Regional Commercial Builder of the Year
Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings under $3M
Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $5M - $10M
Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $20M - $30M
The exceptionally complex Cape Schanck Resort project was to be a benchmark of quality and required continual oversight from Kane Construction’s site management and project engineering team. The project presented a number of challenges and complexities. These included an extreme coastal and remote location exposed to wind and weather from the Bass Strait, sand dune-like soil conditions, neighbourhood tension and anti-development sentiment, complex curved structure and façade elements, curved internal walls and high-end bespoke finishes. These challenges highlight the significant accomplishment of the Kane team and its contractors in achieving a high-quality facility for RACV.
Rivergum is a secure 20-bed facility that provides short-term treatment for offenders on supervision orders. The facility includes 20 cottage-style units, administration buildings, a multi-faith chapel, recreational spaces, landscaping and supporting infrastructure. Designed by renowned architects, Guymer Bailey, the Rivergum features various forms, shapes and sizes of nature’s best building material spans across façade cladding, screens, structural elements, ceilings, window shades and reveals, and signage, which provides an ever-present patina that develops over time. Rivergum boasts an environmentally friendly design that features a 230kW solar PV system, German imported automated louvers with world-leading water penetration and air leakage qualities, as well as a geothermal heating and cooling system that uses natural thermal properties of in-ground water to maintain optimum internal temperatures.
Alex Wilson has worked for Harris HMC for 11 years. He has most recently been responsible for the delivery and construction of the St Michael the Archangel Mausoleum with a construction value of $8M, the Song He Yuan – Stage 2 ($25M), and Wellington Apartments ($17.5M). With a Bachelor Degree in Construction Management, a Diploma in Building Surveying and a Diploma in Building, Alex offers 11 years of experience to the Industry. He is very well accomplished, composed, passionate, well-spoken and a confident professional builder, who is driven by complex and challenging projects. Alex listens to his clients and communicates transparently with the delivery team to ensure key roles and responsibilities are understood, so that clear client and project objectives are met. Alex has sound business acumen with a keen interest in training and developing staff to their full potential. Alex ensures all project elements deliver to a top 1% standard. His engineering background adds to his project effective outcomes.
MSP were engaged by the Victorian School Building Authority to construct a new Junior Building, also known as the Treehouse for Ivanhoe Primary School. The structure of the building consists of concrete strip footings, steel and timber subfloor. The facade of the building is multi-faceted and includes blackbutt timber cladding, aluminium windows, profiled metal sheeting in matte finish and brickwork. There is also the striking diagonal feature steel painted in lettuce green. Internally the building consists of two large learning spaces which is combined with smaller reading nooks and window seats that protrude from the side of the northern elevation. The building is wrapped by a large external deck allowing for a brilliant overview of the adjacent sporting oval given the severe slope of the site.
A major tourist attraction on the Mornington Peninsula, the new Peninsula Hot Springs is constructed to the highest quality with its surrounding environment deeply considered in the overall design and fit-out. Soft, earthy tones complement the surrounding bushland with natural materials such as rammed earth, timber and locally sourced limestone. In addition to the aesthetic, durability and longevity was a major consideration in the construction as during peak periods the facility caters for about 2200 people daily. Hardy floor finishes in specialised plank tiling sourced from Italy, villaboard linings and compact laminates were used throughout to ensure the quality and finish demanded by this facility would be maintained years after completion.
The project included demolition, bulk excavation for a basement level car park and storage areas, construction of class rooms and breakout study areas over three levels, an art studio, library, music room and primary school-age appropriate science labs and food technology rooms. Construction also included tuckshop relocation, driveway widening, courtyard upgrades, a new multi-use games area and soft landscaping. Significant waterproofing and underpinning to the basement was required. Each floor was separated by a Bondec concrete slab with structural steel members and core filled brickwork providing the support between floors. The structural complexity came from the underpinning and connection of the new building into the existing music school and hall. The structural steel was fabricated to co-ordinate with complex architectural features and finishes. The external finishes included rough cast render to best match the existing heritage hall building.
The state-of-the-art performing arts centre is a curved structure featuring unique design elements such as a curved feature precast façade, cantilevered curved staircases, high-level steel gantries, and segmented high-performance curtain wall faceted glazing spanning full height over the two-tiered auditorium, which can seat up to 759 people. The centre includes an elevated lecture stand, performance and presentation platforms, ticketing booth and cloakroom facilities. This space is filled with unique modern pendant lights, wood-form timber feature walls and links to the existing drama and VCE centre. The design incorporates a lower level featuring voids for the lift pit, orchestra pit and air plenums specifically designed for the effective flow of the mechanical system supply air, return air and localised diffusers beneath each auditorium chair.
