Concordia College , St Johns Redevelopment & Fortiter Gymnasium

Honouring the Architectural Vision 

This project had been eagerly anticipated by the College community for many years, and high-quality was a major focus for all stakeholders.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the labour market and material supplies, Sarah’s team worked with the project’s consultants to suggest alternative materials that were more readily available but would still honour the original architectural intent.

Examples of alternative materials and components included flooring and wall panelling, ceiling finishes and air conditioning units, and these changes were incorporated without compromise to quality or warranties.

Sarah’s digital engineering team worked with subcontractors using a 3D model for accurate quantities when ordering materials in the constrained market.

Timely Approvals

The number of design changes, including to externally facing finishes, necessitated further planning approvals for the gymnasium and car park.

To smooth the way, Sarah’s team ensured that all documentation was completed efficiently, and worked collaboratively with the College and its neighbours to determine acceptable finishes and explain the impacts and hours of usage.

This inclusive approach ensured that the project proceeded without delay.

Specialised Ceilings

To mitigate noise impacts to neighbours and other parts of the College, and reduce reverberation, the gymnasium was required to feature a specialised acoustic ceiling, which had not been included or costed in the original design documents.

Sarah’s team led an extensive optioneering process to procure a suitable ceiling system, while keeping the additional cost at a level that could be approved by the College.

Managing Latent Conditions

During Sarah’s early site investigations, asbestos cladding was discovered around plumbing components in a building that was to be deconstructed.

This early identification allowed the team to develop a comprehensive asbestos management plan and remediate the site with approved contractors, avoiding significant impacts to the project’s timeframe.

Working within an Operational Educational Environment

The team was required to deliver the works within a fully operational learning environment, and avoiding disruption to the College’s students, staff and parents was critical, and noise-generating works were coordinated to occur out of teaching hours.

To avoid congestion in the streets during busy drop off and pick up times, Sarah leased a nearby site at its own cost for subcontractor parking, and traffic management was used to ensure safe access and egress at critical times.

Sarah’s team carefully coordinated material supplies to manage space constraints and planned for small but frequent deliveries, all out of school hours.

The staged approach to students occupying the new buildings allowed for the continuation of learning but changed the way students and staff moved around the College. To ensure their safety, the team developed wayfinding tools, and suggested new fire evacuation drills to familiarise the college community with the new layout.

Environmental Challenges

Sarah always upholds the strictest levels of environmental management and compliance, and the site presented several challenges including:

• The discovery of naturally occurring heavy metals in the soil profile required the project team to work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a management and audit strategy.
• After significant rain, the soil became muddy and waterlogged, and Sarah’s team constructed several temporary stormwater swales.
• Two significant trees on campus were protected with exclusion zones during construction and permeable paving was placed around them for long-term care.

Water trucks were employed to manage dust impacts on the College and the neighbouring homes.

Leveraging Sarah’s Relationships with Subcontractors and Suppliers

With quality being one of the College’s highest priorities, Sarah’s team leveraged its extensive relationships in the supply chain to ensure only the highest levels of materials and workmanship, despite the challenges of an industry affected by the pandemic.

The project’s landscaping was extensive and was a critical component of the College’s nature play philosophy. Sarah’s team worked collaboratively with the landscape architect to deliver a high-quality natural environment suited to the climate and soil profile.

Value Management Process

In tandem with sourcing alternative quality materials to manage widespread industry shortages, Sarah’s team conducted a comprehensive and early value management process.

The team worked alongside the College and the architectural team to identify cost savings of $900K; these funds were critical to allow the project to be completed as scoped.  

Enhancing the Curriculum

With the construction work generating lots of interest amongst the students, Sarah’s team hosted a presentation for Year 4 students, guiding them through the buildings and teaching them about designing and estimating.  The younger Year 1 students were also treated to a question-and-answer session.

The team also hosted site tours for the College’s personnel and donors and conducted training sessions for staff after handover of each stage, to ensure an easy transition to the new buildings.