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The Specification is a podcast for architects, designers, or anyone interested to learn more about building materials, how they’re made, and what you need to consider when designing with them. Each week Joe and Laurence welcome a different product supplier onto the couch to delve deeper into their products and get the detail that is all too often missed. Find out more about Search Alex, the company behind the podcast at www.searchalex.com
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This week Joe and Laurence a 65 room hotel which is built every year only to be destroyed a few months later, and see how Melbourne’s urban density compares to a range of international hubs (spoiler alert, it’s not great news). Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe a…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss an engineering marvel and icon of South East Asian architecture and dig deeper into Victoria’s freshly released 10 year housing statement. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at podcast@laurello.au. Links: CTBUH artic…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss a well known project in the centre of Manhattan which almost collapsed under wind loads, and cover the launch of a new safety reporting tool from the Australian Government. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at podca…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss some of the projects receiving funding from Australia’s defence budget, give an update on the infamous 'Death Star' bill preventing construction workers from taking drink breaks in Texas, and discuss what could be the next global ACP disaster. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. Fo…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss ‘The Line’, a 170km long, 500m tall structure currently under construction in Saudi Arabia, and dig deeper into the concept of ‘green concrete’. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at podcast@laurello.au. Links: The L…
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E56 - The Great Mosque of Mecca, Builder Appointed for Sth Bnk by Beulah, and Embodied Carbon
45:04
This week Joe and Laurence discuss one of the world’s oldest and most expensive structures, reveal the freshly appointed builder for Australia’s next super tall tower, and compare how Australia’s construction industry shapes up against the USA in the world of embodied carbon. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For …
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss one of the few projects to receive full Living Building Challenge Certification in the Southern Hemisphere - Frasers Property’s Burwood Brickworks, review some of the biggest infrastructure spending blowouts (and hypothesise why these may occur), and Joe gets hot under the collar on the topic of footpath paving. J…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss Japan’s tsunami walls, review China’s recently built ‘City of the Future’, and consider the electrification of construction sites amidst the news of Sweden’s first all-electric trial. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Lauren…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss Australia’s newest physics laboratory which is located 1km below the earth’s surface, a recent law in Texas which eliminates water breaks for construction workers, and mining on the moon. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and La…
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E52 - The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Rebuilding Ukraine, and What Is Thermal Conductivity?
49:05
This week Joe and Laurence discuss the national asset but regional concern that is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the effort to rebuild Ukraine, and thermal conductivity in building envelopes. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at podcast@laurel…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss the Svalbard "Doomsday" Seed Vault – humanity's back up plan in the event of an agricultural disaster, and delve deeper into Australia's Long Term Emissions Plan. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at podcast@laurell…
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The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is Australia's national system for rating the energy performance of homes. Referred to in our National Construction Code, NatHERS considers a wide range of inputs to generate standardised energy ratings, helping consumers to understand the performance of their homes. NatHERS gives a ‘thermal’ rati…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss what could be the World's tallest single residence (if not for one pesky technicality), and take a specialists dive into cross laminated timber, and the ideal approach for designers and builders looking to reduce the environmental impact of their projects through mass timber. Join in to hear more on the interestin…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss Australia's largest wind farm which is under construction in Victoria's West, and shine a light on Australia's plans for hydrogen production and export, with special consideration of what this means for our current built environment. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any ques…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss the $30 billion solar array slated for Australia's Northern Territory, simplify the science behind fire, and review a new practical guide to upfront carbon reductions authored by the Green Building Council of Australia, Lendlease, the NSW Government, Sustainability Victoria, and Mott Macdonald. Join in to hear mor…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss the future location of Sydney's massive produce markets (and the potential usage of their current site), delve deeper into the recent voluntary administration announcements of residential builders, and consider Australia's potential as a solar power juggernaut. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behin…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss Mies Van Der Rohe and Lilly Reich's iconic Barcelona Pavilion, break down the festival of art and design that is the Venice Biennale, and take a closer look at a strong, highly sustainable building product growing right under our noses. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any q…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss Western Sydney's new international airport, take a closer look at earthquake design requirements, and review a recent report which quantifies the cost of defects and re-work in construction projects. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contac…
