QTC Build

We never got around to posting this one, and only managed to grab a few photos, but there was plenty happening behind the scenes!

QTC Build delivered a satellite office for CPB Contractors to support the Tram Road to Springvale Road Big Build project. The fitout included 126 workstations, 11 enclosed offices, five meeting rooms and loose furniture throughout, with the team needing to move in before Christmas 2025.

One of the biggest challenges was getting all 126 workstations ready within the programme. There wasn’t enough time to order through the usual supply channels, so we brought together components from several Australian suppliers: locally manufactured tops, stocked frames, refurbished task chairs and electrical components from CMS Electricom for the sit stand desks. Everything was assembled and installed on site, including cable management and privacy screens.

We also sourced ex showroom furniture from another client, coordinating inspections and delivery to give quality furniture another use. It helped meet the deadline while avoiding unnecessary waste.

With more people moving into the building than the existing air conditioning could accommodate, we installed additional split systems to support the increased occupancy.

Working with CPB also meant aligning our documentation, safety procedures and site management with their workplace health and safety requirements. We strengthened these systems for the project and have continued using them across our other jobs. The team moved in before Christmas as planned, with a fully operational office ready to support the infrastructure works.

Last Week, QTC Build turned 5. I missed our usual Friday post because we celebrated a little too hard. Better late than never, and LinkedIn seems to think today’s the day.

To celebrate, I took the trades who’ve been essential to our success out for lunch. I wanted to give them something to say thanks. Another branded tape measure seemed a bit dull, so I gave them all QTC Build slippers. They spend enough time on their feet dealing with my “one quick question” calls. The least I could do was make their time away from site more comfortable.

Looking back, I can’t believe how quickly 5 years have gone. I picked a beautifully uneventful time to start a commercial fitout business in Melbourne: pandemics, lockdowns, everyone working from home, rising costs, a few wars, and a Labor Government that can go suck a lemon.

Despite all that, I’m proud of what we’ve built, the clients we’ve worked with and the relationships that have continued long after handover. The 38 five star Google reviews are lovely too and help with the SEO so keep em coming.

But getting here took a while: a 4 year apprenticeship in shopfitting joinery, another 4 years completing a Bachelor of Construction Management, a 1 year Cert IV in New Small Business, and getting my commercial fitout and structural fitout licences. 9 years of study and training before I even started counting the paperwork. I probably should’ve become a doctor.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve also taught myself AutoCAD and design, and learnt a lot about building compliance and dental fitouts. Then there’s the business side: networking, Xero, BAS, GST, invoicing and all the other boring stuff nobody puts in the project photos. A real boring rollercoaster ride.

So anyways, here’s to another 5 years of doing something that I absoultey love. A big thank you to our clients and trades for being part of it. I’m sharing a few photos of projects we’ve completed along the way. And if you spot anyone wearing QTC slippers on a jobsite, give their feet a stamp and see if they’re steel capped.

Cheers

Andy
Director, QTC Build

Clinibase | Collingwood

It’s always great seeing a finished project come together, but this one was particularly enjoyable.

Clinibase were a great client to work with from start to finish. Easygoing, friendly and open to ideas, which made designing and delivering their new space a really enjoyable project for our team.

A big part of the project was making use of what was already available. Clinibase retained and reused 103 existing workstations, while showroom furniture already within the building was incorporated into the new design. This helped reduce waste, shorten lead times and give the project a greener footprint.

Across both stages, we delivered new meeting rooms, offices and collaborative spaces to support the way their team works. The space also features murals by local graffiti artist MEGGS, bringing some of Collingwood’s character into the workplace and adding something unique to the finished design.

Clinibase specialises in clinical trial recruitment, helping connect suitable participants with clinical research across Australia and New Zealand. Their growth has been impressive, with the business expanding into a second floor just six months after we completed the initial stage. At the rate they’re growing, it looks like we may need to find room for a few more offices and meeting rooms before too long.

It’s been great getting to know the team and their business throughout the process. We also had the opportunity to work with Clinibase on a promotional video of their own, interviewing the team about what they do and providing an insight into the clinical trial recruitment process.

A few photos of the finished space for now, with the full project video coming next week.

Clinibase Recruitment

One project can often lead to the next.

After completing the Endress+Hauser fitout in Mulgrave, our work caught the attention of the building management team. That introduction led to QTC Build being engaged to complete the make good and spec suite fitout of another tenancy within the building.

The goal with a spec suite is a little different to a traditional office fitout. There’s no end user yet, so the space needs to appeal to a broad range of prospective tenants without spending money on things they’re likely to change later.

We completed the full make good, rationalised the existing mechanical and hydraulic services, and delivered a modern office with new meeting spaces, workstations, custom joinery, kitchen and breakout areas.

Where existing furniture and materials were still in good condition, we retained and repurposed them, putting the budget into the areas that would have the biggest impact on presentation and leasing appeal.

That first project has since grown into an ongoing relationship with Building Management, with QTC Build completing further spec suites, lobby upgrades, office reconfigurations, make goods and smaller works across their portfolio.
A good example of where doing one job well can take you.

This week we’re sharing the finished photos from the new home of Melbourne Smiles at 3/115 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North. I also managed to get caught in the photos wearing my moccasins on picture day, so naturally that one had to make the cut.

We worked together to purpose-build the clinic around the way Melbourne Smiles actually operates, taking into account their day-to-day workflow and specialist equipment requirements to bring the clinical, laboratory and staff areas together in one considered space.

The new clinic includes two treatment rooms fitted with AJAX dental chairs, a dedicated Denture Laboratory, CAD/CAM room, Plaster and Plant rooms, an inviting Reception and Waiting area, office, staff breakout area and upgraded amenities.

The treatment rooms were designed specifically for a denture clinic setup, with water and waste connections to the chairs and compressed air available where required, without the suction infrastructure typically required in a general dental practice.

We worked closely with the team to determine the right layout for their specialist equipment and also assisted with securing a new gas connection to the property for use in their day-to-day plaster work.

From the beginning, this was a great project to be part of. Melbourne Smiles is a family-oriented business, and that comes through in the way they treat their staff, their patients and the people they work with. We had a fantastic relationship with the team throughout the project and genuinely loved working with them.

We also had the opportunity to do something a little different with the finishes, working with Roland DG Australia to introduce their DIMENSE wall technology to the project — the first installation of its kind in any Victorian business, something we’re pretty proud to have been part of. Dimense: https://lnkd.in/gSf-MuVi

The finished Reception wall looks fantastic. The speckled plaster effect was selected as a subtle reference to the plaster work that forms part of Melbourne Smiles’ day-to-day business, complemented by their inset logo to bring the whole feature together.

A project we’re very proud to have delivered and, more importantly, a fantastic client we’d happily work with again.

Photos this week. Full project video next week.

Melbourne Smiles Denture Clinic
Roland DG Australia
Ajax Dental