In this episode of the Build Hatch Podcast, we had the opportunity to hear from brothers Tom and Will from Urban and Co.

In this episode we talk about:

• Tom and Will grew up in the country region of Albury Wodonga in a large family of 6.
• They grew up with a father who is a civil engineer and director of a well-known engineering firm which has come in handy as their business has progressed over the years and his knowledge passed onto the boys.
• As the eldest and more analytical child Will started his career as a high voltage electrician and Tom, as the more creative one stepped into the world of graphic design and town planning. 
• They have different strengths – Will in systems and processes which combines well with Tom’s creative design aspects.
• Urban and Co. primarily act as a single point of contact for clients through the entire design and construction process.
• Working across all areas of Sydney and recently beyond, Urban and Co. aim to hold the client’s hand from start to finish and ensure quality and satisfaction with the final build as it is a long and challenging process.
• Making the aspirational move from Albury to Sydney to broaden their business and have a change of lifestyle, without any contacts – these brothers have built up their business from scratch.
• Tom and Will put a lot of thought into the business model and growth strategy, which took 2 years of planning before they started Urban and Co. in 2017.
• During this time, they intentionally established connections and focused on word of mouth to build their business organically in Sydney.
• Will and Tom’s family is their greatest support, and being brothers gives them the advantage of open communication without barriers.
• Will’s experience with systems and data helps to keep the business sustainable rather than just focusing on the short-term.
• Goals when working with clients and how Will and Tom value the client experience and act as a one-stop-shop for all their building and construction needs.
• Innovation in the design and creative techniques are part of the more enjoyable aspects of working with clients to build their dream home.
• Urban and Co. also work with investors and property developers, as part of Will’s background is in feasibility and investment opportunities.
• The typical journey of a brief with Urban and Co. from the initial design and strategy session to the final walkthrough.
• The ‘help me help you form’ allowing them to design not only to their client’s needs but to their wants and desires.
• User experience is essential, and they employ life-like 3D concepts to help the client understand the final product before they even enter the worksite.
• It is an involved personal journey that Will and Tom pride themselves on successfully leading their clients through the process.
• Will and Tom are always looking for improvement and treat all their lessons learnt (including during COVID) as steppingstones to create a better, stronger and more efficient business model.
• The future for Urban and Co. as well as their reflections from their time in business thus far.

Sit back and enjoy this helpful interview with Tom and Will from Urban and Co.

 

Links:

Urban and Co.

Follow @urbanco_design on Instagram

Build Hatch