Architecture Podcasts: The Best Australian Architecture and Building Podcasts.

True architecture enthusiasts and professionals know how important it is to stay current on the latest architectural developments, but finding the time can be challenging. Unless you can keep up to date while running, driving, or doing work around the house, that is. For the moments in life where being hands-on is a must, there's nothing better than putting on one of the many great Australian architecture podcasts.

The advent of podcasts revolutionised multitasking and learning on the go. Podcasts provide a unique opportunity to learn directly from experts worldwide in a long-form and entertaining conversational format. While completing mundane everyday tasks like doing the groceries, driving to work or catching the train, you can slip in a headphone and listen to a podcast featuring professionals in almost any field. When it comes to creative fields like architecture, input equals output and exposing yourself to ongoing ideas and conversations can spark inspiration and motivation for your projects. Trust us; we can't recommend podcasts enough! On that note, here are a few of our favourites.

Our Top 5 Favourite Australian Architecture Podcasts in 2022.

We have researched firsthand to find the most educational and entertaining podcasts featuring professionals from within the Architectural practice. The below list is our Top 5 favourites if we had to pick, but feel free to explore further and share your favourites with us! 

1. Undercover Architect.

When sitting down to brainstorm this list, we did not doubt which podcast would take the top position, the Undercover Architect is our favourite current architecture podcast, and we have a feeling it will soon be yours too. The podcast is hosted by Architecture veteran Amelia Lee, who has over 28 years of hands-on experience as both an Architect and home builder. Undercover Architect is dedicated to helping the everyday Australian navigate the ups and downs of building and renovating their home. 

While on maternity leave, Amelia was managing her second home renovation. Away from her full-time role as a professional architect, she realised how difficult it could be on the other side of the fence as a home builder. So, inspired to help others through the experience, she started Undercover Architect. This is a great listen for architects and home builders alike, providing practical, in-the-trenches advice.

Plus, we have to mention (#plug) we are featured in episodes #248 and #249, so if you are looking for the best episode to dip your toes in…

2. The Outlier Podcast.

The Outlier Podcast, hosted by Sandra and Anthony, is another absolute go-to design podcast. Sandra takes a keen interest in passive and ultra-low energy homes, while her co-host Anthony brings 15 years of hands-on building experience to the table.

As well as talking about architectural design, this podcast is focused on encouraging the creation of more high-performing energy-efficient homes and increasing awareness about how architectural decisions can impact a home's carbon footprint.

This podcast features interviews with industry professionals to help bring the nitty gritty, high-performance knowledge usually reserved for architects and career builders to budding designers from around Australia.

3. Sustainable Builders Yak.

The Sustainable Builders Yak is a podcast series created by a group of Australian builders passionate about creating more environmentally sustainable building practices. Sustainable Builders Yak is an offshoot of the Builders Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency initiative.

Climate change and biodiversity threats have prompted Australian builders to launch this initiative urging construction professionals to take action by signing the initiative. Did you know that 40% of carbon is emitted from the real estate sector alone? It will come as no surprise then that this podcast focuses heavily on how builders, architects and the industry at large can help reduce its impact on global warming and the destruction of native ecosystems.

4. Building with BuildHer.

Building with BuildHer is a podcast dedicated to raising women in Australia's design and construction industry. The host, Rebekah Morgan, is a passionate advocate for women in the building industry and hopes the podcast will help prove that anybody can build the house of their dreams with the right tools. She invites an array of professionals within the building and architecture industry to come on the podcast and share their knowledge.

Rebekah is a registered Builder, holds a degree in construction management, is a mother of 7 children, and is a successful entrepreneur. She is a firsthand example of how women can thrive in the building and construction industry and is an ongoing inspiration to many. The BuildHer Collective offers education and guidance to women in the industry for anyone to dive deeper.

5. Building Better with CSR.

Lastly, the guilty pleasure, Building Better with CSR, a spinoff podcast of the hit TV show the Block. Millions follow the Block, and love it or hate it (we’ll let you decide); the hit TV show may be one of the most influential platform for encouraging Australians all over the country to think about building and design.

As for the podcast itself, it dives a little bit deeper into the more technical components and suppliers behind the contestants' designs and their execution. So whether you watch the show or not, it may provide you with some useful information. One thing to remember with this one is that it's a sponsored podcast, so you may come across some conveniently recommended products during the interviews.

Bonus: Others Worth Mentioning.

Passive House Podcast.

Technically the Passive House Podcast doesn't make it on our best architecture podcasts Australia list. However, we thought we would include this New Zealand/U.S. based podcast as a bonus!

The podcast was created by the Passive House Accelerator, a catalyst for carbon-zero housing. Michael Ingui, an architect, based in New York, founded Passive House Accelerator in 2019 and soon after hired Zack Semke as the firm's director. From there, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, an NZ-based Passive Home enthusiast, suggested they start a Podcast, and the rest is history.

This podcast interviews builders and designers in the Passive House industry. The 'Passive House' movement (which involves voluntary energy efficiency standards for buildings) is thriving in Australia, and we don't want you to miss out on all the details, so definitely add this podcast to your downloads.

New Architects Podcast.

While the team at the New Architects Podcast seem to have taken a short hiatus, the content and back episodes of this excellent and informative podcast are well worth a listen. The creators of the podcast are a group called NAM (New Architects Melbourne) which started in 2011 as an informal get together of small local architectural studios and colleagues. It provided a platform for new architects to present their story, vision, design processes, and sensibilities in a casual environment in front of peers and industry enthusiasts. If you want to take a deeper dive into the minds of local Australian architects, this podcast is for you.

The Architects on RRR FM.

A list of the best Australian architecture and building podcasts would not be complete without including the long running and highly influential local Melbourne radio show (and podcast), The Architects. Broadcast weekly by independent radio station RRR FM, it was hosted by Melbourne architects Stuart Harrison, Simon Knott, Christine Phillips, and Rory Hyde. For over ten years this now discontinued podcast built up a cult following and was a source of information and inspiration for so many emerging architects and students - we simply had to give it a special mention as our Hall of Fame listing. Fun fact - some of the hosts of this podcast actually taught us architecture at university many years ago!

That brings an end to our list of the best architecture podcasts, but we don't want the conversation to end here; we would love to hear from you! So what's your favourite architecture and building podcast? Let us know on Instagram or by sending us an email.

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