Talking Architecture & Design

Episodes

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  Episode 319: Envirotecture director Talina Edwards, on designing sustainable, healthy and high-performance homes 27.10.2026 42m

  In this episode, we’ll talk about sustainability—but not simply as a checklist of energy ratings, materials, and technical performance. We’re looking at how sustainable design is evolving, what a genuinely regenerative approach to architecture might look like, and whether traditional models of designing, building, and inhabiting our homes still fit the future. Joining me is architect Talina Edwards, a director at Envirotecture, with more than 25 years’ experience in architecture and a p...
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  Episode 318: Liam O’Donohue, Managing Principal ANZ, Arup, on how AI is set to change the role of the engineer 20.10.2026 32m

  Engineering has traditionally been understood as a discipline focused on solving technical problems—designing structures, calculating loads, moving people and water, generating and distributing energy, and ensuring the infrastructure around us works safely and efficiently. But that role is changing. Engineers are increasingly asked to think beyond individual assets and projects—and instead consider how infrastructure interacts with cities, communities, the environment, technology, energy syst...
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  Episode 317: Architect & builder Clinton Cole on the big questions when it comes to designing sustainable homes 13.10.2026 37m

  Clinton Cole is a boundary-pushing architect and builder who believes we can all be a force for good. With industry-leading expertise in regenerative design, he creates premium homes that actively repair damage to our planet and give back to future generations. In the same spirit, he puts ethics and responsibility front and centre at CplusC, one of only five Australian architects to earn B Corp certification. Clinton holds two degrees in Architecture and is a registered Architect, a licenced...
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  Episode 316: Will Messiter from Sekisui House on housing affordability, prefab and modular houses and some ideas on fixing our house shortage 06.10.2026 8m

  In our first Shortcast in over two years, we talk with Will Messiter, Chief Operating Officer - Residential Communities and Home Building at Sekisui House Australia, at the company's manufacturing and assembly facility in southwest Sydney, about house building, the bottlenecks in Australia's building market, and how prefab and modular can offer a solution to our house affordability woes.
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  Episode 315: Jono Mountfort on how to reduce the carbon embodied in the materials and products used in the built environment 30.09.2026 42m

  As operational energy efficiency improves, attention is increasingly turning to embodied carbon—the emissions associated with extracting raw materials, manufacturing products, transporting them, installing them, and, ultimately, dealing with them at the end of their useful life. That puts materials and material innovation firmly at the centre of the conversation. Jonathan Mountfort, Creative Director at Autex Acoustics, has more than two decades of experience across design a...
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  Episode 314: Tara Veldman, Managing Director & Principal, Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) on how architecture can influence how people feel, heal and connect 23.09.2026 39m

  Tara Veldman, Managing Director and Principal at Billard Leece Partnership, has played a major role in growing BLP’s health architecture practice and has worked across hospitals, health hubs, research facilities, education precincts, and other complex environments. In 2025, Tara was named the inaugural recipient of the Australian Health Design Council Gold Medal, recognising her leadership and contribution to healthcare design in Australia and internationally. Her approach is part...
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  Episode 313: Kevin Hogan on the use of BIM and AI to reduce waste, improve productivity and change how buildings are delivered 15.09.2026 27m

  Kevin Hogan, Head of Design & Digital Engineering at Kapitol Group leads an in-house team of more than 20 digital engineers, design managers and architects, driving Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and the development of custom digital tools including Kapitol’s 3D Construction Tracker. He’s also become a leading voice across Australia’s construction sector, advocating for the practical use of BIM and artificial intelligence to reduce waste...
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  Episode 312: BVN chalks up a century of design & why this matters for them and the design industry 08.09.2026 13m

  We talk with BVN CEOS & principals, Ali Bounds, Principal & Co-CEO (Sydney) and Neil Logan, Principal & Co-CEO (Brisbane) about the signifance of BVN reaching its' 100th birthday. In August 1926, Arthur Bligh, BVNs founding principal, set in motion a trajectory of architectural endeavour defined by curiosity, reinvention and collective effort that has endured for 100 years. Through recession, war, boom times, low times and a new millennium, 44 principals have passed on the b...
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  Episode 311: Jocelyn Martin, Managing Director, Housing Industry Association on skills shortages & what the housing sector really needs 01.09.2026 51m

  After more than a decade with the HIA in senior leadership roles, Jocelyn Martin, Managing Director of the Housing Industry Association stepped into the organisation’s top position at a time when Australia’s housing sector is facing unprecedented pressure—from affordability and supply constraints to skills shortages, planning reform and the challenge of delivering enough homes for a growing population. In this episode, Jocelyn discussed her vision for HIA, the role of industry advocacy,...
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  Episode 310: Robert Sobyra from BuildSkills Australia on how to fix our building industry skills shortages 25.08.2026 38m

  Australia has committed to building 1.2 million new homes over five years, but there's one enormous obstacle standing in the way: people. According to BuildSkills Australia, the nation needs around 90,000 additional construction workers if we're to have any realistic chance of meeting that target. At the same time, automation, robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing are beginning to transform how buildings are designed and constructed. So, can technology solve our workforce crisi...
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  Episode 309: Renee Gigliotti, Associate Director at The Studio Collaborative* on transforming the hospitality spaces at Afterpay Arena 18.08.2026 18m

