An Interview with Our Managing Director: The Vision Behind Beachstone Homes
RANDAL LAMB
Managing Director
Randal has over 25-years’ experience in both Canada and Australia in Engineering, Construction and Project Management of Commercial and Residential projects. His previous roles include GM – National Operations of Metricon Homes and Construction Director of the Latitude 37 Group. The Lamb family home, built while Randal led the Construction team at Latitude 37, was awarded Best Custom Home ($1M-$2M) by the HIA in 2015.
Building a custom home is about much more than the finished product. The people, processes and decisions behind the project can have just as much influence on the final outcome.
To give clients a better understanding of the philosophy behind Beachstone Homes, we sat down with Managing Director Randal Lamb to discuss what “Built For Life” means, how Beachstone approaches custom home building and what he believes makes a successful building experience.
Key Takeaways
- Beachstone Homes integrates design, cost planning and construction knowledge from the early stages of a custom home project
- “Built For Life” means creating homes that are designed for everyday living, built to last and considered for the future
- Choosing a custom home builder should involve more than comparing price, with experience, communication, quality and transparency all important considerations
- Quality construction starts with good design, detailed documentation, appropriate materials and careful coordination before work begins on site
- Beachstone Homes continues to focus on improving design, estimating, building performance and the overall client experience
Q: Randy, can you tell us a bit about Beachstone Homes and what sets you apart?
A: Beachstone Homes is a custom home builder working across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. We specialise in individual homes, so every project starts with understanding the client, their site, how they want to live and what they want to achieve from their investment.
What really defines our approach is the integration between design, estimating, preconstruction and construction. We want buildability and cost to be part of the design conversation from the beginning rather than something that is considered once the drawings are finished.
We also place a strong emphasis on quality and transparency. Building a custom home is a significant undertaking, and clients should understand the process, the decisions they are making and where their money is being invested.
Q: Beachstone Homes’ philosophy is “Built For Life.” What does that mean to you?
A: “Built For Life” represents the way we think about a home beyond the day we hand over the keys.
- Built to Last – The materials, construction methods and workmanship need to deliver a home that performs well over the long term.
- Designed for Living – A home should respond to the way the client actually lives. Good design is not just about appearance. It is about orientation, functionality, comfort, movement through the home and how spaces are used every day.
- Designed for the Future – We encourage clients to think beyond their immediate needs and consider how the home may need to adapt over time, as well as its ongoing performance and long term value.
A custom home is a major investment, so we want to create something that continues to work for the client and their family for many years after construction is complete.
Q: Why is the Design & Build approach important to Beachstone Homes?
A: One of the biggest challenges in custom residential construction is that design and cost can become disconnected. A home can look fantastic on paper, but if construction knowledge and budget are introduced too late, clients can end up redesigning the project or making compromises they never expected.
Our Design & Build process allows the design team, estimating team and construction team to contribute at the appropriate stages. We can look at design intent alongside buildability, structural complexity, material choices and cost while the project is still developing.
That does not mean designing purely around cost. It means giving clients better information so they can decide where they want to invest and where there may be opportunities to achieve the same outcome more efficiently.
Q: What do you think clients should look for when choosing a custom home builder?
A: Price is obviously important, but I do not think it should be considered in isolation. Clients should understand exactly what has been included in the price, the level of specification being allowed for and how thoroughly the builder has assessed the project.
I would also look closely at the people behind the business. Who will actually be designing, estimating, managing and building your home? What experience do they have with projects of similar complexity? How does the builder communicate? How are variations managed? How detailed are the specifications and documentation?
A custom home can take a considerable amount of time from the first design conversation through to handover. You are choosing a team you will be working closely with throughout that journey, so trust, communication and capability matter enormously.
Q: How does Beachstone Homes approach quality?
A: Quality starts well before a trade arrives on site. It comes from good design, detailed documentation, appropriate materials, experienced trades and proper supervision throughout construction.
We build highly individual homes, often on sites with coastal exposure, slope, planning constraints or complex architectural details. Those projects require careful coordination and an understanding of how different materials and construction systems work together.
The details that ultimately make a home feel well built are often the result of decisions made months before they become visible. That is why we put so much emphasis on planning and coordination as well as the workmanship itself.
Q: Beachstone Homes has received a number of HIA awards. What do those mean to the company?
A: Industry recognition is important because it gives our team an independent benchmark for the standard of work we are producing. We have been fortunate to receive recognition across both our homes and our business, and we are very proud of that.
But an award is really the result of a much larger team effort. Designers, project managers, estimators, site supervisors, trades, suppliers and consultants all contribute to the finished home.
For me, the awards are recognition of that collective effort. Ultimately though, the most important measure is whether we have delivered a home that the client is proud to live in and an experience they would be comfortable recommending to somebody else.
Q: What drives you personally in the building industry?
A: I enjoy the combination of creativity, problem solving and seeing something tangible come from a huge amount of work by a lot of different people.
Every custom home presents different challenges. The site is different, the client is different and the design is different. Working through those challenges and finding solutions that improve the home is one of the most rewarding parts of the industry.
There is also something very satisfying about seeing a client move into a home that began as a conversation or an idea. You get to see all those months of design, planning, selections and construction become something that will be part of their everyday life.
Q: Where do you see Beachstone Homes heading in the future?
A: I think the industry will continue to become more sophisticated. Energy efficiency, building performance, smart technology and the way homes respond to their environment are becoming increasingly important, and clients are much better informed than they were in the past.
For Beachstone Homes, the objective is not simply to build more homes. We want to keep improving the way we design, estimate, document and construct them.
Technology will certainly play a bigger role, but the fundamentals will remain the same: good design, realistic cost planning, quality construction, strong communication and experienced people working together.
Q: What would you say to someone considering building their home with Beachstone Homes?
A: I would encourage them to speak with us early, particularly if they have not started designing yet. Some of the most important decisions affecting design, buildability and budget are made at the beginning of a project.
Our role is to help clients understand those decisions and guide the project from the initial brief through design, cost planning, selections, construction and ultimately handover.
Every custom home is different, so the first step is simply a conversation about the site, what you want to achieve and the budget you are working with. From there, we can help establish the most appropriate pathway forward.
If you’re considering building a custom home on the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside or Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, contact Beachstone Homes to discuss your project with our team.
ABOUT BEACHSTONE HOMES
Beachstone Homes is an award winning custom home builder specialising in bespoke Design & Build homes across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside suburbs and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Our integrated approach combines custom design, interior design, cost planning and construction expertise under one roof to help clients move from vision to certainty with confidence.
