Award Magazine V3N11

$14.95

Volume 3 Number 4

Inside This Edition: Australia’s First Carbon Neutral Office Building: Pixel The People vs. Public Architecture: The Glasshouse The Introduction of Mandatory Disclosure

POINTT POAIN A

Blythe-Sanderson Group Blythe-Sanderson Group

A CA C CE S S C O N S U L T C E S S C O N S U L IT NI GN CG C O O S S T T P T N E M E G A N A M P T N E M E G A N A M R R O O P P E E RR TT YY MMA A NN AA GG EE MM EE NN TT BB UU II LL D D

S P R O P E R T Y S E R V S P R O P E R T Y S E R VI IC CE ES S C C E E R R U T C U R T S A T U T C U R T S A T I R I R F F F F I N I N C I C I G AA G N TT N II II II N N G G SS EE RR VV EE YY OO NN SS EE RR N O I T A C II FF II CC EE PP SS SS EE CC I I V V N O SS EE RR VV E S S U II CC E U R R B B AA NN PP LL AA NN NN I I NN GG E E C CI VI V R R E E S S E E R R

INTT PPOOIN BB

LEADING YOU YOU TO TO A A NEW NEW DESTINATION LEADING DESTINATION The current operating environment has forced everyone to change their tack. The standard The current operating environment has forced everyone to change their tack. The standard directions are no longer applicable to an industry that is demanding innovation, improved directions are no longer applicable to an industry that is demanding innovation, improved practices and an ability to find new ways to get to point B. practices and an ability to find new ways to get to point B. So while our eyes are still firmly fixed on where you need to be, our Access Consulting team So while our eyes are still firmly fixed on where you need to be, our Access Consulting team is creating environments for accessing life. is creating environments for accessing life.

Access Consulting | Project Management | Cost Management | Building Surveying | Urban Planning Access Consulting | Project Management | Cost Management | Building Surveying | Urban Planning 6SHFLÀFDWLRQ &RQVXOWLQJ _ ,QIUDVWUXFWXUH 6HUYLFHV _ 3URSHUW\ &RQVXOWDQF\ _ &HUWLÀFDWLRQ 6HUYLFHV 6SHFLÀFDWLRQ &RQVXOWLQJ _ ,QIUDVWUXFWXUH 6HUYLFHV _ 3URSHUW\ &RQVXOWDQF\ _ &HUWLÀFDWLRQ 6HUYLFHV

www.davislangdon.com www.davislangdon.com

Blythe-Sanderson Group is part of Davis Langdon Blythe-Sanderson Group is part of Davis Langdon

AS5007

Door Control

Automatic Doors

Glass Fittings and Accessories

DORMA Automatics First to Market with Automatic Sliding Door Compliance.

In September 2007, Standards Australia released a new automatic door standard entitled AS5007 “Powered doors for pedestrian access and egress”. Replacing the 1992 Standard AS4085, the new Standard focuses on standardising the “design, installation, test and safety requirements of all automatic pedestrian door assemblies.”

The DORMA EL301 and HD operators are the first automatic sliding door operators compliant and accredited with AS5007.

EL301 & HD automatic operators are certified by an independent NATA accredited laboratory.

D

NATA Certificate - AS5007

D

1,000,000 continuous cycle test at maximum door weight

D

2,000 cycles in a temperature controlled chamber (1,000 at -15IC and 1,000 at +50IC)

D

Self-monitored Safety PE Beams (Photo Electric Cells)

D

Self-monitored Presence Sensors (protective devices)

D

Accelerated cycle test

FULLY COMPLIANT WITH AS5007 DORMA Automatics . 1800 675 411 . infoautomatics@dorma.com . www.dorma.com.au

Movable Walls

Service

Image Courtesy of Brett Boardman

contents

COVER IMAGE: The Glasshouse

Volume 3 Number 4 Publisher | Brandon Vigon 03 8844 5822 ext. 112 publisher@awardmagazine.com.au Editor | Mark Kenfield editor@awardmagazine.com.au

Contributing Writers | Sarah Bachmann, Brooke Barr, Jim Barrett, Stuart Bull, Jim Doyle, Benjamin Jung, Mark Kenfield, Matthias Krups, Robin Mellon, Jemilla Russell-Clough, Kayt Watts, George Xinos,

Feature SUPPLEMENTs

6 Transparent Sustainability: The Introduction of Mandatory Disclosure 34

New Generation PVC Heralds a Bright Future for Fitouts

Feature Project Profiles:

8

Production Manager | Rachel Selbie

14

Sergeants Mess: Not Such a Mess Anymore

Circulation | subscriptions@awardmagazine.com.au

18

The Glasshouse: The People vs. Public Architecture

Senior Designer | Annette Carlucci

Pixel: Australia’s First Carbon Neutral Office Building

Straight Talk Award Magazine is published by:

MediaEDGE Communication Australia mailing Address: PO Box 6257 Chapel Street North South Yarra, VIC 3141 T: 03 8844 5822 F: 03 9824 1188 www.mediaedge.ca

32

Straight Talk with Tessa Roulston Senior Associate Rothelowman

PROFESSIONAL Columns

12

Legal Column: Termination For Convenience

16

Technology Column: Team Collaboration Demonstrates a BIM Success

28

Accessibility Column: Sustainability – We Are All In This Together

President | Kevin Brown Subscription Rates: (includes gst) Aud: 1 year, $49.95; 2 years, $89.95 Single Copy Sales: (includes gst) AUD: $14.95 New Zealand: $19.95 Reprints: For information on article reprints or reproductions, please contact the publisher at: publisher@awardmagazine.com.au Editorial suggestion/submission: Do you have a story idea, or would like to submit editorial for publishing consideration, please e-mail editorial@awardmagazine.com.au © Copyright 2010 Australia Post Publications Mail Pub. No. PP381712102392

4 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

MARKET Analysis

30

Commercial Construction: State by State Analysis

8 Industry Matters

26

From the Forests To The Buildings

37

Is it Cheaper to Buy Overseas Products?

14

Association Matters

22 Awarding Excellence

22 Total Precast Structures Deliver Surprising Benefits

24

Long Life – Low Impact

24

Is BIM Good for Business?

Feature Product Showcase:

35

Textural Glass:

editorial advisors and supporters

|5

Supplement

Transparent Sustainability: The Introduction of Mandatory Disclosure

By Mark Kenfield

Accenture's offices in Sydney have converted 25% of their energy usage to green power through the use of a gas-fired generator, which uses waste heat to run an absorption chiller that cools the offices. Features like this will push buildings right to the top pile once mandatory disclosure is in effect.

6 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

By current estimates, Australia’s buildings account for between 20-30% of our total greenhouse gas emissions. When you combine this with recent breakthroughs, such as the completion of Australia’s very first carbon neutral office building ‘Pixel’ (profiled on page 8), it becomes clear that the opportunity now exists for us to directly tackle our greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient design.

Supplement

it bring, and what challenges will it present moving forward?

Photo courtesy of Martin van der Wal

Driving things even further in this direction, is the fact that we are now poised to take our first big step towards mandated energy efficiency in our buildings with the introduction, in October, of the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act 2010 – which mandates the full disclosure of energy efficiency for all commercial office buildings with a net lettable area over 2,000m2, upon their sale or lease.

The introduction of the act will fundamentally change the way tenants negotiate the terms of their leases, by incorporating items such as energy and emission reductions into the them. It should also help foster higher rental incomes and occupancy rates for building owners who adopt green fit outs, providing a clearer distinction between high-performing and lowperforming offices.

But what does all this mean for Australia’s commercial property industry? What opportunities will

Benefits and Opportunities Obviously the most readily apparent benefits to mandatory disclosure will be cuts to energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions as the uptake of green fit outs increases.

But there are other, possibly even greater, benefits to be had.

As HBO+EMTB Group Sustainability Manager Alice Drew explains, “mandatory disclosure is going to greatly increase the opportunities for improved workplaces, as it will compel building owners to provide healthier workspaces for their employees.

Furthermore, tenants will be able to negotiate the terms of their leases based on the quality of existing energy efficiency measures”.

With mandatory disclosure promoting greener office fit outs, we should see a considerable uptake in some of the hallmark design features of current high-end commercial offices; such as an emphasis on office layouts that promote high natural light levels, and high indoor air quality – both of which have proven positive impacts on occupants’ happiness and productivity.

If mandatory disclosure does foster a widespread increase of these design elements in commercial buildings, the positive impacts on Australian office workers on the whole could be profound.

Implementation Initially, mandatory disclosure will only apply to existing tenancies over 2000m2 once they go up for sale or lease. “However in terms of new buildings, it will force a greater consideration of sustainability in their design and construction” Drew says, “It’s putting sustainability on the agenda properly, rather than relying on companies to determine the value of sustainability for themselves”.

However this leads us to one of the major concerns with mandatory disclosure, which is that mandating sustainability might make it a ‘tick the box’ type of exercise. While it is feared that it could possibly make people complacent Drew notes that the innovation and initiative in the market will continue and the legislation will compel even greater positive change towards more sustainable workplaces.

Driving Factors Interestingly, the push for increased sustainability and sustainably-minded design isn’t coming purely from the numbers game of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “The market wants something else,” Drew explains, “we’ve reached a point where people, when they’re looking for jobs, want to know that corporate responsibility matters to a company”.

Drew believes that marketing is the other big shift in driving factors, “Green Star ratings have become a real marketing issue,” she says, “they’re now considered an important asset for marketing to potential lessees”. Which, in-turn, helps fuel the uptake of sustainability measures in order to secure those Green Star ratings.

These are quantum shifts in the driving factors behind both building and fit out design, and are being pushed even further by the increasing issue of staff retention and the more transient nature of Generation Y workers.

Cost Repercussions With the cost of electricity expected to rise hugely in the coming years, Drew believes we are now at point at which the cost of green retrofits is actually a saving for the tenants rather than an additional burden – as lower annual running costs will have even shorter pay back periods.

Drew concedes that while the new legislation may add upfront costs, operational costs will be ameliorated over the life of new tenancies and in terms of transparency, mandatory disclosure will be a positive step forward for the entire industry.

How to Prepare Pros and Cons aside, the biggest concern for most people at the moment, is what they can do to prepare for the introduction of mandatory disclosure.

HBO+EMTB Workplace Solutions Senior Consultant Susan Hodge, says that “The key issue is setting up strategies for data collection and reporting of all ESD requirements for your premises”. So the important thing to focus on at the moment, is setting up your reporting protocols.

