“Commercial teaches you speed and logistics. Residential teaches you people.”

In this episode, we sit down with Alistair Meallin, Director at Y Projects, to talk about what it really takes to build high-quality custom homes in Australia. With over a decade in construction and a construction degree from the University of Melbourne, Alistair shares the lessons he learned on big commercial sites and why he ultimately moved into residential building for the client connection.

We unpack Alistair’s path through construction management and working with larger builders, including Icon Construction, and how those early years shaped the systems and standards he now brings to Y Projects. This is a practical look at site management, trade coordination, and what it means to run a building business without losing the human side of the job.

A big part of the conversation is the design process and budget reality. Alistair explains why a successful build is not just the final product, but the client experience along the way, and how small design upgrades can stack up fast. Clear communication, grounded expectations, and aligning design with budget are key to avoiding stress and cost blowouts.

We also talk team culture, staff retention, and advice for apprentices and future builders. Alistair shares why curiosity and learning the “why” matters, plus his vision for making custom-designed, high-quality residential construction more accessible.

👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

00:00 Podcast Welcome

02:59 Commercial Builder Lessons

05:32 Defects And Retrenchment

07:31 Mentorship Deep End

08:56 High End Homes Shift

11:21 Client Emotions Process

15:05 Onboarding Handover Systems

17:47 EBA Unions Explained

21:50 Starting Y Projects

22:25 Footscray Development Story

28:22 Y Projects Name Origin

29:34 Leaving Commercial For Townhomes

32:21 Flexibility for Family

33:10 Retention Through Realistic Timelines

34:08 Carpenters Hours and Value

35:24 Hiring for Team Fit

35:56 Positive Site Leadership

39:22 Frozen Yogurt Budget Trap

42:57 Precon Costs and Risk

45:28 Making Custom Homes Attainable

48:43 ECI Early Budget Alignment

51:34 Architect Retention Debate

54:04 Builder Network and Support

55:19 Advice for Apprentices

59:59 Wrap Up and Contact

LINKS:

Y Projects:

https://yprojects.com.au/

Y Projects Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/yprojects/

Our Sponsors:

Proclima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

Connect with Hamish:

Instagram: @sanctumhomes

Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:

Instagram: @carlandconstructions

Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Proclima Sponsor

“Architecture is not just drawings and pretty renders.” In this episode, we sit down with Roger from Borland Architecture to unpack the overlap between architecture, construction, and real estate, and why those worlds are far more connected than most people realise. This is a practical conversation about problem-solving, designing for real life, and making decisions that affect how people live every day.

Roger shares his journey from Northwest Ireland to training in England, and how that hands-on background shaped his people-first approach to design. He describes his process as method acting, getting inside a client’s routines and priorities so the end result is not just an impressive plan, but a home that actually works. The kind of house that feels effortless to live in.

We also talk about the gap between architectural education and real-world building outcomes, and why sustainability and practical thinking cannot be treated as optional extras. If we want energy-efficient homes, better building standards, and high performance design at scale, the industry needs training that reflects what actually happens on site.

Finally, we dig into prefabricated high-performance homes and affordability through projects like StllHaus with Carbonlite, plus Roger’s take on real estate as a lever for better outcomes. We wrap with a Mindful Moment on AI in architecture, and why the human part of design is still the point. Listening, interpreting, and translating real needs into spaces that work.

👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

00:00 Welcome

01:26 Meet Roger Borland

01:42 Farm Roots to Architecture

04:15 Architecture Training Path

05:08 Design as Method Acting

07:15 Is Architecture School Broken

10:03 Passive Solar Basics

16:44 Reading the Site Deeply

20:16 Sustainability Origins

31:47 StllHaus Prefab Vision

33:16 Build Timeline Iteration

34:12 Orientation Passive House Standards

34:46 Certification Optional Baseline

35:31 Volume Builder Partnership

37:24 Pricing Market Position

40:48 Designing Smaller Better Homes

41:47 Real Estate Design Concepts

54:03 Pre Purchase Site Analysis

58:30 Mindful Moment AI Future

01:02:06 Where To Find Roger

LINKS:

Borland Architecture:

https://www.borlandarch.com.au/

Our Sponsors:

Proclima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

Connect with Hamish:

Instagram: @sanctumhomes

Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:

Instagram: @carlandconstructions

Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Proclima Sponsor

“Success looks great on social media. The reality is usually messier.”

In this episode, we sit down with Liam Wallis, Founder and Managing Director of HIP V. HYPE, to talk about what sustainable development really looks like behind the highlight reel. Not just pretty renders and big announcements, but pressure, responsibility, and the constant work of improving systems so each project is better than the last.

Liam shares why sustainable success is built through iteration, not perfection. Using ParkLife 2 as an example, we unpack how strategic planning, process improvement, and a long-term mindset help create high performance apartments that can scale without losing the values that matter. This is sustainable building that is practical, repeatable, and designed for real people.

We also explore how lived experience shapes better design. From simple moves like bike storage on apartment levels to bigger performance goals like an eight and a half star NatHERS rating, Liam explains how energy efficiency, comfort, and lower running costs become tangible outcomes when you design for the long game. Better thermal performance. Smarter energy decisions. Homes that support people to live well.

Finally, we talk about why experience is belief through the HV Hotel, and why community does not happen by accident. Liam breaks down the importance of community-centric design, feedback loops, and building places where residents feel connected and invested. We also touch on construction mental health, and why building better buildings means building better support systems for the people doing the work.

👇 CHAPTER MARKERS 👇

00:00 Introduction

01:38 Park Life Two Intro

10:13 Building In House Engineering

12:11 What Park Life Two Is

13:39 Lived Experience Design

16:44 Solar And Regulations

18:21 Electrification And Hot Water

23:03 NatHERS And Passive House

27:22 Design Versus Performance

29:18 HV Hotel Experience

33:59 Park Life Two Sales

36:43 Owner Occupiers Vs Investors

39:29 Collaborating With Builders

42:23 Tendering And Capability

44:08 Scaling Industry Capacity

44:56 Open Sites And Trade Schools

48:15 Parkside Project Vision

49:19 Mindful Moment Mental Health

52:51 Closing Reflections

LINKS:

Stay in HV Hotel:

https://hipvhype.com/hotel

ParkLife 2 Project:

https://hipvhype.com/projects/parklife-2

Our Sponsors:

Proclima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

Connect with Hamish:

Instagram: @sanctumhomes

Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:

Instagram: @carlandconstructions

Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Proclima Sponsor