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This week Joe and Laurence discuss the incredible and iconic Habitat67, take a closer look at ETFE facades and roofing, and review a recent report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute looking at the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainability at a neighbourhood scale. Join in to hear more on the interesting stori…
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This week join Joe and Laurence as they review the range of projects so far announced in preparation for Victoria's $2.6b commonwealth games, get into the nitty gritty of sub surface tanks, and dissect the Federal Government's announced $1.6b policy targeted at improving residential energy efficiency without feeding the inflation dragon. For any qu…
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Your Home (or www.yourhome.gov.au) is a free and independent initiative of the Australian Government which provides valuable resources and information for designers, builders, and others involved in designing and building residential homes. Almost 20 years old, the site is regularly visited by consumers and professionals looking for unbiased and re…
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This week the Joe and Laurence explore the huge network of underwater tunnels connecting islands and communities at the Faroe Islands, laminated veneer lumber, and discuss what Australia's electrificition means for our built environment. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please con…
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This week the guys discuss the incredible Metropol Parasol in Seville, BubbleDeck concrete, and some significant new updates to the City of Melbourne's planning requirements for sustainable building design. Join in to hear more on the interesting stories behind these topics. For any questions or suggestions please contact Joe and Laurence at hello@…
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This episode join Joe and Laurence as they introduce an exciting new segment based approach to The Specification. As discussed this week, moving forward our regular conversations with building product experts will be complemented by solo sessions, allowing the guys to delve deeper into projects, products, news, and events than historically possible…
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That's a wrap for The Specification's mini series on product certifications! In this final episode of the mini-series Laurence and Joe discuss their takeways from the last four episodes of this series, and the series as a whole. Check in with the guys next week for more news and commentary from the world of building products. For any questions or s…
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Like all good things, the mini-series focusing on product certification must come to an end. In this episode Laurence and Joe discuss their takeways from the first five episodes of this series, and compare their notes on the product certifications featured. Together with Episode 37 this episode neatly wraps up the mini-series in building product ce…
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Almost 7 out of 10 Australian consumers recognise the WELS label, seen on taps, showers, flow controllers, toilets, urinals, dishwashers and washing machines. One glance and consumers can quickly tell how water efficient that product is. Starting off as a water management program, WELS is now an Australian Government mandatory regulatory scheme. Th…
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A familiar mark for many, the FSC tick represents the well known and highly trusted Forest Stewardship Council. Created in 1993, the FSC is an international forest certification scheme established to nurture responsible forestry so both forests, and the communities they support can thrive. In this episode of the Specification Joe and Laurence are j…
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Dr Andrew Wheeler, the Executive Director at ARCS (Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels), joins Joe and Laurence on The Specification to explore the topic of steel certification for structural steel products. Being such a crucial building element of any construction project, Andrew touches on the importance of …
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How much do you know about the aluminium products being installed in your project? Aluminium plays an important role in many modern buildings, providing a strong and lightweight solution for window and door frames, ceiling grids, and other fixtures. While many of us take this material for granted, there's a long supply chain (and interesting recycl…
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Forest and wood products can be found in every aspect of our lives, from the tissues on your desk to the packaging of your groceries, and of course in various forms throughout the built environment. As we leverage the sustainability benefits of wood fibre in the transition to a more environmentally friendly future it is going to be become more and …
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The Living Future Institute of Australia is the Australian manager for the well-known Declare Label and Living Building Challenge, amongst other initiatives. While each of these programs stands alone in its benefits and utility for the industry, in this episode we were thrilled to be joined by Laura Hamilton O'Hara (LFIA CEO) who explains how the i…
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Sensitive Choice is a program run by the National Asthma Council Australia that helps people with allergies, asthma, and other sensitivities by identifying less irritating products, often featuring reduced allergens, fragrance and chemical content. This is an important consideration when designing the buildings in which people spend the majority of…
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It's week two of the mini-series on product certifications and the guys are back with another great episode, this time featuring Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA). Join in as Joe and Laurence welcome Michelle Thomas, CEO of GECA. GECA promotes and manages the GECA Ecolabel Product Certification, and also offers a range of other services wh…
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E27 - Cradle to Cradle Certified® - Ren DeCherney (Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute)