This will be a fundamental change to the way our industry operates, but in the long-term should help place Australian buildings at the forefront of global best practice. |7

Project Profile: Pixel

A Sharp Vision of a Pixilated Future: Pixel Australia’s First Carbon Neutral Office Building Bold claims are something of a constant in our industry. At times it seems like every week you hear of some new building or design being the very first to achieve a certain something or other. Sometimes it’s something special, and oftentimes it’s not. But ever so occasionally, you come across something that stands out as a landmark achievement in design and construction - In this case it’s Australia’s very first completely carbon neutral office building. It’s called ‘Pixel’, and is located on the northern edge of the Carlton United Breweries (CUB) site in Melbourne.

8 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

Main: Pixel draws its name from the colourfully distinctive façade, that helps block solar heat and glare while still allowing natural light to penetrate across the entire floor plan. Used in combination with highly efficient lighting systems, this helps to greatly reduce the building’s energy consumption.

particularly interesting journey working with a client like Grocon, because they own the site and the building and have developed it themselves - it would never have worked otherwise”.

“We saw that achieving a perfect score for Green Star was possible,” he adds, “and yes there was a price premium for that, but achieving every point was a big thing for Daniel Grollo. He’s part of the Green Building Council’s (GBCA) board, and he’s committed his company to not build anything less than 5-star buildings moving forward, and may soon increase that to 6-star, which unlike a public company - he’s able to do”.

Photo by Mark Kenfield

h

Harnessing Nature Setting out to achieve this perfect Green Star score of 100 points (with an additional 5 points for innovation) - the highest rating possible and the highest ever awarded by the GBCA - meant that the project had zero margin for error, “It took a lot of balancing,” Esmore explains, “normally you have a 10% buffer for Green Star points, but with this we had no buffer at all, so there were a lot of unknowns with many of the techniques we looked into”.

Working to such tight tolerances was no mean feat. “It certainly wasn’t easy,” Esmore adds, “getting the carbon balance right was particularly tricky. Originally we thought we could just do it with solar, but we realized that the surface space

With Australian office buildings accounting for a very large percentage of the country’s total energy consumption and resultant greenhouse gas emissions, this really is a landmark step in the move towards a more sustainable future for commercial office buildings.

So how does such a unique project come together?

Photo by Mark Kenfield

h

Origins Pixel’s beginning stemmed largely from an existing relationship between builders Grocon and sustainability consultants Umow Lai. As Umow Lai Director, Shane Esmore explains it, “We had done a bit of work with Grocon over the years, looking at how we could build buildings differently; and when Pixel came up we saw this as our chance to do something together. I was brought in for a meeting, saw the site, and was basically given an A5 sketch with a site plan and number of floors. Grocon really wanted to look at carbon, and make a carbon neutral and 6-star Green Star rated building.”

“In terms of the CUB redevelopment, Pixel was actually the last building thought of, but the first one made,” adds studio505 Director Dylan Brady, the project’s architect. “So it’s been a

available to us on the roof wouldn’t allow this, so we had to look into wind turbines as well”.

In essence, Pixel is a very simple building. “It’s just a glass box, with a bold façade and a green roof” Brady says, “but the roof has no overtures of relaxing in the Garden of Eden” Brady believes that one of the keys to sustainable buildings is not building them up with ‘bolt ons’, so much as stripping them way down and integrating systems.

The project team is particularly proud of how Pixel integrates all of its services, especially in terms of water usage. Pixel has 160m of natural water treatment, which provides greenery to every edge of the building. The rainwater collected by the building is used for all of its water needs (with the exception of four occupant drinking taps). The technologies used also include low-flow fixtures and vacuum waste toilets from Norway, which use just 0.5 litres of water per flush (in comparison to 6 litres for conventional toilets). Waste from the vacuum toilets is also sent to an anaerobic digester where methane is generated to heat domestic hot water for the showers.

All of which makes Pixel a ‘water balanced’ building. Meaning it could be disconnected from mains water and rely purely on its own water catchment and treatment services to provide all that it needs. “We intend to follow that process well into the future,” Brady says, “it allows

Pixel’s green roof is the result of a research partnership initiative in conjunction with The University of Melbourne. Comprised of 300mm deep soil plots planted with local grasses, it forms a significant part of the building’s water cycle by providing initial filtration for the building’s rainwater harvesting. |9

Photos by Mark Kenfield

Project Profile: Pixel

Pixel’s roof houses both fixed and tracking solar photovoltaic arrays. The tracking systems use sophisticated daylight sensors to track the optimal point in the sky, allowing the power output of the panels to increase by up to 40%.

A Green Roof Pixel’s roof plays a pivotal part in the building’s sustainability. With the building’s ecological value significantly increased by its green roof and living edge wetlands, two green initiatives that bring natural filtration and evapotranspiration to the building’s water cycle.

The green roof was the result of a research partnership with The University of Melbourne, and involves a series of 300mm deep plantings, which provide initial filtration for the building’s rainwater harvesting. The living edges also add to Pixel’s green credentials by reducing its cooling load through evapotranspiration; the grey water harvested by the building is fed into the living edges, and as that water evaporates it cools the ambient air around the building, reducing the need for additional cooling.

This is then coupled with the building’s namesake, its very unique and very colourful ‘pixilated’ shade panel exterior.

The shade panels went through over 30 different redesigns in order to achieve the balance between science and art required to meet the aspirations of the project.

And the end result is a space that allows natural light to penetrate across the entire floor plan, without the hassle of unwanted glare or heat. This is then coupled with highly efficient lighting systems, which work with daylight and occupancy patterns to reduce the building’s overall energy usage.

Another key factor in Pixel’s usability is an emphasis on interior air quality. Air is delivered by way of an under-floor air distribution system, providing control to individual occupants, and allowing 100% outside air to be constantly circulating throughout the building at three times the current regulated rate.

HVAC services are provided by a single ammonia absorption heat pump/chiller imported from Italy – which uses natural gas to directly fire the ammonia absorption cycle – and an air cooled condenser, which is located on the roof. This cooling is then delivered to the air handling unit and also to the active mass cooling circuits embedded within the lower layers of the exposed concrete slabs, which provides silent radiant cooling to the space below.

A Sharper Future Through integrated design and the use of re-used, recycled and sustainably sourced materials, Pixel has become a premier example of how we can make our buildings wholly sustainable. “It’s all very, very involved,” Esmore concludes, “and there’s a huge amount of time that goes into pulling all of the materials and technologies together, but it’s all worth it for the final result”.

Pixilated though it may be on the outside, Pixel presents a sharp vision for the future.

h

A Fit Out For The Future Now as admirable as achieving carbon neutrality in an office building is, it won’t count for much in the end if it can’t provide an office space that is at least as comfortable and usable as that of a more conventional building.

One of the keys to balancing these two objectives, was to bring as much natural light into the building as possible, as this can allow lights to be switched off when they’re not needed.

However part and parcel of having lots of natural light, is the need to deal with solar heat gain and glare. The solution to this was the building’s distinctive façade. Every floor features floor-toceiling windows, and uses the clearest form of double-glazed low-e glass available. This lets as much light in as possible, whilst still providing excellent protection from solar heat gain.

h

10 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

as concrete amounts to around 60-70% of the embodied energy in a construction like Pixel, the reduction was a huge boon to achieving carbon neutrality.

h

us to advocate to clients that we can actually make buildings that use water in so many ways before feeding it back into the system”.

Another key to achieving its carbon neutral status, was Pixel’s use of renewable energy sources to generate more power than it uses. The roof has three locally designed and manufactured vertical-axis wind turbines, which are each capable of generating up to 60% of the power required by the average Melbourne household. Vertical axis turbines were chosen because conventional propeller turbines don’t handle the turbulence and winds found on top of urban buildings very well.

Providing the remainder of Pixel’s renewable energy is a system of both fixed and tracking solar photovoltaic arrays. With the tracking systems using sophisticated tracking devices that follow the sun across the sky, increasing the power output of the panels by up to 40%. All of these panels have been reclaimed from previous applications.

The fixed photovoltaic system shares the same panels as the tracking system. With data recorded from both systems and compared to the roof mounted weather station recordings so the project can track and validate their effectiveness.

The surplus electricity generated by these systems is then fed back into the grid, which as Esmore explains, “effectively offsets the carbon generated in the operation of the building and also the life cycle embodied carbon derived from its materials and construction”.

One of the biggest challenges in creating a carbon neutral building, rather than just a highly efficient building, stems from the need to cut the amount of embodied carbon in the construction itself – before the building even exists.

A large part of the solution to this, was the use of a special blend of concrete that generated just 40% of the carbon emissions of conventional concrete. And

‘Living Edges’, plantings that surround every floor of the building, assist the building’s water cycle by utilising and naturally evapotranspirating the grey water harvested from the building.

FUTURE PROOFING PROPERTY

JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ FRXQFLO DXVWUDOLD

legal column

Termination for Convenience Where previously contracts tended to bind parties together for years in constructions, maintenance or service, there is now a growing trend in some circles to introduce provisions that grant one party a right to terminate the contract for the convenience of that party.

The power to terminate is usually unrestrained both in regards to the time it can be exercised, and the reasons for terminations. These clauses have grown in popularity since the GFC, as many companies have found themselves in the position of having to rapidly terminate contracts, in desperate attempts to shed costs burdens in response to their corporate priorities and directions changed over night.

Driving Motivations These clauses generally spring from two motivations; the first is the desire to be able to economically change direction without the restraint of contractual obligations; the second is to avoid (even with a clearly defaulting contractor) protracted and expensive legal disputes over whether terminations were properly executed under the terms of the contract, and whether the defaults were serious enough to warrant the termination in all the circumstances.

Little of value is gained without cost, and these clauses usually provide that the terminating party compensate the other party by payment of the value of the work already performed, and the cost of any materials ordered for the project and which have not been used. In addition to this, most clauses promise the costs of disestablishment but expressly disclaim the liability to pay for consequential loss or loss of profit.

Risk Reward Re-Calculation These clauses require all parties to contract to re-calculate the risks and benefits of a particular contract. If the contract can be terminated at any time, the party not making that decision must be careful they don’t make substantial investments on the assumption that the contract will continue to its natural conclusion. Further to this, if the non-terminating party has crafted their price structure they must ensure that they extract a reasonable amount of their profit out as the contract proceeds, and avoid having their profitable rates or prices towards the end of the contract.

Legal Restraints In a Western Australian case Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd v Placer (Granny Smith) Pty Ltd [2000], WASCA illustrates the support the Courts have given the termination for convenience clause. There the contractor was contracted to carry out the mining of an open cut mine, but the principal was concerned about the cost.

