For Jason Tanchevski, building has always been about family. As the managing director of Classic Constructions, he continues a tradition that began with his father and uncle, growing into one of Canberra’s most respected residential building companies. His story is one of continuity, innovation and pride in creating homes that last.
“My father Michael and my uncle George started Classic Constructions nearly 40 years ago, back in 1987,” Jason says. “Dad’s a carpenter by trade. He had a real knack and a love for joinery and that expanded into building. My uncle’s background was business and finance, so together they created a good synergy.”
Jason grew up around a solid work ethic. “I never really knew what Dad did when I was little, because he was always at work,” he recalls. “But it grounded me from an early age in the morals around hard work. As I got older, I started helping out on sites during school holidays and it was just a natural progression to get into the construction industry once I finished school. I never really planned it, I kind of just fell into it.”
After finishing Year 12, Jason studied Construction Management at the University of Canberra. “It was the highest type of qualification you can get from a construction perspective. I wanted to learn more about the industry outside of what Dad’s business knew. But I also started working in ‘Classics’ at the same time; everything from photocopying and answering phones through to client selections and approvals. That grounding over the past 25 years has helped me be in the position I am now to run the business.”
Now, Classic Constructions is in its second generation of leadership. Jason and his cousin, George’s son Jon, have continued the legacy that their fathers began all those years ago. “Jon and I have been running the business now for well over 10 years and our shared values and vision have enabled us to continually evolve our business to keep up with the demands of our industry.”
Classic Constructions designs and builds custom homes. “We understand the importance of being able to facilitate the full process for our clients, right from initial design through to construction and handover. This provides the best outcomes for the homeowner,” Jason explains. “We’ve worked with panels of architects since the early days, and it’s something that sets us apart. We created a niche service, and now a lot of the industry has caught on to it. I feel like we were pioneers with that offering.”
Display homes have always been central. “We’ve been building display homes since the 90s and we always aim to have a display home on show. Each display home we build remains on display for at least two to four years, until we look to develop the next one,” he says. “It’s our main way of communicating to people what we can offer. It’s where we break the shackles and be innovative. Potential clients walk into a display to get ideas for their next build, and will mostly take elements from the display into the project or try and replicate a similar design into their project, which we will design and construct for them. That’s what we love.”
Classic Constructions homes now stand across the entire Canberra and surrounding NSW regions. “We’ve built well in excess of a thousand homes, so we’ve been everywhere. I still drive around Canberra and recognise homes that we may have built 20 or 30 years ago and point it out to my kids that ‘we built that house’,” Jason says with pride.
MBA membership has been part of that journey. “We’ve been members for over 30 years,” Jason says. “It gives you a collaborative forum to talk about opportunities or issues. One of our first key involvements was building the Franklin Charity House in 2012, which raised funds for five Canberra charities. More recently, I’ve been chair of the Residential Sector and on the board. My first major involvement was during COVID, when I worked with the MBA to advocate for reopening the industry. We got a win there, and that validated why I wanted to be part of it.” Winning awards has also been a feature of the Classic Constructions journey with the MBA over the years, seeing them receive multiple MBA Excellence in Building Awards, including the 2019 House of the Year.
Jason is positive about the wider industry’s shift back to an emphasis on quality. “The prestige of being a Master Builder probably dipped in the 2000s, when it felt like anyone could join. But I think we’re bringing that back now, through awards, scrutiny and duty of care. There’s more focus on quality and integrity.” He also sees technology shaping the future. “We’ve seen the biggest changes to the construction code in years, and there’s a revolution coming with prefabrication, automation and robotics. Artificial intelligence will also play a role. Builders today need to manage businesses, embrace technology and adapt, not just swing a hammer.”
Asked what matters most to him, Jason points back to values. “My father and uncle built their reputation from scratch by relying on personal principles and values: integrity and respect. That’s what we continue today.”
