The Build Project

About The Build Project

candid conversations with architects, builders, and makers shaping the residential construction world. From design inspiration to jobsite realities, this podcast unpacks the wins, challenges, and stories behind creating thoughtful spaces. Whether you’re in the trades, a designer or just love great stories about the people who build the structures we live in, there’s something here for you.

Publisher

Alex Molkentin

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Apr 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Pat Buchanan: Spec Changes, Owner's Reps, and the Architect-Builder Relationship

   Pat Buchanan of Buchanan Construction Systems has been building custom homes in Boulder since the early '90s. He started as a framer, moved into supervision six months into a five-year build of a 16,000 square foot house near NCAR, and went on to work for years with Tom Stanko at Harrington Stanko. He says he still quotes Tom to subcontractors about three times a day. Alex and Pat talk about what happens when a builder steps into design. Pat walks through an architect's flooring spec he coul...

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Perfectly Imperfect: Why the Best Houses Feel Handmade - Jeffrey Dungan

   Architect Jeffrey Dungan does not believe in perfection. He believes in the perfectly imperfect, and in this episode he explains what that means for a house: why the best ones feel handmade even though hundreds of hands built them, why a modern house in Colorado still wants a big eave, how a 150-year-old molding taught him to love wonky, and how he reads a client in five minutes by listening and looking at how they dress. Jeff runs Jeffrey Dungan Architects in Mountain Brook, Alabama. ...

3. 

   11 Aug 2026

   Culture is a Line Item - A conversation with Mark Schaefer of FS Woodworks

   Every house is assembled by people, so every house accumulates error. Traditional trim was never only decoration. Overlapping profiles and reveals were the mechanism that absorbed that error and made the result read as deliberate. Contemporary detailing deletes the mechanism. It does not delete the error. That is the argument running underneath this conversation with Mark Schaefer, one half of FS Woodworks and one of the finish carpentry companies we have worked with the longest. Mark's number for flush base is three to four times an applied baseboard, and the useful question is not the multiple, it is where the money goes. It goes upstream. When the visible tolerance drops to zero, the work does not disappear, it relocates into sequencing, framing material, shop drawings, and the order in which decisions get made. Doors hung before drywall and before flooring, reversing a hundred years of residential sequence. Framing that would have been forgiven by a piece of applied base now has to be straight on its own. A company paid for finish carpentry ends up doing much of its real work months earlier, in drawings and phone calls, before anyone puts on a tool belt. So the episode keeps circling one distinction: skill that shows, and skill that was planned. A carpenter scribing tight into irregular stone is visible talent and it photographs well. A builder who sets a piece of plywood at the stone line six months earlier, so the stone gets laid to the wood and the joint is straight once the wood comes out, gets the better result and leaves no evidence behind. Mark's preference between those two is not ambiguous, and it says something about what he thinks he is actually selling. The back half is about who carries the risk that this kind of detail creates. Full time site supervision. Floor protection paid for properly or not attempted. Pocket doors at roughly $2,000 a door in hardware, and what happens to a door cage when the person hanging the drywall is paid by the board. Whether a homeowner has been told they are living in a prototype. Then labor, which is where Mark is most direct: fifteen people, W-2 for anyone who wants it, workers' comp, paid holidays, no health benefits yet, and what he says that costs the two guys who own the company. His rule is the compressed version of the whole hour. If engineered studs are not in the budget, flush base should not be either. Two things about this version. It leads with an idea rather than a search term, so the discoverable words are doing their work in the middle of the copy instead of the first line, which is the right trade for an architect audience and the wrong one for cold homeowner search. And the first paragraph now carries the thesis, which means it is the paragraph to reuse verbatim as the blog deck and the YouTube description opener so the three surfaces argue the same thing.

4. 

   24 Jun 2026

   Building Family: A Conversation With Steven Reyes of Reyes and Son Construction

   Most of my conversations on The Build Project are with architects. This one’s with a framer and it might be the clearest case I’ve made for why a builder belongs in the room early. Steven Reyes runs Reyes and Son Construction, the rough-carpentry crew on our last several custom homes. We talk about what pre-construction looks like from the field: showing up to a job with twenty questions instead of a hundred, holding a flatness standard on a tall double-stud wall, and the moment early on - ”we’ll fix it” - that told me he was the right trade partner. We also get into the parts of the trade that don’t make the brochure: the labor shortage hitting rough carpentry harder than almost anywhere, building a family crew (his dad’s been framing for 30+ years), running residential projects on commercial-grade systems, and why the hardest standard is usually the kindest one.

5. 

   11 May 2026

   Field Notes - Be the Guide, Not the Hero

   What does it actually mean to be the guide instead of the hero in luxury residential construction? In this impromptu episode, Alex reflects on a concept that’s been shaping the way Fernhill approaches custom homebuilding: trust through honest guidance. Inspired by the StoryBrand framework, this conversation explores why the client - not the builder - has to be the hero of the story, and why the best builders act as guides through a complex, emotional process. Alex shares real-world examples from current projects, the importance of communicating difficult truths, and why saying “yes” to everything is often a red flag in construction. From navigating budget realities and design decisions to building long-term trust with clients, designers, and trade partners, this episode is a candid look at the emotional intelligence behind great building. He also talks about: Why transparency matters more than perfection The role of trust in architect-builder-client relationships How Fernhill thinks about process, expectations, and collaboration What “luxury through process” actually means Why Design in Bloom and community relationships matter to the future of the industry If you’re a homeowner, architect, designer, builder, or someone interested in the human side of custom homes, this episode offers an honest perspective on what makes project - and relationships - successful.