So the principal re–tendered the contract and was offered a lower price by one of the tenderers. The Court held that the principal was entitled to terminate the contract under a termination for convenience clause (for the purpose of obtaining a less expensive contract) even though the contract contained a clause that the parties should act in good faith toward each other. The Court considered the clause was clear and that the parties knew the risks when 12 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

making the agreement. Furthermore, the good faith clause seemed to be more relevant to an ongoing contract rather than a termination of the contract.

A different approach has been taken in the United States where the clauses originated, where following the decision in Krygoski Construction Company v United States 94 F 3d 1537 (1996), the position in the US appears to be that use of a termination for convenience clause may be improper where the terminating party has acted in bad faith, or if there has been an abuse of discretion – such as where the clause is used to acquire a better bargain from another source – or where the party enters into an agreement with no intention of fulfilling its promises.

The other consideration is that if the clause is seen to be an option that allows the party to capriciously decide whether or not to perform its obligations – the contract may be void. Most clauses therefore ensure that reasonable compensation is paid on termination.

Entrenched These clauses seem to be rapidly entrenching themselves into the fabric of a wide range of contracts and seem to present attractive options (particularly to governments).

Accordingly, it appears that they are here to stay and must be factored into the risk/reward matrix and the tender price of contract negotiations.

Jim Doyle Doyles Construction Lawyers

The Challenge: High-Performance Buildings The Challenge: High-Performance Buildings The Solution: Bentley The Solution: Bentley

sustainability generative components

geometry architecture generative design

geometry geometry sustainability components components generative

sustainability architecture generative design geometry geometry

sustainability components

design sustainability architecture components geometry sustainability architecture

architecture

geometry architecture

generative

generative design

components architecture

geometry

architecture

design

Image courtesy HKR Architects

Image courtesy CH2MHill (B-W Pantex-HVAC Design)

Image courtesy Thompson, Ventulett, & Associates

Image courtesy HKR Architects

Image courtesy CH2MHill (B-W Pantex-HVAC Design)

Image courtesy Thompson, Ventulett, & Associates

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING & MORE Software for the design, construction, and operation of all types of buildings and facilities around the world, from the conventional to some of the most inspiring projects of our time.

BUILDING MODELLING & MORE For projects smallINFORMATION to large, simple to complex, each discipline-specific application provides an Software for theenvironment design, construction, and operation all typesdocumentation, of buildings and informed work – from conceptual designofthrough to facilities coordination around the world, from the conventional to some of the most inspiring projects of our time. and construction.

For projects small to large, simple to complex, each discipline-specific application provides an informed work environment – from conceptual design through documentation, to coordination BUILDING ENERGY DESIGN, ANALYSIS & SIMULATION and construction.

Bentley’s building performance software applications provide the fastest, most powerful, and most accurate design, analysis and simulation available for building load, plant energy, BUILDING ENERGY DESIGN, ANALYSIS & SIMULATION passive design, and dynamic thermal simulations.

Bentley’s building performance software applications provide the fastest, most powerful, comprehensive suite of software helps professionals productively deliver and most accurate design, analysis and simulation available for building load, plant energy, sustainable high-performance buildings. passive design, and dynamic thermal simulations.

Bentley’s comprehensive suite of software helps professionals productively deliver GENERATIVE DESIGN SOFTWARE sustainable high-performance buildings. ® GenerativeComponents (GC) enables architects and engineers to pursue designs and achieve results that were virtually unthinkable before.

GENERATIVE DESIGN SOFTWARE GC facilitates the delivery of inspired sustainable buildings, freedom in form finding, ® GenerativeComponents (GC)exploration enables architects and alternatives engineers tofor pursue use of innovative materials, of “what-if” even designs the mostand achieve that were virtually unthinkable before. complexresults designs.

GC facilitates delivery of inspired sustainable freedom than in form Open a world the of new possibilities while you work buildings, more productively everfinding, before. use of innovative materials, exploration of “what-if” alternatives for even the most complex designs. www.bentley.com/AW_buildings Open a world of new possibilities while you work more productively than ever before. © 2009 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and GenerativeComponents are either registered or unregistered www.bentley.com/AW_buildings trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

©2009 2010Bentley BentleySystems, Systems,Incorporated.

Incorporated.Bentley, Bentley,the the“B” “B”Bentley Bentleylogo, logo,and andGenerativeComponents GenerativeComponentsare areeither eitherregistered registeredororunregistered unregistered © trademarksororservice servicemarks marksofofBentley BentleySystems, Systems,Incorporated Incorporatedororone oneofofits itsdirect directororindirect indirectwholly-owned wholly-ownedsubsidiaries. subsidiaries.Other Otherbrands brandsand and trademarks product names are trademarks of their respective owners. product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

4468_BuildingAd_AW_Mag.indd 1

7/2/09 9:40 AM

Project Profile: sergeant's mess

Not Such a Mess Anymore: Sergeants’ Mess Located on the southern side of Sydney’s Middle Head peninsula, Chowder Bay, named for the whalers who used to make chowder from the bay’s local seafood, was opened to the public in 2000 following decades of military occupation. The area features a complex of historic buildings and facilities originally established as a Submarine Miners Depot, and later used as barracks and mess buildings for the Australian military. The buildings have since been carefully restored by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and now house a range of organisations and businesses.

So although it was once the territory of the Australian Army’s primary maritime defence for Sydney Harbour (from 1880 to 1970), Chowder Bay now plays host to adventure-seeking tourists, events and top-class restaurants. The latest of these, Sergeant's Mess, is now bringing a touch of glamour to the area.

So how do you go about revitalising a old soldier's mess hall into a top-of-line function venue?

h

A Messy Beginning Well good scenery helps. Nestled between a stunning harbour-side frontage

14 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

and a steep backdrop of natural bushland, the Sergeant’s Mess was exactly what its name implies.

“What we started off with was a very masculine defence building that was configured with 20 individual small rooms with very small openings to the harbour and no depth at all” explains owner Manuel Spinola, Director of The Tea Room Group, “The building was literally a Sergeants’ Mess – where the officers would both live, do their laundry and eat.”

So when the option to redevelop the site came up, the brief was to open up the building to the harbour – to create large

Main: Nestled between a stunning harbour-side frontage and a steep backdrop of natural bushland, the retrofit and renovation of the Sergeant’s Mess has revitalising a old soldier's mess hall into a top-of-line function venue.

Bringing in the Harbour Opening up the venue and putting on the decks posed perhaps the biggest challenge to the construction. “We had to knock out a great many supporting walls and bring in a large number of new steel beams to replace the original framework,” explains Spinola, “so structurally that was a big challenge”.

It was also challenging simply working in Chowder Bay. Because the area is a national park, there were very definitive guidelines in terms of development. But through working closely with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust the project team were able to bring the venue through according to plan.

h

glazed openings and to build wrap around decks to create a stunning event venue that would sit comfortably at the premium end of the Sydney events market.

The building was originally built in 1963, and in terms of architecture and design it was very modernist, with very straight lines and simple, linear architecture. “As a military building it was very functional and entirely in yellow brick, so it really stood out in the landscape,” explains Lacoste+Stevenson’s Thierry Lacoste, the project architect, “so our first task was to play down that prominence in the landscape, to make it disappear”.

“We wanted to stay true to the building’s simplicity,” Spinola explains, “the idea was that the interiors would pay homage to the 1960s, the materials used would be materials used in the 1960s and the entire environment would project a cruise liner type feel. Because of our position just 10 metres from the harbour, my idea was that these decks would protrude out closer to the water so that when you were in the main dining room you would feel like you were on a cruise liner”.

So although the Mess building was incredibly well located, with a huge

frontage on the harbour, it was very closed and austere. “We wanted to create a venue that enjoyed the spectacular views that the site afforded, as well as present a series of world class rooms for guests to enjoy at the various stages of their wedding, conference or other event” explains Annette Park, formerly of Spandenberg+Park, the project’s interior designer. “Our benchmarks were the best restaurants and hotels in the world rather than the best function rooms.

We wanted the sense of occasion to be set on arrival with a terrazzo bridge leading through the entrance into a light and spacious reception space with a picture window framing the middle harbour view. The bar was to present as a glamorous room and to spill out onto a generous new deck overlooking the new ceremonial area, as well as hosting the arrival drinks and eventual coffees and refreshments, whilst the dining room hosted the main event”.

The dining room had to be elegant, so they created a greater sense of space by opening the room out onto the harbour through the use 30 metres of bi-fold doors, which provided a spectacular view and allowed the room to spill out onto the newly constructed deck. “We had to completely refurbish the building to open it up to the view,” Lacoste explains, “This meant taking out a number of internal walls, and rebuilding the slab on the first floor to accommodate the new load”.

“Our brief for the boardroom downstairs, was that it had to be a world class room for business” Park explains, “So we created a new deck from this room to create an ultimate ‘break out space’ with views both onto the harbour and back into the national park”.

A Touch of Class The key driver behind the interior design and fit out of the Mess was attention to detail. “The idea was that in every single space – the sense of detail, of textured detail – provided a sense that you were really in a space where every single component had been thought through” Spinola explains, “That was aided by the layout, which provided a grand entrance with a gun barrel view of the harbour, as well as a fantastic pre-dinner drinks bar area with expansive views of the national park and the water”.

There is a lovely dynamic created by the two sides to the Mess, when you walk downstairs to the bathroom you have views of the national park, and when you come off the landing downstairs you are looking straight out to the harbour again.

“We decided to use the awkward space between the stair landing and bathrooms and turned it into an over the top little lounge area, which creates a real Alice in Wonderland feel, and is very popular for photos” Spinola explains. So through the strategic use of the fit out, they have managed to take a very average space and turn it into a particularly glamorous one.

The fit out also included a few cheeky but subtle references to the building’s military past. The mirrors in the bar area and the carpet design are inspired by the house of the rising sun military insignia. “It’s very tongue in cheek though” Spinola laughs, and it follows through into the bathrooms, which instead of the traditional ladies and gents signs – have male and female soldier silhouettes. “You have to look for these details but they’re there” he says. Park and Lacoste both agree that it is these sorts of little details, that help create the sense of polish, texture and prestige in the final fit out.

“Ultimately, I wanted it to be glamorous,” Spinola concludes, “a space to create the best night of your life”.

“It’s a modernist building with a contemporary elegance” Park adds. And Spinola insists that he wouldn’t change a thing, “I am extremely pleased with the outcome. At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding and the venue has been trading unbelievably well since it opened”.