40:22
It's finally here! Season Two of The Specification starts today, and what better way to get down to work than with a mini-series on product certifications. Over the next 8 episodes Joe and Laurence will be joined by special guests from major product certifications to discuss what their certifications do, and why designers and builders should be con…
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In this final episode of 2022 Joe and Laurence revisit some of the best tips and lessons learnt from Season One. Tune in to this episode as the guys count down the top 5 tips from the season. While these tips are important for anyone involved in the specification of building products, there's a long list of equally valuable pointers from a broad ra…
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As 2022 comes to a close, Joe and Laurence revisit some of the best tips and lessons learnt from Season One. Tune in to this episode as the guys start to count down their list of the top ten tips from the season. The Specification is brought to you by Northwest Media, an Australian digital agency specialising in creation and delivery of custom web …
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Building envelope design is one area to receive special attention in the recent updates to Australia's National Construction Code (NCC). The updates have brought in some significant consequences for those delivering poor designs, so what do designers need to know? This week we're thrilled to be joined by Jesse Clarke, Innovation and R&D Manager at …
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We've got a particularly interesting one for you this week. Based in Newcastle, Weathertex have been producing their unique cladding and lining products for over 50 years. Utilising a highly specialised and sustainable process, they use a local resource of timber to create highly durable timber products suitable for either internal or external use.…
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E22 - Breathable Buildings - Glenn Lawrenson (McCormacks Australia) and Robin Curtis (Health Based Building)
30:44
The building envelope plays an important role in the comfort of building inhabitants, and is a significant contributor to both healthy indoor environments and building durability as a whole. In this episode Joe and Laurence welcome guests Health Based Building and McCormacks Australia, who respectively manufacture and supply Magnum Board to the Aus…
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Whether indoors or outdoors, there's so much to know when it comes to protecting timber finishes. While it is often ok for designers to leave timber in indoor settings uncoated, timber used externally is often exposed to the weather and ground moisture, rendering treatment and/or coating necessary for a durable and aesthetic outcome. So how do we k…
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Design for acoustics and acoustic separation comes down to two main areas – airborne noise, and impact noise. While airborne noise and its best management strategies were expertly explained by Rob Jones from Autex way back in Episode No. 9, until now there has been relatively little discussion of impact noise, and how we can design it out of projec…
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More or less a default flooring covering in cooler climates around the country (and the world), carpet has long been a great way to keep your feet warm and rooms cosy during the winter months. As the way we design and build has evolved so has the carpet product offering. Do you need tiles, planks, or rolls? Cut, twist, or loop? Wool, synthetic or a…
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Specified for decades to display unique and exotic timber finishes for an affordable price, timber veneers are now commonplace throughout our built environment. While initially utilised to create exquisite joinery and panelling, recent decades have seen the use case for veneers also grow into the engineered flooring world. There's a lot to know abo…
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Although not the most aesthetically exciting product, timber connectors literally hold a timber structure together. Despite being an established product range in daily construction work, Adam Dawson from Pryda highlights just how deceptively complex these 'simple' connectors can be. As the Technical Manager, Adam applies his engineering experience …
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A symbol of luxury and class around the world, natural stone has long been the star feature of kitchens, bathrooms, and special spaces. Every slab of this beautiful material is truly unique, bearing the colours and markings of the earth from which it is sourced. To learn more about stone and what designers need to know when specifying it, Joe and L…
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As building owners around Australia deal with the replacement of combustible façade elements we're seeing a variety of non-combustible façade systems taking their place. In this episode Joe and Laurence catch up with Rob Gray at Fairview Architectural, supplier of a variety of cladding products including the well known (and often specified) Vitradu…
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Glazing is one of the key building elements for arguably all projects in the commercial construction space. Although one of the last elements to be installed, it completes the building envelope, insulating the inside from the elements. Edward Zhao (General Manager of ASG International) joins Joe and Laurence in this episode to discuss the intricaci…
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Alongside timber, bricks are perhaps one of human civilisation's oldest and most versatile building products. While still used to provide the most basic of human needs in many societies, major projects throughout the last decade have demonstrated the incredible breadth of shapes and aesthetics made possible by this humble product. In this episode L…
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Paint is one of the few staple finishes on almost every specification. Used liberally throughout practically every residential and commercial project, we often take paint for granted. However, there's a complex school of paint formulation behind every tin. The process of developing these delicately balanced combinations of ingredients was once cons…
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