Podcast
Building Good
Hosted by Jen Hancock, Geoff Capelle · EN
This is a show about building a better world. Literally. The construction industry might seem like a conservative place, but we’re changing it. Building Good is a platform for conversations around topics like indigenous architecture, hiring and retaining women in trades and building sustainable energy grids. We want to build a better world, and we think the way to do that starts with the construction industry… so come and help us build good.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Looking Back at Season Six
Feb 24, 202500:22:51Tap to summarizeAs Building Good wraps up its sixth season, we’re looking back at the big ideas shaping the future of construction. A few key themes kept emerging. First, sustainability still faces financial and regulatory roadblocks. Second, meaningful change needs community buy-in to succeed. Third, bold ideas are the skeleton keys to unlocking the construction industry’s biggest brain teasers. Co-hosts Jen Hancock and Geoff Capelle revisit the season’s most thought-provoking moments: from researchers developing sci-fi worthy building materials to expert navigators of the twisty, ever-evolving road of regulatory landscapes to multihyphenates using generative AI to reimagine community engagement.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Why Mass Timber Feels Good - with Andre Lema
Feb 18, 202500:20:51Tap to summarizeFor thousands of years, humans have built with wood. Today, mass timber is changing the way we design, build, and experience our spaces. It’s strong, fire-resistant, and capable of storing carbon, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials. And beyond its structural benefits, wood also connects us to nature, improving well-being through biophilic design. Andre Lema, Business Development Manager at Western Archrib, breaks down the benefits of biophilic design, how mass timber is reducing carbon emissions, and why architects and developers are embracing wood for everything from rec centers to high-rises.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →
The Future is Electric - with Mariko Michasiw
Feb 11, 202500:24:56Tap to summarizeCanada’s path to net zero hinges on electrification. As the world’s fourth-largest producer of hydroelectricity, we’re primed to take a global leadership role. With the provinces and territories at different stages of grid decarbonization, electrification doesn’t have to be “all or nothing” — regions with a longer way to go can take a phased approach, incorporating supplemental energy sources. But what about chilly Canadian winters? Cold-climate heat pumps now operate efficiently at -25°C. Of course, the best time to electrify may be during the initial build. But the second best time is now. Mariko Michasiw, program manager for B2E, the Building to Electrification Coalition - a program area of the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) - explains how cold-climate heat pumps, strategic retrofits, and grid planning are key to scaling electrification.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Why Climate Action is Good Business - with Heather Taylor
Jan 21, 202500:32:24Tap to summarizeClimate change is polarizing. Between inflation, investor pressures, competitiveness, high interest, and economic sluggishness, climate change can seem like a far-off problem — just another thing to worry about. Sustainability often takes a back seat, becoming a “nice to have” instead of a “need to have.” But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Heather Taylor of EY Canada breaks down how prioritizing climate action is actually a smart investment strategy.Editor's Note: After publishing, we received an email from Heather & her team with two further points. First, during the episode, we mentioned that global warming could reach up to 3 degrees by 2100. In January, a report came out saying that 2024 was the first year to exceed 1.5 degrees of global warming. Second, Heather & her team shared this excellent observation: "For the construction industry which is seen as an economic driver in Canada - there is an opportunity to for the industry to inform and influence public policy. The construction industry can stimulate jobs and domestic investment when the industry is thriving. Given the significant capital it will take to get buildings to a resilient and lower carbon footprint, there is an opportunity for Canada to ensure the construction materials are domestic products. The new Trump administration’s threat of tariffs may create a tariff war which may create a significant impact on the construction industry." Thanks to Heather & her team for the engaging comments!Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Carbon Negative Construction with Engineered Bamboo - with Amir Mofidi