All of which leaves Sergeant’s Mess a clear case for the power and potential of new fit outs to completely revitalise older buildings; and brings a clean conclusion to a messy beginning.

h

Photos courtesy of The Tea Room Group

Bottom: One of the most challenging aspects of the renovation was to open up the harbour-side frontage of the original building to the spectacular views that the site afforded, this required a considerable amount of structural work.

| 15

TECHNOLOGY column

The Top Ryde City project brings together commercial, retail, community, religious, entertainment and residential uses on one 3.3 hectare site, and is located 13 kilometers north-west of the Sydney CBD. The site, which is irregular in shape, is an “island” site bounded by Devlin, Pope, Tucker Streets and Blaxland Road.

When complete in late 2010, the new precinct will feature 80,000 square metres of retail space for over 280 specialty stores as well as parking for 3,055 vehicles over a 3 to 7 level basement.

The project’s integrated traffic solution will see two pedestrian bridges constructed across the northern and southern ends of Devlin Street, providing safer and more efficient access for pedestrians and smoother vehicular traffic flow. These works were undertaken while managing traffic movements along one of Sydney’s busiest roads. The two footbridges, 40m and 47.5m spans respectively, have a helical form and showcase an architectural and structural engineering design unlike any other pedestrian bridge in Sydney.

Arup provided a detailed design and responsibility service incorporating façade design and shop detailing of the Top Ryde Redevelopment north and south pedestrian bridges and associated stairs walkways and lifts. The proposal was made with the intention that it will dove tail with Arup’s existing commission for the structural design of the bridges as Arup believed there was considerable efficiency and less risk to Bovis Lend Lease by combining the structural design, façade design and shop detailing as a single service deliverable.

Arup employed Seacad Steel Detailing, to produce the shop drawings, whom Arup had a previous successful collaboration on the Khalifa Stadium project in Doha, Qatar for the 2006 Asian Games.

The strategy was for Arup to produce a centre line geometry in line with the architectural intent of the helical primary structure. A number of 3D software packages were utilised to address all the various aspects of the deliverable, Rhinoceros was used to generate a centre line 3D geometry which was ‘form found’ from the warped surfaces between the primary top and bottom chords.

The wireframe geometry was then imported into Strand7 for member design and FE analysis, additionally detailed connections were extracted from the Bentley Structural model and exported via IGES format directly into Strand7 for the detailed FE analysis. This process significantly increased the speed the engineers could generate and analyse complex connections knowing the geometric arrangement was exactly as the documentation and fabrication models.

Direct analysis imports to Bentley Structural Modeller allowed integration of the engineering analysis model whilst maintaining the integrity of the BIM. This process then allowed all 2D construction documents to be produced and issued for approval by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

The final and most important part of the delivery process was to move the approved final geometric model into a format 16 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

Photo credit – Peter Suryadi

Team collaboration demonstrates a BIM success Installation of the northern footpath

appropriate for steel detailing and shop drawing production.

Arup produced a Tekla Structures model via the SDNF, steel detailing neutral format, exported from Bentley Structural. The model was phased into 3 zones, main helical deck span, helical ‘fishbelly’ hanging structure and the lift and stair modules.

Seacad worked hand in hand with Arup’s primary frame model to ensure integrated compliance with the design intent.

The model was passed back and forth at various stages of the detailing process which helped further to ensure correct interpretation of design intent on unique connections.

Using colours within the Tekla model to define members with various connection types, members with internal stiffeners and members which were required to be disconnected from adjacent members to allow forces within the structure to be dissipated helped Seacad rapidly understand these important areas where using 2D documents and sketches alone would not have explained all the structural intent and requirements.

This handover process also allowed Seacad to concentrate on the detailing of the primary structure knowing the coordination of the structural, architectural and façade models had all been coordinated and approved by the various disciplines, and removed the time consuming recreation of a fabrication model from 2D document which would have been the requirement in a traditional approach.

The Tekla model reviewer was essential to speed up the processes of engineering review of the connected fabrication model plus mark up issues or geometry changes related to revised architectural requirements.

The overall collaborative and integrated approach allowed the entire integrity of the analytical design model to be carried through geometry creation, coordination, documentation and finally the fabrication model.

Subsequently fabrication by S&L proceeded smoothly with minimal problems and erection for both bridges and associated stair and lifts were achieved The team collaboration between architect, engineer, detailer and fabricator is proof that the BIM collaborative approach to projects reduces risk, errors in information interpretation, time and cost saving and a preemptive approach to solving complex design and coordination issues.

The Top Ryde footbridges demonstrates the usage ‘best of breed’ software for particular activities and that interoperability between software packages is essential for successful and efficient project delivery.

Stuart Bull BIM Coordinator & Associate ARUP

Project Planning Development approvals Project structuring Joint venture agreements Planning appeals

Contract Documentation & Administration Design and Construction Contracts Contract delivery systems Claim preparation and defence Advice and Contract Management Extentions of time and acceleration Disruption, delay and variation claims

Dispute Management Negotiation Mediation Adjudication Ligitation

DOYLES CONSTRUCTION LAWYERS Sydney Level 2, 148 Elizabeth St. Sydney NSW 2000

Brisbane Level 8, 239 George St. Sydney QLD 4000

Melbourne Level 1, 221 Queen St. Melbourne VIC 3000

Perth Level 18, Central Park 152-158 St. Georges Terrace Perth, WA 6000

Phone: (02) 9283 5388 Fax: (02) 9283 8586

Phone: (07) 3034 3333 Fax: (07) 3221 3011

Phone: (03) 9620 0322 Fax: (03) 9620 0422

Phone: (08) 9288 1757 Fax: (08) 9288 4400

www.doylesconstructionlawyers.com.au Email: doyles@doyleconstruction lawyers.com

Project Profile: The Glasshouse

Photo courtesy of Brett Boardman

The People vs. Public Architecture: The Glasshouse

The transparency of the Glasshouse’s façade allows the activity of the foyer to animate the building both day and night.

During the day, people can meander in and out, either gathering information on local events from the tourist information centre or visiting the gallery.

If ever you should start to feel disenchanted with the design and construction industry, turn your thoughts for a minute, to the power of buildings to move people. And not just by way of the emotion we attach to having a roof over our heads at night, but rather, by the ability of buildings to excite, impress, awe, confound, anger and even revolt us.

18 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

backed together into the splendid form it now possesses, we have to go right back to 2001.

Origins The idea for the Glasshouse originally came from sustained community pressure for the town to have a cultural centre. It formed part of a vision for the future of Port Macquarie, which had been expanding considerably.

So a team of consultants, including Arup Principal Andrew Nicol, were called in to put together a brief for the project. “We did a lot of consulting with the local stakeholders, the council, the user groups, all the people who would potentially be involved in the project – to

h

And nowhere do these emotions run higher, than with public architecture. As well they might, public buildings are, after all, the ones we pay for.

In the case of Port Macquarie’s recently opened Arts, Conference and Entertainment Centre ‘The Glasshouse’, built by Hansen Yuncken and designed

by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (TZG), those emotions ran so high that they led to the dramatic dissolution of the entire local council, with an administrator running the council through the period of construction.

But in order to understand how things got to that point, and how – from wreckage of the project’s initiators – the Glasshouse has managed to be pieced

Photo courtesy of Rob Connell

The Glasshouse’s spectacular 600-seat variable theatre is perhaps its key drawcard. Complex acoustic modelling led to the back wall curving inwards to make the seating feel comfortable, and bring the sound into the room’s centre. Convex panels at the back send the sound up and down to disperse the sound at the rear of the theatre. Combined with sideboards, this design allows to audience to feel enveloped by the sound.

There were also a large number of performing arts and visual arts groups in Port Macquarie who wanted a space to rehearse and perform in, for everything from eisteddfods through to the local operatic society and local music and theatre groups. So there was a very broad community of users for the venue, and it had to be able to suit all of them.

h

Photo courtesy of Brett Boardman

build up a picture for what they wanted for Port Macquarie” Nicol explains, “And out of that brief development emerged the need for a number of features; a multi-purpose auditorium to replace the existing town hall, a rehearsal studio, and a larger museum and gallery”.

A key driver behind this was the town’s need for an auditorium that state and regional artists could tour to – groups like the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – so the new auditorium had to be able to cater to the sorts of audience sizes that these groups perform to.

The space between the Glasshouse’s external envelope and the enclosed forms of the theatre and gallery creates an open and involving foyer, which puts the people inside the building on display through the façade, passively encouraging greater public involvement in the building.

Opposing Purposes One of the most challenging aspects of building the Glasshouse lay in the complexity of fitting a local history museum, an art gallery, conference

h

The Politics of Public Buildings As TZG Director Tim Greer, the project’s architect explains, the biggest challenges to the Glasshouse’s construction were political, “the building itself represented a phenomenal capital investment for a small community, and the result was that Port Macquarie was divided into two – those who wanted to pay low rates and didn’t care about having this sort of a facility, and those with young families who saw it as a long-term investment in the town”.

Eventually the debate grew so heated that a Parliamentary Inquiry was called on whether the Hastings/Port Macquarie Council had consulted sufficiently with

the community and managed the project’s budget competently enough. The inquiry took six months and led to the dissolution of the entire Council.

This was a real blow for the project team. As Nicol explains, “It was a case of one day you have a client and the next you don’t, that was a really difficult thing for us. It meant that the client who had penned the vision for the project, and had the desire, the need, the use and the community support for it – disappeared at a very crucial time. So we had nobody with any history of the project in the client body, and we had an administrator who had a very different role to play”.

Fortunately, this critical blow to project didn’t manage to derail it, “The vision remained the same,” Nicol says, “as did the desire for, and the purpose of the Glasshouse, and what’s come out of it has vindicated the council’s original idea”.

| 19

Project Profile: The Glasshouse

Photo courtesy of Brett Boardman

h

Music To Your Ears The centrepiece of the Glasshouse would have to be its spectacular 606-seat theatre. “Although it’s quite a large venue,” Nicol explains, “it remains a really intimate space. So performers and audiences engage really well”.

“It has a very authentic acoustic,” Nicol continues, “so wherever you are in the auditorium it sounds good, making it comfortable both to perform and listen in. The sight lines are good, which means that the sound lines are good; and it’s got great circulation, so when you enter the space there is a real sense of grandeur to it. These are qualities that you don’t often find in regional theatres”.

Because of the varied uses the theatre has to cater for, the key to its acoustic engineering was reaching a compromise between the reverberance required for music and the clarity required for spoken word.

“We achieved it by hiding it somewhere in the middle,” Nicol says, “so although it’s a little bit reverberant for speech, through a design that provides strong reflections, we were able to create enough articulation for voices that you can hear everything clearly”.

