Cedar Woods, Monarch Apartments

Interior Design: After reviewing the joinery design in Buildings 1 and 2, Sarah suggested replacing some cupboards with drawers, enhancing functionality at no additional cost. Similarly, the team suggested modifications to the flooring installation methodology, improving maintenance outcomes and reducing whole-of-life costs.

Above Ground Carpark Structures: The apartments feature above ground parking facilities, hence the construction methodologies and materials required adaption to accommodate the transfer structure and load bearing. Sarah’s team developed alternative composite floor plates using steel frames and hollow concrete slabs, and mitigated program impacts by pouring the higher slabs in a single pour and reprogramming the roofing sequence.

Digital Keyless Entry to Building and Apartments: All apartments feature digital, keyless entry technology for enhanced security and amenity; one of the first uses in residential apartments in South Australia, and the first time Sarah’s team had managed installation and commissioning. The team was required to develop comprehensive processes and checklists to ensure security of the apartments during construction, and efficient handover to the client.

Environmental Management: The Glenside precinct’s attractiveness is enhanced by the natural surroundings, including towering gums and avenues of plane trees. The project team worked alongside an arborist developing protection protocols including exclusion zones for significant trees, ensuring subcontractors understood common controls and compliance obligations.

Stakeholders and Safety Management: The project is located metres from key stakeholders including the highly patronised Frewville Foodland, SA Health facilities and residential buildings and homes. The team worked within strict protocols for site housekeeping and limitations on heavy vehicle movements, managing the constraints by designing alternative access routes and adapting load configurations. Despite the challenges of working at heights and heavy precast lifts, the project was completed with an excellent safety record.

Program Management: The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to procurement of materials and trades. Early in the project planning phase, Sarah worked collaboratively with the client to minimise program delays through early procurement and secure stockpiling of materials, incorporation of additional precast components, and negotiated extended working hours of subcontractors to maximise efficiencies and retain knowledge.  

Building Community: Monarch’s design is developed around community, with communal facilities and the precinct’s buildings interlinked with landscaping and community gardens. Sarah’s personnel were invited guests at the client’s Meet and Greet events and were integral to the strong sense of community inherent here.

Continuity of Knowledge and Experience: Sarah was the successful tenderer for the Monarch Apartments after its successful delivery of the Botanical and the Grace Apartments.  The three projects were delivered with the same core team of personnel, providing certainty of delivery for the client, retaining local knowledge, and maintaining stakeholder relationships.

Training and Development Opportunities: The longevity of the precinct development has provided an ideal environment for training and development of Sarah’s graduate engineers and other trainees.