Build

Willemsen are licenced Class A builders and have been operating our own building division since our establishment in 1972.

Historically, Willemsen’s construction division comprised separate residential, commercial and fit out teams. In recent years, the organisation has restructured to comprise fit out and commercial refurbishment construction teams.

Partnering for construction

Today, our large-scale new build construction projects are undertaken in partnership with leading construction managers, with Willemsen taking on the direct site facing roles of project manager and construction superintendent.

After documenting a major new build project, Willemsen will typically undertake a select tender process to nominate a construction manager, partnering for the delivery of the project. We have successfully delivered award-winning projects with many of Australia’s leading builders over the last two decades.

We use the words “partner in the delivery” with a certain particularity, as we work directly alongside the construction manager on-site with direct involvement in the day-to-day construction process. Under this model we can leverage our internal design and building science technical expertise with the construction experience of Australia’s most successful builders.

Willemsen construction site team including Gary Willemsen, at 55 Blackall Street Barton in 1988.
A pioneering construction event for Canberra where a 4-storey concrete tilt up panel is lifted into place, having been cast on site due to pre-casting concrete being a new technology with no local fabricators. The project was finalised and commissioned in 1990 and remains our current Headquarters.

Adding value to the construction process

Willemsen’s direct construction involvement and ability to add technical value is a unique point of difference in comparison to other developers and property funds. This capacity allows us to supervise works diligently and knowledgeably, resolving issues as they present themselves during the construction process, avoiding operational problems.

As we maintain the in-house construction resources, we can capably undertake workplace fit outs and commercial building refurbishment projects of various size and complexity. This in-house capability provides optimal agility to assess and respond to our clients’ workplace requirements, resolving and delivering with value for money in a timely manner. Our team can direct tender construction work, delivering on short timeframes at market competitive rates. This is typically a substantial benefit for our clients, simplifying their property operations.

Onsite staff are shared between our fit out, construction and facilities management divisions, providing valuable upskilling of our employees and increasing their technical capacity, facilitating their ability to deal with more complex facility management issues.