HIA member Brendan Deguara found a sense of joy when learning woodwork at high school. ‘It was the first time I was really engaged with learning,’ he recalls. ‘I enjoyed it so much, I could see myself working in the building industry even though I was just in my teens.’

Although his parents were tentative – his dad was a long-time plasterer and hoped his son would move into the corporate world – they soon accepted Brendan’s passion.

At the age of 16, his first big break took place virtually across the road – at a building company renovating a property right next door. ‘They needed some help, so I did some labouring. I was earning around $600 to $700 a week so that convinced me this was the right direction.’

Before long, this young Sydneysider took on a full-time apprenticeship in carpentry with a commercial company that built high-end properties from Mosman to Palm Beach. ‘I was working with ambitious apprentices, and we all took on the Certificate 4 Building & Construction course. I found there was a natural crossover between carpentry and building – it’s a perfect balance.’

At the age of 22, Brendan completed his carpentry apprenticeship, earned his builder's licence and soon took on a position as supervisor for the commercial company.

‘I felt like I was the eldest 22-year-old around,’ he says, laughing. ‘I was the young guy directing mature trades. They were pretty good about it although a few of them would rib me a bit.’

Difficulties of starting a business

With myriad skills under his belt, Brendan launched his own business, BCD Building, in 2009, covering Sydney’s North Shore. It offers a complete building service from timing, planning and budgeting to design, workmanship and quality. 

His first project – subdividing and building two new houses – was ‘a baptism of fire’, admits Brendan. Luckily, he could turn to his dad for advice, particularly when getting the plans approved by the council.

‘Project managing this build was a real learning curve,’ recalls Brendan. ‘Getting guidance from Dad helped me so much. Apart from dealing with the council, I had to manage trades, juggle funds, manage homeowner’s warranty, lock in quotes, and much more. For the first few years, I paid myself the bare minimum. It was just enough to put petrol in my car.’

For more advice, Brendan turned to colleagues, businesspeople and even his graphic designer/wife Amanda, who runs the marketing side of BCD Building.

‘In our industry, you need to talk to plenty of people to get the right answers,’ he says. ‘You also need some reassurance. You want to hear, “That's the right answer. You already knew it”.’

Before too long, BCD Building was booming. Brendan is still thrilled when homeowners arrive at the final stage. ‘When the project turns from a building site to a home, the owners usually arrive and say, “Whoa, we get it now; all these changes are amazing. Now we can see how it works”.’

HIA award

One of BCD Building’s recent achievements is being a finalist in the 2024 HIA NSW Region Custom Built Home ($2–$2.5 million) Award. Collaborating with building design practice Luxitecture, the project in Sydney’s West Pymble is a family home with a sophisticated, contemporary aesthetic. One of its highlights is a wraparound verandah, which adds country-style charm.

With expansive light-filled spaces, the interior features clean lines with natural textures and materials. It also features shapely archways that create a sense of balance and harmony. Upon entry, the first archway is complemented by a unique coffered ceiling, which instantly draws your attention upward.

Solving complex challenges

Brendan dealt with various challenges during the build, including the location of the main storm water line. This ran directly across the rear of the property and required concrete encasement. The problem was trying to fit in a pool within the property boundaries and working with the positioning of the main line. 

‘The issue was rectified by incorporating a full-length sitting ledge/step within the pools design, concealing the main storm water line,’ explains Brendan.

Another challenge encountered was in relation to the upstairs ceiling height. New home builds have a height constraint of approximately eight metres. ‘The homeowners and architect elected to include three-metre-high ceilings downstairs and 2.4-metre ceilings upstairs,’ says Brendan.

‘We felt this wouldn’t provide enough natural light, so we proposed to add raked ceilings in all the upstairs bedrooms. This meant the spaces were lifted dramatically, creating a feeling of openness with more natural light.’

There was, however, a knock-on effect. Adjusting the ceiling height compromised the available space to run critical services and thermal insulation. A huge amount of effort was required to relocate the air-conditioning ducts and install alternative thermal solutions to comply with the high R4.5 roof requirements.

Selecting the best materials

A notable aesthetic of the exterior of this home is the textural combination of different materials. ‘Using James Hardie fibre cement weatherboards allowed us to achieve an authentic timber facade without worrying about the constant upkeep associated with traditional timber,’ says Brendan. ‘It’s durable, has excellent insulation properties, and offers smooth, straight lines. For us, it was easier to work with than timber.’

The addition of sandstone to the front exterior adds warmth and depth and is a nice contrast to the smooth finish and white colour palette of the weatherboards.
V Joint panelling is another material that was applied throughout the build. It has been featured in the laundry, mudroom, study, living room and on the underside of the wrap-around verandah.

‘This finish gives the look of tongue-and-groove timber but with the durability of fibre cement and without longevity issues of shrinking, swelling and warping,’ says Brendan. ‘It also possesses excellent sound-absorbing qualities, helping reduce noise levels within the home.’

Future plans

With BCD Building now a successful business, Brendan still credits his late dad for his input in the early stages. ‘He was a larger-than-life character – a good wheeler and dealer. With a strong personality, he knew how to seize opportunities.’

Although Brendan may not realise, it’s a case of father-and-son connections – two driven career people who made their mark in the building industry with major success.

Materials

• Bathroom tiles: Tiles by Kate
• Tapware: Brodware
• Handles: Lo and Co Interiors
• Benchtops: Smartstone
• Windows: Cedar West

First published 9 May 2025