry Director at Aurecon, the International Consulting Engineering firm. Simon, with his wealth of experience, shares insights into what data centres are, their growth drivers, and the unique challenges in...

Hey Legends! Buckle up for a seriously cool chat in our latest episode! I hung out with Phil Hendy, the brains behind Innovation and Continuous Improvement at McConnell Dowell and also a Director of 'Lean Construction ANZ' (aka LCANZ).  Phil's breaking ground as our first guest from the civil infrastructure engineering scene, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. We dove deep into the world of 'Lean' construction—think principles, attitudes, and clever problem-solving approaches....

Hey, Legends! This week, we've got a treat for you – the return of Jono Conley, the Director of Concise Recruitment, who rocked our podcast last year with one of the top five episodes! We go way back, so this episode has more of a matey vibe. Ignore any tech hiccups (such as 'Frank' my dog barking at a delivery driver) – just two mates having a chat. We delve into the past 12 months, offer a sneak peek into what 2024 might unfold, and share insights on career moves, CV crafting, and the...

Hey, folks! This week, I took a stroll into the academic side of construction with a laid-back chat featuring Matt Stevens, Senior Lecturer for construction at Western Sydney University. Matt, who's also a VP and fellow of the Australian Institute of Building, might not be swinging the hammers right now, but his academic insights into the construction world are golden. We dove into topics like what drives students entering the industry, how to keep academic syllabuses relevant, and a bunch of...

Hey, folks!  This week on the podcast, I had a ripper of a chat with Nick Hewson, the brain behind Arboralis.  Nick's journey from structural engineer to a timber maestro is a story worth tuning in for.  Arboralis is his brainchild, fuelled by a love for all things mass timber and engineered goodness. We rolled up our sleeves and got into the nitty-gritty of wood—engineered timber, cross-laminated timber (CLT), you name it. Nick spilled the beans on how it's made, where it's made, and the...

In our latest podcast, I sat down with one of the industry's most highly regarded leaders, Matthew Mackey, from Arcadis, and dived headfirst into the world of Aussie construction. If you're a construction enthusiast, this one's for you – it's like striking gold (Coast). We went deep into the future of Queensland's construction scene, which is about to explode! Matthew spilled the beans on all the upcoming projects, what they mean, the hurdles, and how they'll shake things up. But we didn't...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Mark Hughes, a true legend in the construction world. With over 40 years of experience, he's left his mark on big-name projects with companies like Leightons, Mirvac, Multiplex, Probuild, John Holland, Kane, and more. Our conversation was a deep dive into the life of a Senior Site Manager, and Mark shared insights that can't be found in textbooks. Mark's journey, from building connections with tradespeople to what it takes to excel as a...

This week, I had a fantastic chat with Jeremy McLeod, a familiar name in Melbourne's architecture scene. He's the brains behind Breathe Architecture, known for their awesome sustainable designs in various projects, especially affordable urban housing in Melbourne.  Jeremy is also the Founder of Nightingale Housing, the specialist nonprofit property development company, specialising in affordable housing. During our chat, Jeremy spilled the beans on how he ended up in architecture, almost...

This week, I enjoyed chatting with another Martin - Martin Fenn. Martin is the Lead for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) for the 'Chartered Institute of Building' across the entire Oceania Region.   He is widely regarded within the MMC / DfMA space and focusses his work on enhancing Modern Methods of Construction and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) processes and the benefits of this form of construction. He actually began his career 'on the tools', working as a carpenter. From...

This week, I had a great chat with Ryan Treweek. If you're in the construction biz, Ryan's probably a familiar name. He spent a chunk of his career at Multiplex, where he wore different hats, starting as a Contract Administrator, then moving into contract and commercial management.  Later, he ventured into the exciting world of business development with Icon, where he stayed for quite some time.  Recently, Ryan stepped into the role of Director at Visibuild, which we'll dive into during the...

It was great to have a chat today with Liam Casey, who's the Pre-Construction Manager at Alchemy Construct. Our conversation delved into various topics, we began discussing the current state of the recruitment market and the negative consequences when construction professionals choose to change jobs too frequently. When it comes to career development, we talked about Liam's journey into estimating, the setbacks he encountered, how he overcame them and making the best of opportunities when...

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Ball, the Principal Architect for the education and science sector at Woods Bagot. With her extensive expertise in the built environment, Sarah offered valuable insights into the design and development of projects within this sector.  During our conversation, we delved into her career journey, discussing how she entered the field of architecture. We also explored various aspects of architecture, including fee structures, the distinction...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eliza Carbines, the Founding Director of Tender Relief.  Eliza brings a wealth of experience in tender and bid management, spanning across various industries, including the built environment.  Tender Relief was established around five years ago and specialises in understanding, supporting and delivering tenders that appeal to procurement requirements in any market. During our conversation, we delved into the nuances between public and private...