Arup also built variable acoustics into the theatre. These are soft banners that can enter the space and reduce

20 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

the reverberance and sustaining characteristics of the sound by providing additional absorption. Whenever the theatre needs to be prepared for a music performance, these soft banners are removed, which increases the reverberation, activates the space and livens up the sound.

This notion of ‘activation’ was also a key driver behind the form of the theatre, which is an elongated horseshoe. “It brings people down the sides of the auditorium and connects them with the performers on stage” Nicol explains, “If you design a room with just people at one end and performers at the other it makes for a very bland experience”.

Greer adds that this provides the theatre with both a visual and acoustic intimacy.

A Cultural Glasshouse It’s very interesting that the Glasshouse took the name it did; and not for the more obvious reason that its stunning glass façade provides it with a sense of openness and transparency. But rather, for the ideas it is designed to help foster and grow.

Port Macquarie has no real history of public architecture – of buildings that shape and define it as a town – and that’s something the Glasshouse appears to be intent on rectifying.

“One of the key elements we had to get right, was activating the precinct element of the building and its surrounds,” Nicol explains, “we didn’t want it to just become a dead place that had performances start at 7:30pm, finish at 10:30pm and spent the rest of its days empty”.

This is a concept that followed through from project’s very beginnings, “The council talked about having an informal building that felt really open,” Greer says. So there was a very strong push to make the building a community asset, to make it open and inviting during the day so that people would feel encouraged to come in and actually use it. It’s a genuine shift in the way buildings have been approached in Port Macquarie till now.

“I see the Glasshouse as a great asset for NSW and the region,” Nicol concludes, “it’s a fine venue, it’s used by a lot of important artists travelling around Australia, and it allows them to perform in an environment that is really supportive of their art”.

So although the process has been as rocky as they come, somehow – through the vision of the Glasshouse’s originators and the tenacity of its project team - in the case of The People vs.

Public Architecture, both sides appear to have won.

h

facilities, a rehearsal studio and a 606-seat theatre all into a single building.

“Obviously putting two fairly sophisticated building types together – a theatre which generates noise, and a gallery which requires silence – was always going to be a challenge” Greer explains.

The solution was to locate the rehearsal studio between the two larger forms of the theatre and gallery, and have it structurally isolated from them. The buffering from this provided the acoustic separation the venues needed, and allows rehearsals to occur whilst performances are happening in the theatre, or functions are on in the gallery.

“To achieve this, the rehearsal room sits on isolation bearings,” Nicol explains, the room itself is a concrete box that sits within a larger external structure, but doesn’t touch it. “It’s a floating construction,” he adds, “Essentially the concrete floor sits on a load of isolating bearings which prevent vibration and sound from getting through into the structure”.

There was a level of visual separation as well, with exteriors of the gallery and the theatre acting as counterpoints, preventing either one of them from dominating the other.

;gdb id 9edijhkYj_ed

LZÉgZ X]Vc\^c\ i]Z lVn Wj^aY^c\ ^h YdcZ ^c 6jhigVa^V L^i] djg ^ccdkVi^kZ VeegdVX] id djg Xa^ZcihÉ XdchigjXi^dc cZZYh lZÉgZ X]Vc\^c\ [dgZkZg i]Z lVn Wj^aY^c\ ^h YdcZ ^c 6jhigVa^V# 7VhZY dc i]Z hjXXZhh[ja 7jiaZg VeegdVX] [gdb i]Z JH! lZ egdk^YZ Wj^aYZgh! YZkZadeZgh! dlcZgh! YZh^\cZgh VcY VgX]^iZXih l^i] Xjhidb Zc\^cZZgZY Wj^aY^c\h ^c hiZZa i]Vi d[[Zg ZmXZei^dcVa Z[ÒX^ZcXn! i^bZ VcY Xdhi hVk^c\h# Id ÒcY dji bdgZ VWdji i]Z WZcZÒih d[ eVgicZg^c\ l^i] 7ajZHXdeZ 7j^aY^c\h [dg ndjg cZmi egd_ZXi XdciVXi jh dc '.&& (') *() dg k^h^i

7ajZHXdeZ 7j^aY^c\h ^h V gZ\^hiZgZY igVYZ bVg` d[ 7ajZHXdeZ HiZZa A^b^iZY! 67C &+ %%% %&& %*-#

7H7%%%. %*$&%

djg lZWh^iZ mmm$Xbk[iYef[Xk_bZ_d]i$Yec$Wk

ASSOCIATION MATTERS

Awarding Excellence In Australia it is fair to say that the construction industry means big business.

Recently IBISworld estimated that the construction industry for 2009-10 would potentially bring in around $28.5 billion and create 1,030,000 jobs. The potential the Australian construction and building industry has in terms of renovating the space it has and creating new space is a vast undertaking. However at the same time making sure the beauty and environment of one of the world’s most hostile lands does not come easy.

All of this being said, the potential of any market means competition, so who in the building and construction industry is coming out on top of the future development of Australia?

In the past the Glebe Island Bridge, now the Anzac bridge; the Darwin to Alice

Springs Railway; The Brisbane Inner City Bypass; the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant; Southern Cross Station and the Melbourne Convention Centre have been amongst a range of construction projects which have been recognised for their excellence. The success of these construction developments has been acknowledged under the Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA), which for the last 14 years has been affording achievements to the projects of construction companies around Australia.

The need to recognise the positive of the country’s infrastructure development stems from the Australian Contractors Association (ACA) working in conjunction with Engineers Australia. According to Jeff Barrett, Executive Director of the

ACA, “The ACAA recognises the diverse challenges of the construction process and reflects the development of a culture which consistently delivers innovative solutions to complex challenges.” On the flip side what this recognition could do for future business and earnings for construction companies is something that money cannot buy, business potential.

The projects in the spotlight submitted by construction companies comes under the glare of the industry media, the Government, sponsors and current and potential clients. After all it has been said that all publicity, is good publicity.

Jim Barrett Executive Director Australian Constructors Association

Total Precast Structures deliver surprising benefits Across Australia there have been hundreds of structures completed over the last decade where precast columns, beams, walls and floors have been utilised. Such structures have been the result of the project parties wanting to look beyond the previous in-situ construction methods and asking how construction methods may be able to be improved.

Total precast structures are being used for many types of structures including apartments, parking structures, retail developments, offices and industrial buildings.

Architectural and structural precast concrete components can be combined to create ENTIRE energy efficient buildings. This design approach can take several forms, including precast columns and beams with panelised cladding or load-bearing precast walls, precast floors, precast service cores and precast stairs. The use of total precast in a structure combines the benefits of high THERMAL mass, very RAPID construction, STRUCTURAL stability, superior AESTHETICS, high QUALITY materials and enhanced FIRE resistance.

Efficient and safe erection speeds construction Efficient erection is a major advantage 22 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

of the total precast solution. Because precast concrete elements are fabricated in precast factories under quality controlled conditions using high quality materials, designs more exactly meet specifications. Field adjustments are reduced, creating a smooth erection process with minimal surprises. As well as rapid erection times, the common trait with total precast structures is the rapid speed of construction with the following trades getting access to their work within a matter of days following the craneage of the precast elements. Importantly, safety on the site is a managed on site with all parties being involved in preparing a programmed erection sequence from which the design of the bracing of the temporary works can be completed.

Total precast design considerations On any total precast structure there are a number of critical design features that have to be addressed at the outset, including ceiling heights, load bearing walls, accommodation of lift boxes and some of the unique façade elements, in particular balconies.

Once it is determined that the quality, safety and other requirements around these meet the brief, the design team in conjunction with the precaster is

in a position to fine tune. The rest of the design refinement is centred around those issues. The essential requirement for any total precast project is to allow adequate lead time to allow such refinement.

Interior design flexibility is provided by long span precast concrete flooring systems that help building owners adapt to changing client needs in future years. Precast flooring systems can span up to 17 metres to minimise the need for interior columns required with in-situ systems. Precast also provides high loading capacity at little added cost.

One-stop shop A total precast concrete system ensures one-stop shopping for the entire core/ shell/facade design; designing and supply the entire system, generating a better co-ordinated set of drawings allows construction to proceed more efficiently. This eliminates the added effort needed to co-ordinate various trades when using mixed systems controlled by different suppliers.

Sarah Bachmann Executive Officer National Precast Concrete Association Australia

So many possibilities to improve efficiency, but where do I start?

Siemens energy efficiency portfolio: End-to-end solutions that deliver economical and environmental benefits Climate change, demographic change, urbanisation and globalisation are placing significant pressure on our resources.

Rising temperatures and our growing population is increasing demand for energy while causing carbon emissions to rise.

However, controlling energy demand is the simplest and most economical ‘first-step’ towards mitigating CO2 while at the same time, saving costs.

Siemens provides a unique perspective on your facility to achieve your business and environmental goals. We see that all businesses in Australia and New Zealand have the potential to reduce their energy usage by up to 40 percent.

Siemens has been providing solutions in water, energy, environment, healthcare, productivity, mobility, safety and security, for nearly 140 years.

www.siemens.com.au/energyefficiency

ASSOCIATION MATTERS

Long life - low impact I predict a paradigm shift is on its way. In the foreseeable future, interior fitouts will be designed with the mantra ‘maximise the first life’ in mind.

Currently the industry standard for churn on office fitouts is seven to 10 years. This means every decade the contents of the average office fitout are being sent to landfill. Clearly this needs to change, particularly when you consider the average warranty on good quality fixtures and fittings is usually 15 years.

Sustainable commercial fitouts are designed to meet not only immediate needs, but also to provide for possible future functions. A ‘long life, low impact’ approach means designing a fitout with built-in flexibility in mind. Mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing and downsizing can all affect an organisation’s office requirements. The more adaptable the building’s interior, the longer its shelf life. Creating a ‘loose fit’ space means greater flexibility, adaptability and easier facility management.

The design of The GreenHouse, the Green Building Council of Australia’s 5 Star Green Star rated headquarters in Sydney, embraced the concepts of

‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. Not only did this deliver a green interior, but it also kept costs to a minimum.

The GBCA reduced the amount of plasterboard and ceiling tiles required by choosing exposed ceilings rather than ‘false’ or suspended ceilings, reused items from its previous tenancy, and recycled second hand furniture such as café chairs and lounges in the common area.

Carpet tiles from InterfaceFLOR were installed; these are low in volatile organic compounds, are held in place with adhesive stickers rather than glue, and can be recycled.

Companies such as InterfaceFLOR are not only designing products to ensure they have a long ‘first life’, and creating products with recycled content, but also implementing takeback programs to ensure products have a useful ‘second life’.

