In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we speak with Kylie Sandland, Design Psychologist and Co-Founder of Design for Hope, a social enterprise creating trauma-informed spaces for recovery and well-being. 

With three decades of experience in psychology and organisational consulting, Sandland brings a unique, evidence-based approach to the way environments affect our mental health. 

From domestic violence shelters to rehabilitation centres, her work focuses on designing spaces that foster safety, dignity, and emotional healing. 

Sandland shares the personal story that inspired her career shift into design and introduces her Hope Hierarchy, a framework that translates psychological needs into practical design strategies. 

She explains how elements like lighting, layout, and colour can support trauma recovery, and why staff well-being must also be a design priority. 

Projects like Erin’s Place and Jarrah House illustrate how thoughtful design choices can change lives, not through luxury, but through care and intention. As Sandland says, “spaces can either trigger trauma or help people heal.” 

Listen to learn how trauma-informed design is reshaping not only crisis care environments but also workplaces, schools, and community spaces. 

In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into Stratco, an Australian company with over 75 years of experience providing building solutions for both professionals and homeowners. 

Stratco offers a wide range of products, including patios, carports, verandahs, garages, sheds, and outdoor living products such as NINELINE, SUPERDEK & PRODEK.

Critically for Australian architects and builders, Stratco has manufacturing facilities in all mainland states of Australia and also in New Zealand.

To explain all about Stratco’s full range of capabilities, we talk with Eric Lien, National Architectural and Specifications Manager, and Andrew Steele, architect and managing director of South Australian design firm Studio Nine Architects.

This episode was sponsored by Stratco.

Nerida Conisbee is Ray White’s Chief Economist and one of Australia’s leading property experts. 

Nerida works closely with industry partners to provide strategic vision and policy recommendations for the future of property in Australia.

She represents Ray White to inform and influence key stakeholder groups across the residential and commercial sectors, in addition to advising major Australian government bodies.

In this exclusive interview, Nerida unravels the main issues behind our housing affordability crisis and some things we can do to alleviate the problem.

This podcast is brought to you in association with AWS, proud sponsors of our 2025 Residential series of podcasts.

Jonathan 'Jono' Mountfort is the Creative Director at Autex Acoustics and a design expert specialising in sustainable acoustic solutions. 

 With over 20 years of experience in design and manufacturing, Jonathan oversees product design, compliance, and sustainability. His journey into design began with a background in mechanical engineering, which sparked his passion for tinkering. 

After a brief stint as a vegan chef on the set of ‘Lord of the Rings,’ he pursued a degree in product design, where he explored innovative concepts such as biomimicry and cradle-to-cradle design. 

These days, his expertise blends industrial design, engineering, and acoustics, giving him a distinctive approach to creating circular products. 

This podcast is brought to you in association with Autex Acoustics, proud sponsors of our 2025 Sustainability series of podcasts.

The Australian Parliament passed the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsiderations) Bill 2025, restricting the Minister for the Environment’s power to reconsider certain past decisions under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). 

This change has significant implications for environmental oversight, particularly in cases where new information emerges about the impact of ongoing land use activities, such as the concerns raised over salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour and its potential effect on the endangered Maugean skate. 

Holding Redlich Special Counsel Katharine Huxley is an environment and planning lawyer with experience in development, compliance, local government, and administrative law, who can discuss the implications of this significant new amendment. 

In this interview, Huxley explains what this will mean for future land use and environmental management in general.

With housing affordability at crisis levels and younger generations leaving Sydney in record numbers, the Minns Labor Government has announced a bold plan to make it faster, easier, and more affordable to build a new home. 

At the center of this plan is the launch of the NSW Housing Pattern Book—a collection of architect-designed terraces, townhouses, and manor houses—combined with a world-first Complying Development pathway that promises to cut approval times down to just ten days. 

The NSW government has been at the forefront of this major reform, which aims not only to increase housing supply but also to create vibrant, sustainable communities that reflect the diversity of the people who call NSW home. 

 Paul Scully, New South Wales Minister for Planning and Public Spaces joins us to unpack what this all means for families, first-home buyers, downsizers, and builders across the state.

This podcast is brought to you in association with AWS, proud sponsors of our 2025 Residential series of podcasts.

Proper weatherproofing is essential for buildings in Australia due to the country's climate, which includes intense sun, heavy rainfall, and varying temperatures. Effective weatherproofing protects the building from water damage, structural issues, and the growth of mould and mildew, while also ensuring a comfortable and healthy living environment. 

Jon Conway – National Technical & Product Development Manager for Innova at Etex Australia and Craig Blinco – Sales and Marketing Director, Sales & Marketing Director - Etex ANZ, explain the fundamentals of why getting your weatherproofing right is at the core of getting durable, code-compliant buildings.

This episode was sponsored by Innova by Etex.

Graphisoft is a European multinational corporation that designs 3D design software made by architects for architects.

Based in Bavaria Germany, Graphisoft CEO Daniel Csillag is a former general manager of Bluebeam and CEO of Nevaris, who in Feb 2024 became CEO of Graphisoft with a focus on strategy, sales & products/services. 

Marton Kiss is Graphisoft’s Chief Product Officer and Senior Product Manager. Beginning his career as a technical support engineer, Márton’s narrative is a testament to growth, curiosity, and the power of advocating for user-centric products.  

In this recent interview, Daniel & Marton describe the evolution of their 3D software has gone through and what this will mean for Australian architects and designers.

Designed by Woods Bagot, Perth’s METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line creates 21km of new railway track, connecting the north-eastern suburbs and Perth CBD. Five new integrated station precincts link various places of character and landscape along the unique Perth Swan Coastal Plain.

 The Morley-Ellenbrook Line represents the most significant expansion of the rail network since the Mandurah Line was built in 2007.

 To explain this huge project, we have with us Kukame McPierzie, Principal at Woods Bagot and National Vice-President of the Association of Consulting Architects, and the design lead on this project.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Moddex, proud sponsors of our 2025 Commercial series of podcasts.

In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, host Clémence Carayol is joined by Ben Morgan and Nic Granleese, Co-Founders of Bowerbird, a platform that’s reshaping how architectural projects are shared with the media.

With backgrounds in publishing and architecture, Morgan and Granleese created Bowerbird to make architectural storytelling more accessible. Their goal: to simplify the way architects pitch their work and connect directly with journalists.

The conversation explores how the relationship between architecture and media is shifting, particularly with the rise of AI. From writing tools to image generation, technology is changing how architects document, visualise and share their work.

They also look at the role of editorial quality in an algorithm-driven world, and how architects can adapt by embracing storytelling as part of their practice.

Finally, Morgan and Granleese share how Bowerbird is evolving to support the architectural community in a fast-changing media landscape.

by Clémence Carayol

Listen now on all major podcast platforms.