Mindful Builder · Matthew Carland and Hamish White

The crazy old guy pushing building boundaries

August 10, 2025·53 min·5 clips

Justin admits to making tradesmen align every Phillips head screw in the same direction on decks.

Builder Justin shares his journey from traditional construction to pioneering high-performance building in Australia, including building a certified passive house, discovering Passive House principles, and the mental health challenges that led him to leave hands-on building for education and product innovation. The conversation covers technical building details alongside personal struggles with perfectionism and anxiety.

As heard by us

A builder's route from borrowed tools to Passive House thinking.

Justin's arc moves from a 12-year-old in his mum's shed, borrowing his brother's tools, into the frustration that pushed him toward Passive House thinking and performance membranes.

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Why you'd press play

A builder's path from shed tinkering to the membranes, Passive House, and certification work shaping better homes.

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