Q&A with Shelly Wu of WestUrban
In between recent project control group meetings, we pinned down Shelly Wu, General Manager at WestUrban to get the low down on their work on our Kingloch Parade project and a general industry update.
Blueprint: Tell us a bit about WestUrban
Shelly Wu: WestUrban is an award-winning builder with a diversified portfolio of custom homes, commercial, and multi-unit developments. Although well diversified, we’re firmly in the medium density space. We work with a wide range but select group of clients, from homeowners to developers, providing end-to-end support across the entire development journey.
Our core values of community, sustainability, and quality are reflected in all projects, cementing (literally) our ranking as Victoria’s second largest townhouse builder.
Our leadership team have racked up some impressive numbers – with over 3000 projects delivered since the inception of the company in the early 2000’s!
BP: How are you tackling all the recent issues in terms of supply chain, inflation and contractor insolvency?
SW: WestUrban recognises the industry challenges that have arisen, especially over the last few years, accelerated by COVID.
However, we believe the industry is set for stabilisation over the coming years.
We’re confident in our position, backed by unwavering support from stakeholders, to maintain strong partnerships within the industry, with a focus on prioritising reliability to navigate the current construction landscape.
WestUrban has developed strong, trust-based relationships with our subcontractors over the years. We genuinely believe that the key to maintaining these connections lies in open communication. This approach gives a sense of reliability for our delivery partners and us as well, reducing the overall risk to any project.
Another key factor for us has been how selective we have been in who we deal with, whether that is subcontractors or developer clients.
BP: Why is WestUrban so selective in who they work with?
SW: We hold quality as a priority, so ensuring our vision aligns is paramount to help create a place for people to call their forever home.
For instance, Oz Property’s well thought out and site-specific past and current projects, along with a shared goal of creating a high-quality product that would stand the test of time, made the association at their Kingloch Parade, Wantirna project a no brainer.
BP: What can you tell us about the Kingloch Parade project?
SW: The ambitious energy ratings and environmental priorities!
The project has also conditioned its highest and best use to match with the surrounding landscape, combining the history of the Wantirna Heights Primary School and the community involvement to cultivate a project with so much more open space than any other project in the area. It’s a very exciting project for all involved.
BP: Have you done many projects of this size and scale?
SW: Medium density is a major project division for WestUrban, so naturally we’ve delivered many similar sized projects in the past. Some of these include:
- A 42-unit development in Wantirna;
- 28 units in Scoresby;
- 20+ double storey terraces in Briar Hill; and
- A 20+ double storey townhouse development in Greensborough.
