Winning the HIA Emerging Builder Award for NSW 2025 is a major achievement. For Ben Tass, co-founder of TASS Architects + Builders, it’s recognition not just of his work, but of the people around him.
“Obviously it’s a great achievement. When you are nominated for an award with all the best builders in the state and then to come away with the win, it’s a huge achievement.”
But Ben is quick to point out that the award isn’t something he sees as his alone.
“It’s a bit of a funny award because it’s a personal award, but it’s got everything to do with the team at TASS. It certainly doesn’t feel like a personal win.”
That team-first mindset sits at the heart of the company he built alongside his brother Aaron.
A partnership built on complementary strengths
Brothers Ben and Aaron Tass founded TASS in 2016 after coming from different sides of the construction world. Ben’s experience was hands-on, built on time spent working on-site. Aaron’s background was engineering.
The combination turned out to be a powerful one.
“I come from an on-site world and my brother came from an engineering background… what he didn’t know I knew and vice versa. So it was kind of a perfect match.”
Initially, the company worked purely as a construction business, bringing architects’ designs to life. But over time, they noticed a recurring challenge for clients.
Many homeowners arrived excited about their projects but with budgets that didn’t match the plans they had commissioned.
“Unfortunately, many of our clients would come to us with an unrealistic budget… they had spent tens of thousands of dollars on a set of plans and spent two or three years planning.”
Too often, Ben says, builders were left delivering difficult news.
“We just kind of felt like we were the dream crushers.”
That experience pushed the team to rethink their approach.
By bringing more of the design and planning process in-house, they could guide clients earlier and help avoid costly missteps, creating a smoother journey from concept to completion.
The motivation: happy clients
Despite the complexities of residential construction, Ben says the reward never changes.
“Seeing happy clients every time that we finish – it never gets old.”
That outcome fuels his motivation to continually refine how the business operates.
“Seeing clients happy gives me even more motivation to work on our systems and our processes to bring more people in-house and create a better experience for clients.”
For Ben, building homes is about far more than the structure itself.
“We’re not just building homes, we’re building memories, we’re changing clients’ lifestyles. And that’s what gets me excited.”
Culture starts with the right people
Spend a little time on TASS’s social channels and one theme stands out: the importance of team culture.
For Ben, culture doesn’t start with perks or programs – it starts with hiring the right people.
“If you hire the right people, culture is effortless.”
Murray (Muz) Walsh, Account Manager at Dahlsens Kirrawee, has worked closely with TASS and seen that culture in action.
“They’re a very customer-focused business that covers every base for their clients. From the top down, it’s just a really well-run operation,” says Muz.
That focus on people shapes how the company operates day-to-day. The team makes time to connect beyond project schedules and site meetings.
“We just give ourselves time to hang out with team breakfasts, monthly meetings, monthly activities,” says Ben.
Those moments are deliberately protected in the calendar.
“You can always get too busy, but we really make sure that if it’s in the calendar, we make sure it happens.”
It’s particularly important for a growing company with multiple projects running at once.
When teams thrive, projects move faster
That investment in culture isn’t just about morale, it has real impacts on performance.
“No one likes to work with someone they don’t want to work with. So if everyone’s getting along and it feels like you get to come to work and hang out with your friends and try and build something beautiful, then everyone’s happy.”
And when people enjoy their work, the benefits flow through the entire project.
“When everyone’s happy, everyone’s more efficient. And if everyone’s more efficient, we’re moving quicker.”
For Ben, that alignment between people, process and purpose is key to improving how residential construction is delivered.
A project that captures the TASS approach
Among the many projects the team has delivered, Ben says the most meaningful are those where TASS manages the entire process including design, interiors and construction.
“When we’re doing our own design as well as our own interior design as well as building it… you know you’ve got the best outcome for the clients.”
One project that stands out is a large redevelopment in Marrickville on Cary Street.
Originally planned as multiple dwellings for different families, the site was ultimately transformed into a single large home.
“We basically got the licence to go in there and build with our clients and make it just this one big family home.”
The scale and complexity of the transformation made the final result even more rewarding.
“It was insane to watch the complexities of that project and then finishing the way that it did was just unreal.”
A career with more pathways than people realise
For those considering a career in construction, Ben believes the industry offers far more opportunity than many people realise.
“Something I didn’t really know was how broad the construction industry is. I just thought the only thing to do was be a carpenter.”
But once he entered the industry, he saw how many different roles existed.
“There’re builders, construction managers, project developers, project managers… commercial, industrial. There’s such an array of jobs out there for various different skill levels and personality types.”
Within his own team, he’s already seeing that diversity of pathways play out.
“People finish apprenticeships and either stay with us in the office, become site managers, or move into other fields within the industry. It’s really cool to know that there’s kind of a spot for everyone.”
For Ben Tass, the HIA Emerging Builder Award is a milestone but it’s also a reflection of a bigger vision – a business built on strong partnerships, a committed team, and a genuine desire to create better outcomes for the people who trust them to build their homes.
Congratulations to Ben and the entire TASS team!
