Episode 245: Will Messiter from Sekisui House on housing affordability, new home design and the Asora Norwest Community Park
We talk with Will Messiter, Chief Operating Officer - Residential Communities and Home Building at Sekisui House Australia at the opening of their $4.8 Million Asora Norwest Community Park. Providing 9,553 sqm of essential green space and recreational amenities to residents in Norwest, one of Sydney's rapidly expanding suburbs in the Hills Shire, Irongum Terrace Reserve responds directly to rising demand for premium outdoor spaces, with the Hills Shire population forecasted to grow nearly 70% by 2046.Messiter, who is also an architect, gives his views on the housing shortage, the changes in Australia's housing markets and the Asora Norwest Community Park.
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6:35
Episode 244: COX Architecture National Head of Sustainability Mathias Irger on circularity, regenerative design & carbon counts
Dr Matthias Irger is an experienced architect, urban designer and academic specialising in regenerative design, holistic city planning and climate adaptation, who champions an evidence-based, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approach. As the National Head of Sustainability at COX Architecture, Matthias creates national strategies, objectives, actions, and tools that reduce and mitigate the embodied and operational carbon emissions across all services.He was also a moderator at the 2024 Sustainability Summit.In this interview, he talks about a range of issues that are becoming front of mind in the built environment including circularity, climate change resilience, regenerative design, and carbon reduction as well.
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30:28
Episode 243: The straight and narrow on all things circular economy with Lisa McLean, CEO of Circular Australia
We talk all things circular with Lisa McLean, a circular economy and zero-carbon business transformation leader and Managing Director, CEO of Circular Australia, a national independent NFP leading the transition to a zero-carbon circular economy in Australia. Lisa has been successfully advising industry and governments in developing new policy frameworks and regulations that bring about market change to enable the circular zero-carbon economy over the past 20 years. This work has covered the supply chains, infrastructure, energy, water, waste and mobility sectors in the UK and Australia.
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9:55
Episode 242: Davina Rooney, GBCA CEO explains why we have falling circular economy rates, the value of sustainability and TRANSFORM 2025
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) represents 650+ members including individual companies with a collective annual turnover of more than $60 billion.CEO Davina Rooney, after 6 years at the helm, looks at what has been happening in the built environment in areas such as sustainability, circular economy and the role of the GBCA in the wider business sector.This exclusive interview was recore on-site at GBCAs TRANSFORM 2025 conference that was recently held in Sydney.
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15:02
Episode 241: Tackling urban density, rediscovering the beauty of 1960s walk-up unit blocks & remembering Mulholland Drive with Tone Wheeler
On our 7th anniversary, in this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we explore the evolving landscape of our cities and the ideas shaping how we live. Today, we’re tackling urban density and taking a fresh look at an often-overlooked housing model—the humble 1960s walk-up unit block.Architect, author, lecturer and urban thinker Tone Wheeler joins us to discuss why these mid-century apartments still hold so much potential in today’s housing crisis. From their efficient design and human-scale living to their adaptability for modern sustainability, we’ll explore how these buildings can offer a viable alternative to high-rise developments.Are these walk-ups a relic of the past or a blueprint for the future? Let’s find out.
Now celebrating its 8th year (Season 9), Talking Architecture & Design is Australia’s first B2B architecture podcast that regularly talks about a range of issues that affect Australia’s architects, building designers and built environment professionals. Run by Australia’s most popular architecture magazine, Architecture & Design, the Talking Architecture & Design podcast gives a regular bite-sized dose of what is important and sometimes what is just plain old interesting to anyone and everyone in the business of building design.
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