Robert Alvarez
BSE Spotlight: 2025 End of Year Wrap With ...
BSE Spotlight: 2025 End of Year Wrap With Andrew Fraser
Robert Alvarez
BSE News | EOFY Recap With Nicki Fraser
BSE News | EOFY Recap With Nicki Fraser
Robert Alvarez
30 Years of BSE
30 Years of BSE
Robert Alvarez
Touch Base with TeamBSE – Solomon Aluague
Touch Base with TeamBSE – Solomon Aluague
Robert Alvarez
Workout 24/7 at Club Lime Rosebery!
Workout 24/7 at Club Lime Rosebery!

BSE News | Five for Five: BSE Engaged for All Five Five Guys in Australia

There are currently five Five Guys locations in Australia, and BSE is proud to have provided electrical, mechanical, fire protection, and hydraulic engineering design services for all five, through our ongoing partnership with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group.

Five Guys opened its first restaurant in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia, and has since expanded to more than 1,900 locations worldwide. Their obsessive focus on quality and consistency has earned them fans, including some famous ones. When asked about his favorite American fast-food chain, Ed Sheeran said, "if it's an American fast food chain around the world, I'd usually go Five Guys."


Solomon Aluague, Associate – Mechanical NSW and BSE’s Project Lead for Five Guys at Martin Place and QV Melbourne, said:

"We are delighted to have assisted our friends at Seagrass Hospitality in bringing Five Guys to Australia. Every site and project is uniquely challenging. As a team we have overcome the barriers to maintain the streamlined production and delivery model that Five Guys is known for around the world. Big thanks to the BSE services engineering team for successfully collaborating with Seagrass and COOOP.Co Architecture. Thanks again to Five Guys for having us on board. Beyond that, we have had the privilege of supporting several of their other concepts such as The Meat & Wine Co, 6HEAD, Hunter & Barrel, and Ribs & Burgers."

Five Guys Locations & Opening Dates:

  • Penrith – September 2021

  • 383 George St (Sydney CBD) – June 2022

  • Southbank (Melbourne) – August 2022

  • QV Melbourne – October 2024

  • Martin Place (Sydney) – March 2025

We are thrilled to have helped make Five Guys in Australia a reality. The BSE team are definitely fans, so excuse us while we grab some burgers and fries, maybe a milkshake too. 🥤🍔🍟

Steelworks Hotel turned Social Housing in Port Kembla

BSE was engaged by Growthbuilt to provide electrical, mechanical, fire protection, and hydraulic engineering design services for a 7-unit annex to the adaptive re-use of the Steelworks Hotel in Port Kembla. Originally called the Great Eastern Hotel, the structure was built in 1890 and is a well-known local landmark in Wollongong.

 

The single-story annex, developed by Anglicare, features 7 villa-style units. In total, the social housing development has 30 studio apartments for residents aged 55 and over.

 

Anglicare’s CEO, Simon Miller, said “This is a very important project for the community, and we are delighted to officially open the Port Kembla development which will provide a safe, secure and life-enriching home to members of the local community. Older Australians, and women in particular, are at higher risk of homelessness, and projects like these are a lifeline to those in need, particularly at a time of significant cost-of-living pressure and worsening housing affordability.”

 

BSE is proud to be part of this project which provides valuable social housing for a vulnerable group in the Port Kembla community.

 

Project Lead: Stuart Johnson

 

Images Courtesy of Growthbuilt

 

BSE News | 2025 New South Wales Highlights

In this second instalment, we take a look at the 2025 highlights from BSE’s New South Wales team. Stuart Johnson, Director – NSW, features four standout projects:

“2025 has been a strong year for NSW, with our team delivering engineering services design across a diverse range of projects.

Key highlights include HOME Parramatta, a major build-to-rent development featuring 435 apartments and extensive resident facilities.


In the CBD, The Macquarie continues to progress, combining the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed Health Building with a new 16-storey residential tower.