This week, I had an insightful discussion with Belinda Coates, a well-known figure in the industry who has made a significant impact within the built environment space. Belinda currently serves as the CEO of leading Engineering firm, ADP Consulting. Her impressive career includes being a Founder and Director of TEN Women, a previous role as Director of Client and Strategy at Slattery, and various positions at Woods Bagot, Hassell, and even in the legal sector. We delved into her background,...

This week, I had the pleasure of having a chat with Hacia Atherton, whose family has a proud legacy in the trades industry that spans multiple generations.  Her great great grandfather played a pivotal role in championing eight-hour working days for the industry.  Today, Hacia is the founder of Empowered Women in Trades, a company committed to promoting gender diversity in the trades.  Our discussion revolved around the importance of boosting the representation of women in these fields and...

In this week's episode, I had a captivating conversation with Robert Sobyra, who is Head of Policy, at the Australian Constructors Association (ACA).  Rob's unique position allowed us to delve into the data and insights behind the current state of the horizontal (commercial buildings) and vertical (infrastructure) construction market.   As the Head of Policy, he possesses an in-depth understanding of the facts that lie beneath the headlines.  We explored pressing topics such as the housing...

In this week's episode, I was joined by Sonya Miller, the Founding Director of Armitage Jones, the Consulting Project Management and Development Firm, and Dynamic Property Group, a boutique property development business.  Sonya and I had a wide-ranging conversation about her experiences in the construction and property industry.  We discussed how she progressed into then progressing her career, some of the challenges faced by the industry, managing risk and how it affects the market and...

In this podcast episode, I was joined by Mark Flynn, the Owner and Founder of the specialised brick, block and masonry subcontractor, Brickit.  During this conversation, we talked a little bit about Mark's background, setting up a sub-contracting business, looking for good clients to partner with, and his view of successfully delivering works on a construction site. Having worked on a couple of Seasons of Channel Nine's The Block, we touched upon those experiences and how over the last few...

In this week's episode, Sean Ryan, the Development Director of Greystar, joined me for a discussion. Greystar is an international multifaceted real estate organisation and one of the largest Build-to-Rent developers in the industry.  During our conversation, Sean shared insights about his career journey, starting with his background in Structural Engineering and how he transitioned into development. He discussed the process of developing his knowledge, expertise, and experience in the field...

In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Cian Brennan, the Managing Director of Quantum Contract Solutions.  Cian has an extensive experience in the construction industry, having worked in Ireland, the Middle East, and Australia. His company now operates in New Zealand, Australia, and the US, supporting building firms with signing lower risk contracts, improving cash flow, and increasing profit margin. He has spent nearly two decades in the industry, beginning his career...

In this week's episode, I was joined by David De Propertis, Director of Essence Project Management, a national project management consulting company with offices in Sydney, Brisbane and of course, Melbourne! David has a unique perspective on the industry. He began his career as a Quantity Surveyor in the consulting QS space, before stepping across to work within head contracting; initially as a Cost Planner, before moving into a Development Management/Project Management position over his...

In this week's podcast episode, we’re joined by Mike Ashcroft.  Mike is one of the Co-founders of EstimateOne, the web-based tendering platform that many construction professionals in Australia (especially those involved in estimating), will have been using (or at least, aware of), for a number of years. EstimateOne is an Australian software company, which provides the construction industry with easier access and a more efficient tendering process and engagement between head contractors, and...

In this week's podcast episode, we speak with David Caputo & Andrew Deveson, the Founders and Directors of Kapitol Group, the No1 Best Company to work for in Australia (2022) and who join us in this episode to celebrate their 5th birthday as a company. We talked about their background in Construction prior to founding Kapitol Group, how they turned the challenges provided by the Covid lockdowns, into positives and how they have grown the company to a $400M business, in such a short...

In this first episode of Season 3, I was joined by Simon McCarthy, Principal Engineer and Adam Jordan, the Asia Pacific Lead who both work at Bryden Wood.  A multi-national company and a pioneer in the MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) and the Platform approach to DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly). In this episode of the podcast, we discuss the difference between MMC and DfMA, on-site vs off-site construction, the uptake of MMC in Australia and the capabilities influences and...

In this week's podcast episode, we speak with Jono Conley, the Director of Concise Recruitment and one of Melbourne's most successful recruiters in the commercial construction building space. Jono has the best part of 20 years of expertise recruiting in the construction industry, both here in Melbourne and in the UK.  He is well known for his honest and straight-shooting communication style and for getting straight to the point in any topic. He is an expert in the field and has extensive...