About this podcast
The Build is a podcast focused on the challenges of providing housing and infrastructure. Hosted by real estate developer Rick Larkin, the show features interviews with a number of leading personalities working in the building and development sector both in Ireland and globally.
Episodes
- A (non)Christmas Story · 25 min · Season 2 Episode 10Gather round the fire for a very different kind of Christmas story. In this special episode, we hand the microphone over to a weary Santa Claus to narrate the true, exhausted…
- Reddy! Steady! Plan! · 49 min · Season 2 Episode 9What if Ireland's cities were planned with the same vision and coherence as Barcelona, Copenhagen, or Helsinki? Tony Reddy, Director of Reddy Architecture and Urbanism, reveals…
- Sharing Solutions · 53 min · Season 2 Episode 8Housing shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all proposition. Yet in a decision that stands alone in Europe, Ireland banned an entire category of housing with a ministerial pen stroke…
- Seeking Validation · 1 h 18 min · Season 2 Episode 7Tom Phillips is a town planner and an art history buff. We sat down to discuss his somewhat unusual road to becoming a town planner, why so many planning applications get…
- Cirque du Planning Act · 1 h 21 min · Season 2 Episode 6We speak to Brendan Slattery of McCann FitzGerald LLP about the new Planning & Development Act. Brendan is a partner at McCann in the Environmental and Planning law division. He…
- Family (Business) Matters · 51 min · Season 2 Episode 5Kate Rhatigan, with her brother and sister, runs Winterbrook, a home builder based in Dublin. In our chat, Kate describes the contribution small builders like Winterbrook make to…
- O, Canada · 59 min · Season 2 Episode 4We talk about our domestic problems a lot, but do we have any worse than other places? This month on The Build I speak with Mathieu Fleury of Leader Lane Developments who tells…
- Numbers and how to count them · 1 h 3 min · Season 2 Episode 3Kate English from Deloitte succinctly explains the overwhelming amount of data that exist on the need for housing, along with some upcoming demographic trends that really matter…
- Money, Money, Money · 48 min · Season 2 Episode 2Chris Wilson, the chief executive of Fairfield Real Estate Finance, takes us on a remarkable journey through his influential career in our latest episode. From his pivotal role…
- But first... · 3 min · Season 2 Episode 1I'm back, and I'm here just to say thanks. Disclosure of conflicts from Season 1: Episode 3 with John Downey, John did a little bit of work for a JV entity we were involved with…
- Cloud Cuckoo Land · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 9Join me in search of the elusive and fascinating cuckoo. I am joined by a great group of guests including Sean Keyes from the Currency who discusses the media's influence on…
- The Agent Chronicles · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 8Ken MacDonald's illustrious career has shaped the Irish real estate landscape across five decades. Starting with a humble leaflet campaign back in 1967, Ken's journey has seen…
- The Kitchen Sink (and other cost savings) · 1 h 15 min · Season 1 Episode 7Paul Mitchell, Director and Co-founder of Mitchell McDermott talks about costs, viability, what is happening in other countries along with MMC and Sprawl. Note: There is now an…
- On the Origin of Sprawl · 1 h 15 min · Season 1 Episode 6UCD Economist and former member of An Bord Snip (and An Bord Snip Nua!) Colm McCarthy on the mistakes we have made and continue to make. Also, why the ECB was incompetent during…
- How to Build a House · 1 h 18 min · Season 1 Episode 5Architect John Dobbin talks us through how to go about building a house, from the very beginning and why it can be difficult but rewarding. Also, bungalow bliss, high density but…
- The Law · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 4On today's episode: the contributions waiver is explained and we talk to Fidelma McManus, partner and head of housing at Beauchamps LLP about conveyancing, AHB's and how the law…
- The System Will Change You · 1 h 5 min · Season 1 Episode 3John Downey, a town planner with 20 years experience, talks to us about how the planning system is meant to work, why it is completely broken, and what could possibly be done…
- Nightmare on NIMBY Street · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 2Brian Hanlon is the CEO of California YIMBY, a non-profit whose mission is to make California an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. As well as being every…
- It's Easier in Russia · 60 min · Season 1 Episode 1A discussion with Brian Moran on how difficult it is for even a well funded, global developer like Hines to develop housing in Ireland. —- The CJEU ruled on the planning…