The project involved increasing the capacity and upgrading the amenities of the Thomas Embling Hospital, which is a high security forensic mental health facility located in Fairfield, Melbourne. The new SPICU Building involved the construction of an eight-bed acute psychiatric unit on the ground floor with supporting plant room services located on level one. A kitchen facility to service the SPICU was also constructed within an existing adjacent building located on campus to maximise the space available for staff and patients. In-fill works involved alterations and additions to the existing Argyle, Atherton, Bass and Canning clinical units. The scope of works included 10 additional beds, built via modular construction off-site and craned in, as well as extensions to dining rooms, lounge rooms, kitchens, storerooms, bathrooms, laundries and visitor/interview rooms.
This project follows Benetas’ unique industry best blueprint, with the model ensuring residents’ health, wellbeing, social connectedness and independence are prioritised. The layout features 13 individual apartment type areas, with approximately eight bedrooms sharing one common area. Each individual resident has their own ensuite and oversized bedroom including sitting area. The model promotes relationship building between residents with a shared conventional home-styled kitchen, TV and living areas, as well as a safe and effective way for the staff to manage the residents’ needs. The facility includes a 40-car basement and back-of-house services providing premium residential aged care accommodation. The support amenities include a full commercial kitchen, laundry, housekeeping, maintenance and gardening, clinical and administration services, and a café, wellness centre spa and hairdresser, plus a 360-degree site aspect with extensive views from upper floors. The build involved fully landscaped external areas with sensory gardens and mobility paths.
The 4000sq m Parliament House Office Accommodation project provided much-needed up-to-date office accommodation and facilities for 102 members of Parliament and their support staff. The new free-standing, two-level annex building with an extensive roof garden was constructed to the east of the existing heritage-listed Parliament House. It is linked to Parliament House via a basement tunnel, ground-level canopy and a bridge at the roof terrace. The new annex is a companion building and is set in a garden where all the footprint has been replaced with landscape on the roof and within a large central courtyard. It has been planned as a perimeter courtyard scheme of four unequal wings, which have been partly sunken into the ground to protect views and integrate it topographically within the eastern garden.
The new seven-level integrated resort replaces the previous facility and brings together all accommodation and guest amenities. The iconic design is characterised by its distinctive façade and sweeping curves. The stone-clad walls to the lower levels were designed to visually ‘anchor’ the building and gives the building immense presence. Separated by a fully glazed central level, the upper levels of hotel rooms appear to float and cantilever over the lower levels. The new five-star resort provides amenities such as new dining options, 25m swimming pool and spa, day spa, function and conference facilities, as well as 120 new hotel rooms. The concrete raft foundations and beams were complex in nature with heavy reinforcement due to the earthquake loadings. The conventionally reinforced concrete basement levels were enclosed by the in-situ reinforced concrete curved and raking concrete walls. Large unsupported spans to accommodate the guest facilities, such as the indoor pool, were addressed with steel box girders, up to 20m in length and 24T in weight.
Subcontractor coordination was recognised as one of the key factors in minimising risk on the Caulfield Grammar project which included a new $25 million state-of-the-art Aquatic and Wellbeing Centre. The site posed many challenges given the location and access restrictions, as well as the live environment, staged works, and works within and around existing structures. Ensuring open lines of communication between ADCO, subcontractors, client and affected stakeholders allowed works to proceed in a sequential fashion to eliminate any risk factors, such as high-risk construction works, traffic in close proximity to the general public and students along with high risk works in close proximity to workers under and over, works in and around live services and, increased fatigue due program pressures, all completed within the constraints of the project programme. Further examples of ADCO's excellence in health in safety saw their project team proactively educate school children regarding hazards and risks on construction sites and the design of a new handrail system around a pool, which can remain in situ until the entire pool construction is complete.
