About Us
Located in the Fleurieu Peninsula, 35 South Building Co is a boutique construction company specialising in new homes, renovations, traditional timber framing, and more. Since 2019 we have been creating considered and functional homes that put an emphasis on sustainability, timber crafting, and high-performance design.
Directors and founders Tom Shaw, Sam Foutoulis, and Ben Kernahan are all carpenters by trade and came together with a vision to collaborate at the crossroads of exquisite design, high performance and unmatched craftsmanship.
We place collaboration at the heart of our work - both on site and with our clients. This means when you start a project with us, you can be certain we are as invested in the final result as you are. From the first meeting all the way through to completion. We want you to be as proud of the final result as we are.
We take great pride in thoughtfully building homes on our beautiful Fleurieu landscape. It is a role we take seriously, which is why we are meticulous at every stage of the build - guaranteeing the highest level of quality.
Meet Sticks, Sam and Tom. Directors of 35 South Building Co.
Get to know a little about them and meet some of the 35 South crew.
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Director, Contract and Business Management
Ok, hold onto your hats for Ben - AKA Sticks, Krackers or cheeky, crazy obsessive, analytical guy.
If you’ve got a building idea and he loves it, he’s known to research the pants off it.
Mr Dependable, honourable and reliable are all of his traits - which is practical really as he is known to be adventurous - and not just with his mechanical mind. So adventurous that being a part of an Aviation team took him to new heights in his career and countries like France, where he was able to develop his technical skill of traditional French carpentry. Yes Sticks is very accomplished. We dare you to find a broad based and experienced builder who can weld 30 feet under water – that and more stories you’ll hear when you ask him about his deep sea building work adventures.
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Director, Estimating and Project Management
Our Sincere Sam.
The heart and soul of this dynamic 35 South trio. One of the most approachable builders you’ll come across.
His love for sustainability and his imagination ensures he is always invested in you and your build. Always looking for the better way in any project and consistently compassionate in ensuring you are heard in what you want. He’ll come up with new trends and ideas that will work for you or will work on a grand community scale. He’s all about how people resonate with their build and their project. Sam is a Passivhaus Certified Tradesperson and always keen to nerd out on new building science and performance detailing.
Relatable, empathetic and idealistic in all that he does, it’s not hard to respect the man who is amazingly centred and a lover of his craft.
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Director, Site Operations
Meet trusted yet relaxed Tom.
We’re even tempted to call him the lifestyle building coach. Why? Because the way you value and define what your lifestyle looks like, are all the questions that make up his DNA. It also makes him one of the most productive guys you’ll meet on site.
Super efficient, he can pull the decisive trigger when needed with agility to boot. He rarely stresses out - so he’ll balance any questions you have in your build and make sure there’s an efficient and easy solution… otherwise how else has he got time to surf, work on his own house and get stuck into his veggie garden?
Lifestyle is key.
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Business and Finance Manager
Meet Rose, our Business & Finance Manager. She's the true backbone of our business, ensuring every detail is meticulously managed. Rose's incredible work ethic and unwavering dedication are the driving forces behind our success. Just as she expertly balances our accounts, she knows how to savour the finer things in life, especially when it comes to Lebanese cuisine. Rose doesn't just keep our office running smoothly; she adds flavour to our team, just like her favourite dishes. We're fortunate to have Rose's expertise and passion in our corner.
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Client Engagement and Operations Manager
Clare’s connection with 35 South began as a client. While working together on her new build project Clare was impressed with our quality craftsmanship and collaborative approach and we were impressed by her communication skills, organisation and geeky spreadsheets - so of course we wanted to continue our work together! Clare now manages the project systems and processes to make the building experience as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
With a professional background in executive coaching, Clare excels at asking the right questions, reframing challenges, and finding effective solutions. She is passionate about supporting people to build intentional, values-aligned homes.
The Team
Testimonials
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Build Project - Peter and Rosie Jenson
"I discovered 35 South Building Co through a close friend who was working with them on an extension project. What caught my attention about 35 S was their fresh and youthful team and "can do" attitude, which stood out compared to more traditional builders.
Their flexibility and skill with timber, a key element in our home, along with reasonable pricing, sealed the deal.
Throughout the construction journey, communication was great, particularly important as many design decisions were made along the way - nothing was too much trouble for them. Working seamlessly with all their excellent subbies, they truly understood and delivered our vision.
While a few hiccups arose, like a framing cost increase (out of their control), they handled the complicated construction process really well and finished very close to the expected completion date.
The 2-storey house boasts innovative timber framing and feature external timber cladding, great insulation quality, and attention to detail in all the finishes, both inside and out – a testament to 35's dedication to sustainable building and client satisfaction."
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Renovation Project - Karen and Greg Della
“When it came to renovating our home in rural NSW we needed to find a builder who was reliable, trustworthy and flexible. We gave them a 3 month window, and even with a complete rebuild, changes being made on the fly and custom work including; Two sets of bespoke handmade entry doors, built in cupboards, a large room fireplace with a shadow line and painting areas to create a concrete look, these guys were brilliant - we had no issues at all.
As we weren’t at the site a lot of the time, Tom handled all the liaison with subcontractors, providing us with regular updates of trades. Communication was so easy making the whole process really smooth. We also received glowing praises of the boys from many of the other trades involved in the project, which really instilled us with confidence that we were dealing with great builders.”
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Renovation Project - Stevie and Sébastien
“During the renovation we reserved the home’s original roof rafters to use as renewable materials throughout the house. Ben’s master skills transformed these raw materials into our exquisite benchtops and a front door that leaves a lasting impression on our guests.
We also had Ben custom make our unique built in pantry - a show piece in our beautiful kitchen - from the 1700’s wooden wardrobe doors we relocated from my husband’s grandfather’s family home in the south of France. As sentimental and precious these pieces are, we had full confidence in Ben’s ability to create a gorgeous, yet practical, bespoke piece for our lake house.
Having newborn twins and a busy toddler, Ben went out of his way to be incredibly considerate, working around their sleep times when using power tools and ensuring the area was always safe.”
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Professional Reference - James Grope
“I have performed a number of inspections for 35 South and they always work with integrity, in a calm and constructive manner and are incredibly reliable. A unique characteristic of the 35 South guys is their ability to complete technical building works with minimal instruction.
I don’t usually recommend tradesmen, but these guys are great to work with, upholding high morals and standards with an incredibly broad wealth of experience and generosity both in and out of the worksite. Sam’s tree milling experience and Ben’s skilled Heritage work experience is also incredibly unique and valuable to the trade.”
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Build Project - Bill and Carol Tierney
“Building a dream house is never easy ad comes with complications - yet liaising over the time with 35 South made things easier. Sam in particular was very switched on with solving any problems on site. We really enjoyed having them help build our stunning home, so much so we provided morning tea, hom cooked lunch and afternoon tea for them each day as thy became part of the family. These guys seem to enjoy what they do and are great to work with.”
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Build Project - Wayne and Michelle Brown
“We designed a really unique, characterful off-grid home and wanted to find someone who could really bring the design to life. In the past I have worked with other builders but I have felt like my ideas have been ripped off and their translation has not actualised the ideas as I have visualised them in my head.
Working with 35 South, the process has been the complete opposite; they are incredibly respectable guys that easily gained our trust. Nothing was too hard for them as they valued and were very interested in the structure of the build. We thoroughly enjoyed working with these guys and would highly recommend them if you are looking for a builder, particularly a character build.”