6. 

   17 Mar 2026

   Ep 09 - How great Builders and Architects Protect the Vision: with Adam Wagoner

   In this episode, we talk about what actually makes residential projects work. We break down why bringing the builder into the project early leads to better outcomes, why the traditional bid model often fails on architecturally driven homes, and why trust and transparency between architects, builders, and clients matters more than most people realize. We also dive into one of the biggest challenges in high-end residential construction: clients want clarity on price early, but real pricing requires real design coordination. We unpack the tension between design ambition, budget expectations, contingency planning, and the realities of building in places like Boulder and the greater Colorado market. This conversation also touches on marketing, education, and why architects and builders need to do a better job pulling back the curtain on the process so clients can make better decisions before construction even begins. In this episode we discuss: Architect–builder collaboration Why bidding custom homes can create problems The limits of price-per-square-foot estimates Pre-construction strategy and early contractor involvement Budget alignment and contingency planning Marketing, brand trust, and educating clients Building better teams in residential construction If you're planning a custom home, remodel, or architecturally driven project, this episode gives a real look into the conversations that shape successful builds.

7. 

   4 Mar 2026

   Ep. 09 - Trust Is the Product: What Commercial Projects Teach Us About Residential Design + Build (with Jason Ragan)

   Host [Host Name] interviews Jason Ragan of Ragan Design Studio about how commercial project lessons build trust and elevate residential design.

8. 

   19 Dec 2025

   Lessons Learned from my first year podcasting

   Host Brad Leavitt reflects on his first year podcasting, sharing core principles about leadership, process, and collaboration in high-end residential construction.

9. 

   1 Dec 2025

   Ep. 08 - The Human Side of Architecture: Clients, Craft, and Chaos with Nick Fiore of Flower Architecture

   Architect Nick Fiore discusses the human elements of architecture with host Alex, exploring client relationships, craftsmanship, and the chaotic realities that shape meaningful homes in Boulder in this interview.

10. 

    24 Nov 2025

    Ep. 07 - Genuine Innovation in Construction - Reece Barnes of Adaptive

    Reece Barnes of Adaptive explores financial clarity, AI's impact, and transparency in construction, highlighting key questions for clients to ask builders in this interview.

11. 

    17 Nov 2025

    Ep. - 06 - How Trust Builds Better Homes: Project Management Real Talk

    Project manager Marty Brodsky discusses how trust between clients, architects, designers, builders, and tradespeople forms the foundation of successful custom home projects in this interview with Alex, revealing the hidden value in construction.

12. 

    13 Oct 2025

    Field Notes - Confidence is Luxury

    This episode explores how confidence, derived from thoughtful systems and collaboration, represents true luxury in building, assuring clients that every detail is considered.

13. 

    1 Oct 2025

    Ep.5 - Laura Marion - The Value of “No” — Why Boundaries Make Better Architecture

    Architect Laura Marion discusses the importance of setting boundaries to protect the craft and people in architecture, emphasizing listening and collaboration for stronger projects in this interview.

14. 

    15 Sept 2025

    Ep. 4 - Building What Lasts: Architect Mike Piché on Clarity and Craftsmanship

    Architect Mike Piché discusses designing with clarity and collaboration in luxury residential architecture, emphasizing local relationships and a clear design vision that shapes the client experience in an interview with the host.

15. 

    13 Aug 2025

    Building Trust, Building Together: A Conversation with Michael Bettin

    Host Alex interviews Fernhill’s Head of Operations, Michael Bettin, exploring how trust and experience forge successful high-end residential construction partnerships.

16. 

    29 Apr 2025

    Ep No. 2 - They Dont Trust Us Anymore: How building got so complicated

    In this episode of The Build Project, I sat down with Harvey Hine — founder of HMH Architecture + Interiors and a major voice in Colorado’s design community — to talk about trust, communication, and the evolving challenges of building custom homes. With over 36 years in practice, Harvey’s perspective is both grounded and refreshingly candid. We covered a lot of ground — from how the building process has changed since the 80s to why clear communication (and mutual trust) is more important now than ever.

17. 

    28 Apr 2025

    Ep. 02 They Don't Trust Us Anymore: How building got so complicated

    In this episode of the Build Project, we sit down with Mr. Harvey Hine of HMH Architecture and Interiors to discuss the evolving challenges in the architectural industry. From the growing scrutiny by building departments to the impact of media on client expectations, Harvey shares his extensive experience and insights. We explore the complexities of maintaining trust and clear communication with clients, the pros and cons of design-build models versus traditional methods, and the criteria for successful projects. Join us as we delve into the importance of a cohesive approach between designers and builders, and the balance between providing a high-quality product and exceptional service.

18. 

    9 Apr 2025

    Ep. 01 - Adam Wagoner of High, Low, Buffalo

    In this kickoff episode, Alex sits down with architect and AIA Colorado’s Architect of the Year, Adam Wagoner of High Low Buffalo, for an honest conversation about the state of the residential construction industry. They dig into the disconnect between design and build, why trust and transparency are essential, and how collaboration (not competition) leads to better outcomes for everyone — especially clients. Whether you're a homeowner planning your dream project, an architect, a builder, or somewhere in between, this episode offers unfiltered insight into what it really takes to build something great.

Who has been a guest on The Build Project

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jason Ragan
• Nick Fiore
• Reece Barnes
• Marty Brodsky
• Laura Marion

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 9 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

4

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact The Build Project

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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