The lounges were inspired by Victoria’s landscape, in particular, the Great Ocean Road. The Qantas Club features a turquoise and grey colour palette with natural timber, while the dark tones and sophisticated finishes in the Business Lounge symbolises Melbourne’s dining culture and supper clubs. Key features of the new lounges incorporated bespoke joinery units made from locally sourced products and materials, including the striking buffet tables, marble bars, two commercial kitchens, four bathrooms and nine shower blocks. Taking place airside in the highly secure and fully operational Terminal 1 at Melbourne Airport, co-ordination and communication were the contributing factors to the success of the multi-staged project, resulting in the delivery of a quality space which met the high standards set by the Qantas brand.
The VISY Board cardboard manufacturing plant, comprises a main office and plant offices. The main office area includes ground and level one accommodation along with end of trip amenities. Plant offices include a central control room which operates all the manufacturing equipment. Service requirements included natural gas supply for boiler (process), 4000amp power supply through two substations and an internal high voltage power network. During the works, Frasers were asked to develop an extension to the main building consisting of a 5000sq m warehouse, associated offices, car parking and hardstands to accommodate another VISY business, Visy Boxes and more, which is open to the public for purchasing of boxes directly.
The design consists of an elevated rail line with a consistent architectural expression across the five new station precincts. Each station has an elevated platform with a distinctive canopy which wraps the platform to provide superior weather protection, while also framing views. The plazas provide improved station access and connectivity to the adjacent neighbourhood and other transport modes such as bus, taxi, car and bicycle. The material palette is natural with concrete, timber, zinc and steel and coloured highlights reflect each station’s precinct or suburban character. The bluestone paving of the public areas wrap-up the station pod buildings, setting them into their context and proving a robust response to day-to-day use.
The project was a mixed-use residential development consisting of 74 (one to three-bedroom) apartments over five levels and three apartment blocks, including a two-level basement car park. In keeping with its focus on community, the project also included a large community hall and a rooftop shared function space with a kitchen and a communal garden. Generous courtyards and spaces were allowed for with the provision of benched seating and garden areas dotted throughout. Works included the demolition of an existing Baptist Church and Federation-era house to make way for a distinctive development with a high level of architectural finishes featuring throughout. The building utilized eco-friendly materials, environmentally sustainable features and a seven-star energy rating. It was designed with an emphasis on ecologically sustainable development principles.
Working with repeat client Moda, Cobild was engaged to deliver timeless, 12 generously oversized apartments designed by Ewert Leaf architects. The site is 1044sq m with the building envelope covering 51 percent. The development features four two-bedroom apartments and seven three-bedroom apartments, all boasting impressive proportions. The penthouse is the showpiece of the development, and features 360 degree views of Elsternwick, capturing both Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne city skyline, even in the outdoor shower. The quality, is of the highest standard ensuring the integrity of design and material selection was the basis of every decision for the project. Heavily influenced by modernism, Ewert Leaf and Cobild cultivated a sophisticated palette of terrazzo, oak parquetry and natural stone.
The previous site building was demolished and basement excavation was carried out to a depth of 14m with significant piling and reinforcement works required for the thin lot shape. The building was constructed with post-tensioned floor slabs with precast concrete vertical elements and interlinking pours across each level. Two different interior schemes were available throughout. The ‘Charred’ and ‘Light’ scheme packages were available with fittings and finishes varying across each package. Many apartments were also extensively customised, particularly on the higher levels where several combination apartments were created due to purchaser demand. The building facade was predominantly constructed using precast panel with brick inlays combined with commercial windows, cement sheeting and aluminium cladding and features. The fully activated rooftop communal area features an oversized chess board and multiple dining areas with barbeque and sink facilities.
This building was able to exceed tender expectations and deliver a building that showcases a world-class standard by combining best-practice sustainability and healthy building standards. Confirmed via the 6 Star GreenStar as-built rating, 5.5 Star NABERS rating and a Well Platinum rating. The result is not just an energy-efficient building, but also one that ensures occupant well being resulting in improved productivity through increased alertness and reduced sickness.
Façade conservation of the Princess Theatre involved render repair, including sting course and running of molds and crack repairs, joinery repairs involving splicing and reconstruction of timber doors, replacement of damaged bricks and repointing and resetting of slate steps and pointing. The façade also needed to be repainted using mineral paint and gold and silver leaf application to ornamental façade items, including a lady figurine, lions and decorative render. Metal Casting – Replacement of metal ornaments that were broken or missing. Additional slate and lead and leadlight work was also undertaken. HBS skilled tradesmen and a broad range of specialised trades ensured the facade was restored to a beautiful iconic building which engenders community pride.
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