Many office tenants are recognising that a rebrand doesn’t mean a complete office overhaul. Instead, offices may be refreshed with paint and colour, or through refurbishment of just portions of a fitout. Installing new fabric panels on workstations or

fresh inserts into carpets can reduce costs as well as waste to landfill.

Some forward-thinking product suppliers are already capitalising on the shift to sustainability, with lease agreements able to be negotiated for not only furniture, but fittings as well.

This involves leasing carpet, blinds or light fittings from a supplier for a set time period, before they are removed at the end of their working life to be turned back into new resources once more.

If the products are designed, and provided with warranties, for a long life, let’s do all we can to create the right environment in which to let this happen.

With designers, product manufacturers and tenants taking on more responsibility for their office interiors, here’s looking at an end to the current disposable culture.

Robin Mellon Executive Director – Advocacy and International Green Building Council of Australia

Is BIM good for business?

In the US, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) commented that “alternate delivery models are already causing architects to practice in more collaborative ways with builders, subcontractors, and fabricators. The high adoption rates of BIM is also a bellwether of trends in project delivery, as it is a core enabling process for the enhanced collaboration that Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) demands”. In its 2006 firm survey, AIA reported that on average 40% of firms surveyed who had 50 or more employees used Building Information Modelling (BIM). Explorations in IPD will not be far behind.

The advancement of technology continues to drive the built environment through product development, environmental impact on design procedures and innovation. The introduction of BIM worldwide has provided a new avenue in which the built environment can effectively communicate information across the many professions within the industry.

BIM is an integrated process that vastly improves project understanding and 24 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

allows for predictable outcomes. This visibility enables all project team members to stay coordinated, improve accuracy, reduce waste, and make informed decisions earlier in the process—helping to ensure the project’s success.

IPD is encouraging and enabling the vital practice of early collaboration through BIM. IPD helps exceed increasing client demands by easing and integrating the collaborative efforts of owners, architects, engineers, construction managers, fabricators, and end operators at the earliest possible stage of any project.

The list of new projects around the world based on alternative delivery methods, mediated by digital design grows daily as designers, builders and owners increasingly move towards IPD. But is Australia being left behind? Are the worldwide markets adapting ‘BIM’ principles that we are not implementing here and why? What affect is this having on our projects?

And if Australia has to adapt, what are the implications, challenges and costs associated with changing the way we do business?

Consult Australia, in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Architects and Autodesk, have organised discussion forums, which will be critically looking at the obvious challenges, such as cost of implementation, cultural change, IP ownership and the amount of data that firms would need to deal with against improved working collaboration, earlier decision-making, better documentation, and the evaluation of alternatives for sustainable design or improvements using analysis before construction begins.

With architects, engineers, constructors and owners representing their part of the cycle, the aim is to identify the challenges, successes and failures of using BIM to create integrated principles within their business and the broader industry.

Benjamin Jung Business Relationship Manager Consult Australia

industry matters

From the Forests to the Buildings

By Kayt Watts

KEY stakeholders in Australia’s forest and timber industries will be engaged in a two-year revision of the Australian Standards for sustainable forest management and the chain of custody process.

Australian Forestry Standard Ltd (AFSL) recently announced the commencement of the five-yearly revision process of the Australian standards for Sustainable Forest Management (AS 4708) and Chain of Custody of wood and wood products (AS 4707).

“The revision will be a concentrated and collaborative process spanning two years,” AFS chair Geoff Gorrie said.

“The intensive public participation plan for the project will fully engage all stakeholders groups and interested parties within and connected to sustainable forestry and the supply chain of wood and wood products”.

“Coupled with rigorous adherence to international processes and guidelines, 26 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

as well as an emphasis on science and evidence, the review project will ensure that internationally recognised Australian standards continue to be regarded as the most credible and robust forest certification tools”.

Responsibility of the reviews and ultimate decision making powers will reside with Standards Reference Committees (SRCs), one for each Australian standard.

SRCs members will consist of representatives who cover scientific, environmental, social, economic and cultural aspects of sustainable forest management and wood production in Australia. Nominations from representative national organisations, industry bodies and stakeholders to participate on the SRCs are now being distributed and will be advertised in leading trade publications.

“There are many places that need to be filled and AFSL is ensuring that all interested parties are aware of their ability to be involved either on the committee or through public consultation,” Mr Gorrie said.

“Because the revision will ensure a wide coverage of topics and criteria, engagement with stakeholders and interested parties is a priority”.

It will be interesting to see the types of issues and aspects of the criteria of the standards that will be raised in this process, especially in this ever changing forestry and wood production environment.

AFSL is committed to the revision process, which enables a fully transparent and inclusive consultation.

Fitzpatrick Woods Consulting has been appointed to provide an independent management service to the revision project, especially relating to collaborative stakeholder management and standards revision support to the SRCs. Geoff Gorrie emphasised: “Revision of the Australian Standards for Forest Management and wood products Chain of Custody will require significant support from industry, government and all stakeholders”.

:cZg\n :[Ă’X^ZcXn [dg 6aa HZVhdch HjbbZg L^ciZg &* Adl : L^cYdl ;^ab

;MRXIV

7YQQIV

GZYjXZ =ZVi Adhh Wn ()

GZYjXZ =ZVi <V^c Wn ,)

6 adl Zb^hh^k^in XdVi^c\ egZkZcih gVY^Vci ]ZVi adhh i]gdj\] l^cYdlh#

HjbbZg L^ciZg &* ]Vh V bZiVaa^hZY gZĂ&#x201C;ZXi^kZ Ă&#x2019;c^h] i]Vi gZ_ZXih >G gVY^Vi^dc! Vaadl^c\ Xdda^c\ Xdhih id WZ gZYjXZY#

HjbbZg L^ciZg &* VX]^ZkZh Vc ZmXZaaZci J KVajZ d[ (#.,! adlZg i]Vc di]Zg adl Z Ă&#x2019;abh dc i]Z bVg`Zi#

HjbbZg L^ciZg &* ]Vh Vc H=<8 d[ %#'&#

Summer Winter 15 from Film Pacific is the most cost effective way for buildings to achieve a 6 star energy rating.

Retrofit onto existing windows and avoid the expenses of total replacement with low e glass.

Summer Winter 15 is well suited for cooler climates such as Tasmania, Victoria and cooler areas of Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.

Learn more about our Solar Control, Security and Decorative ranges of window films by visiting filmpacific.com.au or calling 1300 456 700.

GZhjaih VgZ [dg HjbbZg L^ciZg &* Vh Veea^ZY id +bb XaZVg h^c\aZ eVcZ \aVhh#

Solar Control Film Security Film Ă&#x2019;abeVX^Ă&#x2019;X#Xdb#Vj

8Vaa &(%% )*+ ,%%

Decorative Film Graphics Film

^c[d[e5Ă&#x2019;abeVX^Ă&#x2019;X#Xdb#Vj

8LI WEZMRKW EVI RS MPPYWMSR

Accessibility Column

Sustainability – we’re all in it Environmental sustainability initiatives are not often associated with access and disability. A number of strong links do however exist and further discussion in this area is certainly merited.

It is universally understood that we live in an aging society and that disability is strongly correlated with age. It is therefore safe to assume that the requirements people place on the built environment now, and what the requirements will be into the future will also see a divergence. Providing buildings which are designed to be universally accessible now means that the need to refurbish or rebuild later is greatly diminished. It is indisputable that a substantial amount of embodied energy goes into the construction of any scale building. Limiting building works to the construction and maintenance of the building and minimising unassociated further refurbishments, will of course significantly reduce the embodied energy subsumed in the building and its total lifecycle environmental footprint.

‘Accessibility’ and the associated legislation regulating its implementation have seen a prolonged period of evolution and change in Australia.

Two sets of legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the Building Code of Australia (BCA), provided two sets of somewhat divergent requirements. In the most part, the DDA advocated for inclusion of a far more varied set of needs – essentially access to all persons despite their particular abilities.

The new Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards 2010 claim to bring these two pieces of legislation into unison.

Many of requirements included in this standard directly relate to what was previously considered to be in line with the DDA. A strong argument can be made that access consultants, architects, developers and builders who had previously embraced the spirit and intent of the DDA were also acting responsibly from the perspective of environmental sustainability. They were in effect looking to provide for the future needs of their building’s users.

In doing so, they have also produced buildings which will not need further refurbishments to bring them into line with the new standard.

The scope of the new standard however, is largely associated to the ‘base build’ and does not encompass, for example, furniture and fitment or the external realm when not associated to a particular building (and therefore the building certification process). Consequently, there is more that needs to be addressed by key stakeholders beyond the new standard to ‘future proof’ their projects. It should be noted that the DDA is also a complaint based system which applies to all premises - new and existing.

When considering the needs of people with disabilities, a largely forgotten part of the built environment is housing. Class 1 and sole occupancy units within Class 2 buildings have been completely overlooked in the new standards. Only the common areas to Class 2 buildings with some sole occupancy units available for short term rent have been addressed in some way.

Some state and municipal based regulations do exist however their coverage is generally inadequate for the current demand let alone the future demand which is likely to grow exponentially.

Most people with even a mild level of disability generally need to undertake extensive refurbishments of any home they intend to inhabit in order to see some level of independence and dignity. This is in spite of the fact that an Adaptable Housing Standard has existed since 1995. The objective of this standard is to reduce the amount of modifications required to meet the needs of people with disabilities from an economic perspective; 28 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

however the implications for environmental sustainability are also obvious.

A significant issue which is often alluded to but not given the consideration it deserves is also that of social sustainability.

Many models for sustainability recognise an interaction of three elements – environmental, social and economic.

Social sustainability addresses the issues of equity, diversity, interconnectedness and acceptance. There is widespread agreement that healthy communities are those which accept and foster these ideals. By doing so, more diverse groups of people see meaningful employment and educational opportunities, and are able to participate and contribute in social activities inclusive of governance and representation. Positive economic outcomes, as well as more stable and cohesive governance and processes are often the result of this increased participation. The built environment provides the context - and reducing or removing the barriers that can see people excluded is the component of this complex interaction that we as professionals working in the industry can contribute to and aspire to control.

Environmental sustainability initiatives in the construction industry generally focus on the here and now of construction.

Requirements such as removing VOC’s from our buildings and reducing energy use are of course exceedingly important, however I believe it is also merited that these initiatives recognize some of the issues discussed in this article. The development of accessible environments has generally relied on the stick of regulation to see change. It would be nice to see the carrot of incentive encouraging professionals to embrace access and universal design. Recognition of some of these items in programs such as Green Star and FirstRate 5 would certainly be a very welcome inclusion for people with disabilities.