  In this episode, we're talking with Renee Gigliotti, Associate Director at The Studio Collaborative* at how thoughtful interior architecture can transform not just a venue, but the entire visitor experience. Australia's major entertainment venues are increasingly becoming destinations in their own right, where hospitality, technology, branding and design converge to create memorable experiences long before the main event begins. One of the latest examples is the transformati...
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  Episode 308: Associate Professor Andrea Sharam from RMIT University on why Australia's housing boom-and-bust cycle is holding back new homes 11.08.2026 30m

  Australia is facing one of its biggest housing challenges in decades, with the federal government's National Housing Accord aiming to deliver 1.2 million new homes by 2029. But what if the biggest obstacle isn't planning approvals, land supply, or even skills shortages? A major new report from RMIT University, prepared for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, argues that the industry's chronic boom-and-bust cycles are the real culprit—creating labour shortages during the...
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  Episode 307: Airport lounge design: Creating the best passenger experience beyond the terminal with Hassell duo Joanna Ho, interior designer and Rosie Morley, Principal 04.08.2026 39m

  For decades, airport lounges were viewed simply as waiting rooms for premium travellers. Today, they're something much more sophisticated—extensions of airline brands, wellness spaces, workplaces, hospitality venues and, increasingly, destinations in their own right. But what actually makes a great airport lounge? How do architects and designers balance luxury with durability, privacy with openness, and local identity with a consistent global brand? Joining us in this episode are Joanna Ho, i...
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  Episode 306: Decay and Play: Towards a living cemetery with architect & PhD graduate, Isabel Lasala 28.07.2026 24m

  According to PhD graduate Isabel Lasala, who is also an architect and landscape architect, and one of the directors of Lasala & Lasala Design Studio, "Cemeteries have long been central to our relationship with death, traditionally viewed as sacred and static places. "But what if we reimagined cemeteries as dynamic, hybrid spaces shaped by time, memory, and ecological processes? "Rather than viewing their gradual decay as failure, we could explore design-driven alternatives th...
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  Episode 305: Designing sustainably for health & wellbeing with Tamara White from WAM 21.07.2026 41m

  In this episode, sponsored by Autex Acoustics, we talk with Tamara White from Warren and Mahoney (WAM), whose work spans creating environments that support human performance, connection, and healthier futures. We discuss how designers are redefining what sustainable spaces look and feel like — and what that means for the people using them.” Our theme is on how can architects and designers create spaces that are not only environmentally sustainable, but actively support human...
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  Episode 304: Plus Studio Principal John Walsh on how shared-use & hybrid buildings are redefining design for density, community, and long-term value 14.07.2026 29m

  Drawing from his local and overseas architecture experience, recently appointed Plus Studio principal John Walsh, in this episode, unpacks how shared-use, hybrid buildings—blending education, civic, and commercial functions—are redefining how we design for density, community, and long-term value. From navigating security and adaptability to stretching the design brief for greater impact, this conversation looks at how architects can respond creatively to the pressures of urban growth.&n...
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  Episode 303: The wonders of straw-based panels with Derek Layfield, Managing Director of Durra Panel & Michael Jones, Studio Lead – Design at AJC Architects 07.07.2026 1h 12m

  Derek Layfield, Managing Director of Durra Panel, who has championed straw-based panel technology for decades, and Michael Jones, Studio Lead – Design at AJC Architects, a registered architect with a wealth of experience specifying bio-based materials, including Durra Panel projects and recent Byera Hadley research into straw and prefabricated systems, explain why straw is the ultimate building material when it comes to acoustic and temperature insulation. This podcast was sponsored by Durra ...
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  Episode 302: David Holm, Principal at Cox Architecture on the intersection of connectivity, culture, and placemaking 30.06.2026 21m

  David Holm, Principal at Cox Architecture has a career spanning major transport and civic infrastructure—from international airports like the new Western Sydney airport and Changi airport in Singapore to urban masterplans and public spaces—David’s work sits at the intersection of connectivity, culture, and placemaking. He’s also a passionate advocate for drawing as a design tool and has contributed widely to architectural discourse and education. His ideas on the intersection of c...
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  Episode 301: Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, co-founder of Snøhetta explains how architecture can shape culture, public life, and collective futures 23.06.2026 27m

  In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we speak with Kjetil Thorsen, co-founder of Snøhetta—the Oslo-based, globally recognised practice known for its transdisciplinary approach to architecture, landscape, interiors, and design. From iconic cultural landmarks like the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet to the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, Snøhetta has built a reputation for projects that blur boundaries between disciplines while prioritising social and ...
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  Episode 300: Jacob Burke, founder of Mijasu, on removing the bottlenecks for people‑centred outcomes across the built environment 16.06.2026 50m

  Jacob Burke is the founder of Mijasu, an interdisciplinary group of design practices focused on people‑centred outcomes across the built environment. With more than 25 years’ experience in the Australian market, his career was shaped by humble beginnings in a family business and a hands-on experience through design, delivery and business leadership. He established Mijasu in 2019 as a parent company designed to acquire, integrate and scale high‑quality design practices within a uni...