ENTRANT PROFILE
Strong family and community values create a recipe for success Distinctive projects showcase the skills of the A. Gabrielli Constructions team
A. GABRIELLI Constructions (AGC) have been in the field for some time, and their experience shows in the high calibre of their projects. Founded in 1962 by Angelo and Helen Gabrielli, the company started out in residential housing developments. The couple’s son, Adrian, succeeded his father as managing director in 1987 when Angelo suddenly passed away. Adrian had been working with the company since 1977, initially as an apprentice carpenter, and has fostered his vision for the development of regional economies through infrastructure since his move to management. Now, with a team of 30 people, AGC focuses on commercial and industrial construction work in north and central Queensland. Their portfolio includes anything from schools and offices, to defence facilities, warehousing and refurbishment. “AGC has a long and proud history in North Queensland and we are well-known for our strong family and community values,” commercial manager, Maddalena Gabrielli, said. AGC submitted two projects in the 2020 Housing & Construction Awards: the
Townsville Manufacturing Hub, and Palm Island Bwgcolman Retail Centre. For the Townsville Manufacturing Hub, AGC demolished and refurbished a 230sqm office space in the Bohle TAFE Centre. The Hub includes a director’s office, open office area, concierge, boardroom, lobby, kitchenette, and breakout areas. “The detail in the design helped to make this office a beautiful space to work in, including the feature walls, timber cladding, inlaid flooring and custom signage,” Maddalena said. “We had a great team of tradies who were willing to be flexible and make changes on the fly to support each other, ensuring that no detail was missed in the delivery.” The Palm Island project is also very impressive; a $9.45m retail precinct commissioned by Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council with an ecologically-sustainable design.
“Palm Island is a beautiful remote island run from diesel power generation, so it was important to us to ensure that the building design reflected the location, including achieving an environmentally-friendly operating standard and not placing a burden on the local power grid,” Maddalena said. “To do this, we worked with Tippett Schrock Architects to design the building orientation and insulation to maximise airflow and natural cooling for a high energy efficiency rating; Yurika and EQL helped us to develop a solar and battery system that would complement the existing power supply. “It was important not to introduce any foreign vegetation and minimise and fully remove any construction waste.” AGC credits the support and involvement of the Palm Island locals, the Palm Island Council and John Friend Carpentry for assisting in delivering a low-impact facility for the community.
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