Jan 14, 202500:20:47Tap to summarizeIn Asia, bamboo has been used as a construction material for thousands of years. Prized for its availability, strength, and flexibility, it has over a thousand uses—including scaffolding during the construction of high rises in Hong Kong. So why has it been slow to be adopted by the global construction industry? It’s a sustainability advocate's dream: it sequesters carbon; provides wildlife habitats; supplies biofuel. Some species mature in just five years and can auto-regenerate after harvesting. But how does it stack up against concrete, steel, and timber? With the right ingredients, engineered bamboo shows major promise as a regenerative building material of the future. Brock University's Dr. Amir Mofidi is an expert in bio-based composites and he's developing cold-hardy, construction-ready strains that can handle North American climates.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Cities as Exercise Machines - with Avi Friedman and Alexandra Pollock
Jan 7, 202500:27:57Tap to summarizeWhat if your city wasn’t just a place to live, but a tool to keep you healthy? Dr. Avi Friedman, Professor of Architecture at McGill University, and Alexandra Pollock, landscape designer and urban planner, discuss how our cities impact our health—and how they can be redesigned for a better future. Avi and Alexandra dive into the concept of cities as “exercise machines,” where walkable streets, green spaces, and accessible design promote both physical and mental well-being. They explore how planning for “15-minute cities” can combat urban sprawl, reduce isolation, and bring communities together, all while tackling environmental challenges.Read Fundamentals of Planning Cities for Healthy Living (Anthem Press, 2023).Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →From Moods to Microbes: Designing Better Indoor Spaces - with Emily Anthes
Dec 4, 202400:33:45Tap to summarizeNew York Times science journalist Emily Anthes, author of The Great Indoors, has spent a lot of time thinking about how buildings shape our lives, from mood to mortality. From designing hospitals that speed up recovery, to developing autism-friendly apartments, to rejigging offices to boost productivity — the interior of the built environment can be a crucial factor in determining human health and happiness. After all, we spend 90% of our time inside. So why not use soundproofing, plants, and universal design to make our inner worlds a dreamy place to be?Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Overcoming Capital Barriers for Indigenous Communities - with Mark Podlasly
Nov 5, 202400:30:23Tap to summarizeBecause of the Indian Act, Indigenous communities have been blocked from accessing capital markets, which means they haven’t been able to invest in critical infrastructure projects happening in their territories. For the past ten years, First Nations Major Projects Coalition has been working to change that. FNMPC is a non-profit, Indigenous-led organization working to empower Indigenous communities to secure equity stakes in mining, clean energy, regulated utilities and pipelines. FNMPC’s Chief Sustainability Officer Mark Podlasly Mark explains how First Nations are becoming full partners in the next chapter of Canada’s development—and why it’s a crucial element to meeting Canada’s international obligations around accessing export markets.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →Changing Public Outcry into Community Buy-In - with Farhaan Ladhani
Oct 22, 202400:35:50Tap to summarizeNIMBY. It’s a cursed acronym that can send chills down an urban planner's spine and jettison approved building permits into liminal space. It stands for “not in my backyard,” and it can stop even the mightiest projects in their tracks. Blamed for gentrification, urban sprawl, and a myriad of other evils, NIMBYs tend to oppose land use change. So, how does a NIMBY evolve into a YIMBY? (A “yes, in my backyard!”) It’s not magic. It’s just good public consultation. And there’s an app for that. Farhaan Ladhani is the CEO of Digital Public Square and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. His latest project, Goodbit, is here to transform how we talk with each other about the topics that get us the most… heated.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →From Mushroom Spores to Modern Structures - with Dr. Mercedes Garcia Holguera
Oct 8, 202400:20:48Tap to summarizeMushroom bricks sound like something straight out of science fiction or an 80’s arcade game featuring an intrepid pair of plumbing brothers. But mushroom bricks are more than just fantasy—they’re a biomimetic masterpiece. Biodegradable, eco-friendly, non-toxic, waterproof, fire-resistant, and grown from mycelium—the fuzzy white, green, or black germinated spores of a mushroom—mycelia is a material that’s mushrooming with potential. Outside of construction, it’s being used in myriad of ways—as packaging, replacing materials like styrofoam and polyurethane; in fashion, as a substitute for leather; in acoustic treatment, as an alternative to cork and foam. Dr. Mercedes Garcia Holguera, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Manitoba breaks down the science of mushroom bricks and how we can use them to stack the future of construction in our favour.Join the Building Good community today:https://www.buildinggood.caLinkedIn
Transcribe →