For more information about this article, please visit www.awardmagazine.com.au/industrybriefs

George Xinos Blythe-Sanderson Group

DORMA building a portfolio in Contur Design

Door Control

Automatics

Glass Fittings and Accessories

Movable Walls

Contur design revolutionising architectural hardware Contur is a DORMA design element that transcends across product groups to ensure a seamless integration into the overall building design.

Contur is typified by its distinctive cubic styling, featuring a sleek silver body completed with dimpled end plates. An aesthetically pleasing design which has been recognised for its architectural brilliance by the Red Dot design awards.

Products available in Contur are: MAGNEO automatic sliding door, a revolutionary slim magnetic-drive operator.

PORTEO automatic swing door, a compact and quiet operator for interior applications CAM ACTION surface mounted door closers boasting style, quality and character with gentle lines and a sleek finish.

PHA 2000 & PHB 3000 panic exit devices, immediately identifiable for safety reasons, yet creating a subtle visual harmony .

HD5 automatic sliding door, fully compliant with AS5007 and in a low-profile housing ED100 automatic swing door, compact and discreet, yet ideal for commercial applications.

DORMA Australia | 1800 675 411 australia@dorma.com | www.dorma.com.au

Service

Market Analysis

By Matthias Krups & Brooke Barr BCI Australia

Although Australia has been significantly adversely affected by the Global Financial Crisis it has come through the worst of it better than most developed countries. In particular, employment levels have held up quite well and office vacancy rates have not blown out as they did in previous downturns. However, signs of a sustained recovery are negligible and it is unlikely that the market will improve until well into 2011. Although some states, notably Victoria, are showing early promise.

The decline in the value of projects commencing construction in the commercial sector continued for longer than expected with the third and fourth quarter figures for 2009 falling well below expectation. These were offset to some extent by major projects in Queensland and South Australia but continued softness in the major market in Australia has delayed and will continue to delay recovery in the National statistics.

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector ($ million) 2000

1,827

1800 1600

1,296

1400

1,178

1200

943 804

784

800

831

600

758 570

554

400 200

266

0 IV/2008 I/2009

II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009 I/2010 II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

construction starts commercial Australia

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial Australia

(Source: BCI Australia)

1000

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector in NSW/ACT ($ million) 600

532

500 400

469

417

393 349

300 218

175

100

100

71

154

I/2010

II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

137

0 IV/2008

I/2009 II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009

construction starts commercial NSW/ACT

30 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial NSW/ACT

(Source: BCI Australia)

200

NEW SOUTH WALES & ACT

In the first half of 2010, the NSW & ACT commercial sector has not performed well. Job shedding was relatively restrained during 2008/2009 with unemployment peaking around 6%. Indeed white collar employment levels grew but there is already adequate office space without need for additional development above what is already under construction.

There is a continued decline in construction starts throughout 2010 and these levels of activity below the historical average are the outcome of high rates of deferral and abandonment. In addition, some sources also point to the lack of direction from the State Government with regard to key issues such as infrastructure development. For the next four quarters, the highlight will be in Q2/2011 with almost $350 million in construction starts forecast.

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector in VIC ($ million)

VICTORIA

400 339

350

287

300 250

201

181

200 128

150 64

47 57

57

0 IV/2008

I/2009 II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009

I/2010

construction starts commercial VIC

II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial VIC

(Source: BCI Australia)

50

109

91

100

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector in QLD ($ million) 800

722

700 600 500

548

479

400 300

236

222

200

137

219

138 IV/2008

79

24

0

I/2009 II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009

I/2010

construction starts commercial QLD

II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial QLD

(Source: BCI Australia)

80

100

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector in WA ($ million) 700 600

599

500

Business activity appears to have recovered more quickly in Victoria than in other states.

Also, existing available office accommodation is reported to fall short of market requirements and further development may be feasible in the short to medium term. Posting better than expected results in the commercial sector for Q4/2009 and Q1/2010 – which included the $73 million Government Services Building in Dandenong– and with encouraging prospects for the rest of 2010, Victoria appears to be moving into recovery mode ahead of the other states.

QUEENSLAND

As with NSW, difficult business conditions have held the economy back in this state but Queensland Treasury point to the improved outlook for commodity exports. However, given the office accommodation already available it is unlikely that commercial construction will show positive signs of recovery before the end of this year.

The spike in the value of construction commenced in Q1/2010 does little to dispel the disappointing levels of recent and forecast activity in the QLD commercial sector.

Nevertheless, although the chart seems depressing, the good result was not solely the cause of just one project (the $215 million Brisbane City Hall project) but includes other substantial projects such as the $56 million Project Ulysses Office Redevelopment for Queensland Newspapers in Bowen Hills.

Moreover, there are other projects such as the $30 million ABC Head Office and Studios in South Brisbane that has recently commenced construction which offers some encouragement to the sector.

405

400

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

300 133

200

IV/2008

29

38

I/2009 II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009

39

I/2010

construction starts commercial WA

II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial WA

(Source: BCI Australia)

30

39

0

91

57

64

100

Very little activity has been recorded in the commercial sector since Q4/2008 (although this was an abnormal result). Unfortunately, a number of the projects expected to proceed in Q2/2010 have not advanced sufficiently to be in a position to start at that time – for example, the $260 million Governor Stirling Tower, Perth is still some way from appointing a builder.

Construction starts in the Commercial Sector in SA ($ million)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

180 160

154 139

140

134

120 100

81

77

80 70

60

61

53

20

21

0 IV/2008

I/2009 II/2009 III/2009 IV/2009

construction starts commercial SA

19 I/2010

17

II/2010 III/2010 IV/2010

I/2011 II/2011

construction starts forecast commercial SA

(Source: BCI Australia)

40

In South Australia, business confidence was relatively high towards the end of 2009 however investment continues to lag. Also, although there are signs of recovery coming from a small base the results may appear patchy, even erratic. There still appears to be a reasonable level of activity in the commercial sector in South Australia - the Q1/2010 result does benefit from the $100 million SA Police Headquarters building at Yorke Commercial Campus, however the rest of 2010 shows a downturn in activity.

| 31

straight talk

straight talk: with Tessa Roulston

Senior Associate (Interior Design), Rothelowman

AWARD: There has been an unprecedented rise in the prominence of ‘green’ fitouts in the past couple of years, with rating tools becoming far more prevalent and fitout ratings touted as a sign of excellence. How do you see this push towards sustainable interior fitouts affecting the industry at the moment, and how do you think it will change and influence things moving forwards?

Tessa: I think the sustainable issue is a really strong one at the moment, not just from a designer’s point of view, but also from a client’s point of view.

There is a real market awareness now of sustainable issues, so that is certainly something that we are taking into account. It is often a factor in terms of costing as well, because the clients require a little bit more that they have to spend up front. However in the longterm, the benefits favour not only the environment, but also the long-term running costs of the building, which far outweigh those initial costs over the life of the building.

This is a trend that we are certainly pushing for with our fitouts, not only the use of sustainable materials, but also an emphasis on using local materials instead of outsourcing where possible. Using Australian products and materials that can be recycled also has the added benefit of strengthening the local industry.

AWARD: We are seeing some very significant changes in the ways that commercial fitouts are being handled these days, with open-plan layouts, large amounts of natural light, and an emphasis on high indoor air quality. What is the most significant trend you are noticing at the moment?

Tessa: When we first started doing fitouts ten years ago, the focus was more about first impression spaces; reception areas, boardrooms, anywhere where the 32 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

client’s client was going to first enter the space. Anywhere beyond those realms was treated as a ‘back of house’, so we have noticed a big shift now towards fitouts being designed for the staff; it has become the main briefing that we are receiving from our clients these days.

Which is really exciting as it means the office isn’t just about the branding and the client’s clients, but rather about the staff who work there and how you retain them. So that is definitely influencing the way we are approaching office design these days.

AWARD: What sort of steps are you taking to push this focus on user-friendliness for the staff, and what are the practical implications of this new style of handling interior fitouts?

Tessa: We are spending, especially in some of our larger fitouts, a couple of months doing staff surveys and planning in order to try to understand how they work in an environment, and from there we plan our spaces. Firstly determining whether they are going to be open-plan or divided into office spaces, and from there we move on to the breakout spaces, informal areas and contemplation zones that we are now starting to see come through.

There are some really exciting shifts in the ways that people work these days, and these shifts are pushing us towards a more flexible work environment.

Are there any recent developments in design technology or available materials that are expanding or improving your ability to achieve these outcomes with interior design for commercial fitouts?

Tessa: Yes there are. We are now using a lot of materials that are coming through made from products like recycled cardboard. These are providing us with greater efficiencies by using them on elements such as ceilings, where they can

straight talk

provide lighter-weight suspended ceilings for example.

So we are really exploring and pushing a variety of new materials, and I think that in the future that is going to extend right through to how we do our office partitions. So we are seeing a really exciting movement in terms of the materials and technologies that are starting to come through in our office fitouts.

As such, it is now much less about branding and far more about creating an environment that thinks about the needs of its staff, and trying to retain those staff in a competitive market. So we are seeing a lot of clients offering more to their staff in terms of things like nursing mothers’ rooms, childcare facilities and quiet spaces, all of which were less common in the past.

AWARD: This change in emphasis away from first impression zones is obviously a significant one. What is driving it?

Tessa: Staff retention. First impressions zones are the reception area and the reception waiting area and the boardrooms, those first points of contact for the client’s client. We’ve seen a shift away from that to the office taking a more holistic view, so rather than dividing it into the areas the client’s client goes to, it is now much more of a move towards designing for the staff as well as the client.

AWARD: Are these global trends? Where is research on the changing needs of office design coming from, and how have you gone about discovering these new methods?

Tessa: We know this from talking to our clients and from our own industry experience. There are both external and internal factors at play. First and foremost, we listen to our clients and design spaces that fulfil their individual needs. That said, there are themes related to social change and technology that are common to many of today’s clients.

Trying to support staff retention when young people are in the habit of job changing; the prevalence of travel and the internet broadens employee’s horizons, giving them a taste of life being greener on the other side; and an ageing population and older employees in the workforce all impact on the type of office interiors designed.

For example, communal areas and breakout areas are developed where staff can socialise and connect at work during formal and informal meetings. Quiet spaces where staff can brainstorm and contemplate are also factored into designs.

