St Ignatius College, Andrea Pozzo Centre for Art, Design and Technology

Redesign to suit latent ground conditions

After demolition of the existing, outdated arts building, the project team discovered that the construction site was sitting atop an old creek bed, with significant large boulders below the surface, which would have been costly to excavate and remove.

Sarah’s team immediately involved several experienced engineers from within the business and worked collaboratively with the architects to redesign the building to suit the ground conditions, with variations approved by the College.

Identifying existing services

In tandem with the redesign, Sarah’s team took the opportunity to fully investigate the site for existing services, which were largely undocumented due to the age of the existing building.

The team employed hydrovacing methodologies to identify services and reroute the new services around them.

This comprehensive knowledge of the site that ultimately allowed construction works to proceed as planned once commenced.

Respecting the architectural intent

In line with the College’s requirement, the building was thoughtfully designed to ignite innovation and highlight the importance of art, design and technology.

Highly architectural features include a primary open frame steel structure with independent walls and facades, cavity filled brickwork, curved retaining walls, extensive glazing, and gridded perforated screens.

Sarah’s team invested significant time in understanding the design intent, and coordinating the buildings structure with these unique elements, using specialist contractors, and working closely with a structural engineer to ensure the building’s integrity.

Delivery within an operational school environment

All works were delivered while the school remained fully operational, with works carefully segregated from the school community with construction fencing.

Sarah’s team were proactive in communicating with the staff and Facilities Manager to plan for upcoming College events and to minimise disruption to students.

To manage the safety of students and parents, deliveries were not permitted during drop off and pick up times, and access and egress to the site was strictly defined and communicated to suppliers and subcontractors.

Sarah’s team re-sequenced some works including service isolations to avoid distractions in the lead up to and during critical exam periods, and to accommodate the College’s annual fair – its main fundraising event.

Access and egress to a constrained site

The project site was located in the midst of the College, constrained by adjacent operational buildings and areas, and several significant trees, and with a crane pad located on the new slab, Sarah’s team were required develop safe methodologies to ‘build from the inside out’.

With numerous tradespeople working concurrently across the two-storey building, safety was paramount, and managed with stringent protocols and continual communication.

The site’s highly valued trees were protected by exclusion zones and Sarah’s team facilitated ongoing communication with an arborist.

Despite these numerous challenges, the project was completed without significant safety or environmental incident.

Delivering unique landscaping features

The building is complemented by several large, curved retaining walls, which are both aesthetic and functional.

Sarah leveraged experience from within the wider business to bring architecture and engineering together, ensuring that the landscape is as engaging as the built environment.

Value management

During the tender period, Sarah’s team undertook an extensive value management workshop, leveraging relationships with suppliers and subcontractors to present the College and its consultants with numerous alternative materials and solutions.

Items adopted included alternative light fittings, glass features and ceiling tiles.

Highlighting construction pathways

Sarah’s team instigated a number of coordinated site tours and presentations with students across years 11 and 12 interested in following pathways into the construction industry.

A Year 12 student was also invited to join the team over the school holidays, working alongside Sarah’s project coordinators and playing a small part in the success of the project.

Building tours for staff

Several times during construction, Sarah’s team invited the College’s staff and Building Committee on guided walk throughs.

These sessions were well received and attended, with guests gaining an understanding of how to plan for the best use of the new spaces.