Why Cresco is fast becoming one of the most respected names in structural engineering, and how one smart slab solution changed everything.
By TGB Editorial
Published on The Good Builder
📩 https://www.cresco-group.com.au/
When RYSE Constructions hit their 100th slab using the Biax pod system, the mood on site wasn’t just celebratory, it was collaborative.
That day, engineers from Cresco Australia, suppliers from Biax Foundations, the team from RYSE, and even RFL mesh contractors were standing side-by-side. Not just delivering another job, but delivering it together.
It’s the kind of ecosystem builders dream about. Suppliers, partners, engineers and trades all on the same page, pushing for better outcomes. And if there’s one name that kept coming up on that site (and in the weeks after), it was Cresco Australia.
“They feel like an extension of our team”
That’s how RYSE Constructions described them, and they’re not alone.
Across the country, Cresco is gaining a quiet reputation as the engineers who actually listen. Who show up. Who ask better questions. Who solve problems proactively, not just approve drawings from a distance.
Founded by Shane Lutze, a mechanical and structural engineer with real-world mining and agri-industry experience, Cresco has grown into one of the most trusted engineering groups working in residential construction today.
They’re not just ticking boxes. They’re helping builders rethink how engineering can improve speed, reduce cost, and create clarity on site, from day one.
“We saw too much conservatism in the industry,” Shane says.
“Too many cookie-cutter designs. No one was asking the builder, ‘Is there a better way to build this?’ That’s where we come in.”
The slab that sparked a partnership
Back in 2021, Shane’s small consulting firm was asked to engineer a home on a tough site: flood-prone, highly reactive soil, and a slab height that needed to sit 700mm above ground level.
The proposed solution? “Not great,” Shane admits. “So we went looking for a better one.”
That search led his team to the Biax 500 pod system, an innovative waffle pod design that could handle reactive soil, reduce concrete usage, and elevate the slab height with far more flexibility.
Shane’s questions quickly went beyond the Biax team’s usual support.
“They eventually told me I needed to speak to the inventor,” Shane laughs.
That conversation, with Fabio Parodi, CEO of Cresco Group globally, led to mutual respect, deeper collaboration, and eventually an offer. To take on Cresco Group in Australia.
By mid-2024, Shane had rebranded the SJL Consulting Engineers team and began running under the Cresco Australia banner.
Not just engineers…partners in the process
Today, Cresco delivers structural design, project management, and digital documentation to builders across Australia, from custom-home specialists to high-volume residential developers.
But it’s the way they work that builders remember.
- Every design is considered in conversation with the builder
- Site clarity is improved using interactive 3D plan details, complete with QR-code scanning for real-time model access
- Time and cost are saved through early-stage optimisation, especially on slabs
- And their depth of in-house capability (architectural, civil, mechanical, structural, fabrication drawings, 3D scanning, ground survey and project management) allows them to manage entire developments, from greenfield to turnkey
“What we’re trying to do,” Shane says,
“is not just design something that meets code…but something that works better on site, for the people actually building it.”
The RYSE connection
For builders like Greg McGee at RYSE Constructions, one of Queensland’s fastest-moving residential builders, Cresco is more than just a consultant.
Shane’s team helped engineer their Biax rollout, worked on dozens of slab designs, and are currently collaborating on innovations to further streamline framing and detailing on site.
“They’ve stood by us,” Greg says. “Always solution-focused. Always professional. And a team you can trust.”
It’s no wonder a growing number of builders across the country are turning to Cresco as their go-to engineering partner.
Our Take
In an industry under pressure, engineers can no longer just be stampers of plans.
Cresco Australia is showing what’s possible when engineers work with builders, not above them. When they turn drawings into discussions. And when they act less like consultants, and more like collaborators.
If you’re a builder looking for a partner who will help you reduce costs, improve buildability, and grow with you, Cresco is worth a call.
Interested in working with Cresco?
Head to https://www.cresco-group.com.au/ or reach out via The Good Builder Directory.
Want to see it in action?
Check out our RYSE x Biax x Cresco video from the 100 Slab Celebration on YouTube.
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