A one size fits all approach doesn’t work. Commercial interiors are ultimately about improving staff motivation and productivity by providing spaces that encourage engagement, build team morale and allow both young and older employees to flourish.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY! SOURCE ONLY CERTIFIED WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS

AUSTRALIAN FOREST CERTIFICATION SCHEME (AFCS)

4CRRGLE RFC QR?LB?PB for sustainable forest management in Australia

www.forestrystandard.org.au Phone: +61 (0) 2 6122 9000 Email: info@forestrystandard.org.au | 33

Supplement

New Generation PVC Heralds a Bright Future for Fitouts

To the untrained shoppersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eye, the fitout of a shop is low on the list of considerations. Yet for retailers it could mean the difference between a customer walking out straight away or staying. Where things are placed, the type of lighting, the colour scheme and the design and comfort of the flooring can all have a significant impact on how comfortable the customer will feel.

But what are the objectives of a fitout in the run up to the end result?

For The Ark Clothing Company, a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing boutique, creating an inviting space where women feel comfortable and inspired whilst looking for some fresh additions to their wardrobes is an all important aspect.

After 20 years of being in the fashion industry, the Ark has opened 34 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

their third store. According to Sara Dwyer, Visual Merchandiser from Ark, the objective of the new store fitout was to create a concept of a visually beautiful backdrop to complement the clothing and accessories. Whilst shopping, ease of movement for the customer was important, as well as ambience of comfort and warmth.

FEATURE PRODUCT SHOWCASE TEXTURAL GLASS - THE IMPRESS RANGE

Product Description Cydonia the Glass Studio is the leader when it comes to architectural art glass and with this new range of textural glass, incorporating tight lines and precise repetition of pattern, we are world first.

With simple sleek designs, our Impress range of textural glass is able to fit into just about any glass application, keeping a modern look that won’t date.

The Impress range of textures was five years in the making and has had an extra two years since in production.

Proudly Australian owned and made, Cydonia’s textural glass has been exported all over the world.

Product Applications and Features • Cydonia’s Impress range of textural glass incorporates cutting edge technology in glass that has never before been able to be produced.

• The Impress range of textural glass features tight and accurate design that is easily able to be customised to suit your needs.

• Can be used for just about any application where you would use normal, flat glass, however without the need for constant cleaning.

• Without the need for constant cleaning, Cydonia’s Impress range of textural glass is low maintenance and more eco-friendly.

• Gives you privacy while still allows light to be transmitted through.

• Able to be used in commercial and residential spaces.

• For strength and safety, the glass is toughened to Australian Standards and is able to be made using 6mm, 10mm and 12mm thicknesses of glass in a variety of colours.

• Able to be double glazed.

2

Easy ways to request additional information on this product

1) Online: awardmagazine.com.au/productdirectory 2) Fax: completed address card at the front of the magazine. | 35

Supplement

Instead of using an Architect, the Ark, chose to work in conjunction with a European flooring specialist. Having used the company a number of times for previous fitouts, The Ark is delighted with the outcomes. The flooring for the fitout was from a new range by Gerflor called Creation Clic. Chris Low, Managing Director with the flooring company says “The client uses our loose lay solutions because they like to change the décor. An underlay is also built into the flooring for comfort. The client liked that it would create no noise when walked across” The main objective of this partnership was to create a space, through the flooring that their customers would feel comfortable walking on and in turn benefited the clothing store for its colours, longevity, durability and practicality. For Arks benefits, Sara states that “The floor was very easy to lay; the flooring is very comfortable and it is practical”.

“The colours of these new products are beautiful, so we found the right colour for us to create the total look that we were seeking,” Sara said.

Without the need for sub floor preparation, the flooring took 48 hours to simply click into place over an area of 72 square metres “It would have cost more and taken much longer to install if we had to prepare the sub floor and glue the flooring down” Chris Low said.

Loose lay flooring solutions are gaining favour in retail fitout. The benefits for businesses and stores are that it can be done simply with little mess. As it does not need any glue and creates little mess retailers can open for business within 48 hours. The flooring used in this fitout has a life of approximately 10 years but another benefit is if retailers choose to change the colour of the flooring, its no hassle application means replacement is quick and easy.

“In theory you can re-use the product. It is easy to lift up the panels, so you can relay the product a number of times and certainly make any repairs that may be necessary over the life of the installation quite easily” Chris said. The only challenges faced when installing this flooring Chris goes onto say “were the tight time frame and it being a brand new product we had to ensure it arrived on time” The material used for the flooring is called Poly Vinyl Chloride 36 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

or otherwise known, PVC. It is a synthetic solid resin material. Known for its durability, PVC accounts for 75 per cent of products being used in the building and construction industry. Conduit, pipes and fittings are the most commonly used PVC items; flooring is the second PVC has come in for criticism in the past but the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) has worked to minimise the use of PVC in the building and construction industry.

Under its Green Star credit rating system, the use of PVC came under the Mat-7 PVC Minimisation credit.

This credit has come under review and the building and construction industry could not be happier; the revised Green Star ‘PVC’ credit now acknowledges the advantages of best practice PVC products.

Manufacturers must show that their product meets the requirement of the ‘Best Practice Guidelines for PVC in Built Environment’ Whilst the material has come under fire in the past, over the years it has been proven by authorities such as the GBCA, that using PVC is a viable option for constructors; it is cheap to make, durable and practical for business with its longevity and it being recyclable.

According to the Green Building Council Australia’s Literature Review and Best Practice Guidelines for the Life Cycle of PVC Building Products, January 2010, in 2007 a total of 11,263 tonnes of PVC were recycled and more than 8,600 tonnes were durables including building products.

The waste of PVC is estimated to account for less than 1% of all waste on landfill each year from Australia.

The PVC flooring used on this project was manufactured from 60% recycled materials and is completely recyclable at the conclusion of its lifespan. Therefore it fits within the GBCA’s vision for sustainable building products.

In tackling previous attitudes towards PVC, Chris says that this hasn’t been a problem for his company “Through the work of the GBCA our role has been made easier, because it is an opinion leader and an authority on the subject. Where PVC might have been dirty in the past, now it is made in the right way. Where we have in the past with architects and designers’ people have been hesitant to use it, now we have more opportunities to move forward with the product”.

industry matters

Is it cheaper to buy overseas products?

The cost saving benefits of importing building and construction materials from overseas, may on the surface, be good business sense. Why pay more for something when you know you could buy it cheaper? The longer term impacts of buying cheaper overseas products go further than your bank account, begging the question what do you value more, initial price savings or strong business ethics?

Today environmental pressures appear at the centre of social dialogue more often than not. From the acquisition of food, local and international travel, the production of clothes and how we construct our homes to executing commerce within the business world; the impact our lives have on the environment comes predisposed.

As a result it comes as no surprise that the production of vital building and construction materials also falls into the environment bracket. In particular where these products are made and how that affects the chain of environmental impact.

For companies importing materials from overseas countries, this may appear a beneficial way of sourcing on the surface as it could mean cheaper products but the bigger picture amounts to a loss of accountability.

The environment may not be the first thing you think of when sourcing products, but building materials all have to start life somewhere. | 37

industry matters

Manufacturing products overseas required in the building industry involves a huge amount of energy consumption beyond the basic stages of production. It means that these products are then flown or shipped across the world, using up an unnecessary extra load of CO2. Unnecessary because sourcing materials and products from overseas is not the sole option for building and contracting companies.

Using materials made in Australia is the most powerful way to ensure that the business you do won’t contribute further to the deepening impact of damage on the environment. This way, the accountability of production is clear; not only are the methods of transporting these materials across the world cut out but knowing exactly where the materials come from means recycling the product has potential and a level of sustainability can be reached within the building industry.

Recycling holds the key within the chain of accountability. If the place of production is unclear, the chemicals used in the manufacturing of the products also become unclear. This leaves building companies unsure over what to do next with a product once it is initially finished. According to Doug 38 | www.awardmagazine.com.au

Matthews from company Auswave, as a nation, “There is so much we can do, but we don’t. Not all imports can be recycled; we don’t always know what is in them.”

When no one on this end really knows where it came from then what happens when the cheaply made product fails? It ends up on land fill; and no one knows how to uphold the buzz word of the climate change debate, sustainability.

Quality control is an important factor to consider within the building industry.

Manufacturing regulations adhered to in Australia are not always upheld overseas, so ensuring the materials and products are compatible for Australian homes, buildings and infrastructure is hard to monitor, and some times, non-existent. As Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) Campaign Chief Executive Ian Harrison says ``By buying Australian made you can be sure the product is made right here by Australians, for Australian conditions and to Australia’s high standards.’’

Materials from overseas factories have no obligation to commit to the health and safety regulations that production companies would have to here, therefore when building in Australia the designers, the developers,

the building owners know little of what chemicals were used in the materials production.

In the long run buying cheaper products from overseas which fail is going to cost more money and will continue to deepen environmental problems. It means that the entire process of manufacturing has to start again; the production of more building materials that are likely to fail is only going to mean, according to Doug, that “people’s expectations are not being met.” That reflects poorly on the construction company. It also requires more transportation, causing more unnecessary CO2 to be released into the atmosphere.

Complicating the importing process further for Australia, according to Doug is that “the other countries (we import from) have tariffs; therefore importing is not a level playing field. We should be using our own steel and our own iron ore when constructing in Australia.”

The advent of technology may hold the key to material production in Australia and damage limitation on the environment that poorer developing countries do not have.

Director of Bomac Engineering, Tate McFarlene says that “people have to realise that the price of products goes up (when not importing products), but that is the true cost of the product.” Furthering this Tate points out that what is more important to businesses, cheap instantaneous energy guzzling products or regulated energy reduced materials with a clear line of production?

However importing products from overseas sometimes cannot be helped as Tate points out “This is sometimes unavoidable, like with bolts and bearings”.

Cheaper products may seem viable in the first instance. But with quality control issues, transportation issues, damaging environmental impacts, the inability to recycle imported products and no clear path of production the bigger picture for the building and constructing industry shows that cheaper is not always better.

The long term benefits for the building and constructing industry of not using imported products needs to override the initial cost savings.

In a country rich in potential and selfreliance, resourcefulness is the first step to sustainability, to continue importing products, Doug from Auswave hit the nail on the head when stating “We would be doing ourselves a disservice.”

That is least not to the businesses themselves, but to the customers and to the environment.

FROM DESIGN TO

CONSTRUCTION

Ellen (36) knows how to ensure the best end result to her projects. With Tekla, her company has moved from design to construction-oriented engineering, integrating analysis and reinforcement information with building materials. Sharing the Tekla model allows all her project team members to stay in the building information loop real-time.

Tekla Structures BIM (Building Information Modeling) software provides a data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, and concrete detailers and manufacturers. Choose Tekla for the highest level of constructability and integration in project management and delivery.

www.PacificComputing.com PH:PH: 1300 769 723 1300 Intâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l:769 +617 3503 5880 723