Out west, the Wentworth Health Service Redevelopment reached a major milestone, with the new health facility now complete and remaining works in progress, including the new ambulance access linking through to the Urgent Care Centre.

We are also contributing to the Gunyahlamai Birth Centre and Community Hub in Nowra, Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned and midwifery-led freestanding birth centre.”

These projects demonstrate the range of sectors our NSW team is delivering across.

 

We’ll be sharing more highlights from our state teams and specialist disciplines in the coming weeks.

 

Images Courtesy of:

BSE News | ACT Government Prequalified

We’re pleased to share that BSE has prequalified with the ACT Government to deliver Consulting Engineering Services.

BSE looks forward to contributing to future public-sector work across the ACT through our building services and specialist engineering discipline offerings.

To mark this milestone, we’re sharing a selection of projects we’ve delivered in the ACT:

📍 City Walk Upgrade

📍 Oaks Canopy Built-to-Rent

📍 Woden Electric Bus Depot

📍 AIE Canberra Redevelopment

Job Openings at BSE | January 2026

New year, new job? 🙋 Check out our latest job openings at #TeamBSE in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne:

📍 Electrical Engineer – Brisbane

📍People & Operations Coordinator – Melbourne

📍 Fire Protection Engineer – Sydney

📍 BIM Modeller – Brisbane

📍 Senior Electrical Engineer – Melbourne

In 2025, we welcomed 40 new team members and celebrated some great milestones and exciting promotions. With several large new projects won, we’re continuing to grow and are looking for more talented individuals to join in our success.

If you’re ready to be part of something special, apply now!

For a confidential discussion about these roles or other opportunities, please contact Claudia Faulkner, Head of HR, People & Operations.

Photos feature our resident Brissy dog, Joey! 🐾 Shoutout to Lee McCann for sharing these adorable snaps of her pup! 📸

Life at BSE | December 2025

Here are some of the things that we were up to in December:

📍 Brisbane and Sydney both celebrated the final working day of the year with lunch and Secret Santa! 🫕🎁

📍 Godfrey Frederick and Jamie Waygood visited the site of The Store Newcastle. The tour of the soon-to-be 352 luxury apartments was organised by the Property Council of Australia. 👷👷

📍 Brisbane battled it out in a table tennis tournament, with Ruairi Stewart and Khaled Mahmoud facing off in the grand final. Khaled took the win! Maybe it’s time for a QLD vs NSW showdown. 🏓

📍 Godfrey Frederick attended Brisbane’s Property Council of Australia Annual Christmas Lunch. 🍽️

Want to join #TeamBSE? 🙋 Check out our openings here.

Touch Base with TeamBSE | Wade Prendergast

We’re back with our Touch Base with TeamBSE series and today we speak to Wade Prendergast, Associate Director - Hydraulic & Fire Services NSW.

 

Wade stands as an indispensable pillar of our NSW team, contributing over a decade of innovative project delivery with BSE, having celebrated his 10th year with us in 2022. His leadership within the Hydraulic and Fire Services team is exceptional, seamlessly blending innovative thinking with hands-on expertise to craft solutions that not only meet immediate needs but also pave the way for future-ready designs.

 

With an extensive background spanning diverse development sectors, Wade consistently ensures that every project he oversees, whether in buildings, infrastructure or fit-out, exceeds both client expectations and user needs. His dedication to delivering scopes that are not only functional but also innovative continues to play a significant role in our ongoing success.

 

What is your background story?

Growing up near the beach instilled in me a love for the outdoors and an affinity for practical, hands-on activities, which naturally led me to pursue a career in the construction industry as a plumber. In this role, I developed skills in installing hydraulic and fire services across various sectors. Eager to expand my technical knowledge based on this experience, I took the opportunity to join an engineering firm, where I was able to dive deeper into the intricacies of hydraulic and fire services design as part of new buildings. Completing a hydraulic services diploma, I took each chance to grow and learn. I am really grateful for the guidance and mentorship provided by senior engineers along the way, which enabled me to transition seamlessly from plumbing to consultancy. Now, as part of BSE’s team, I am able to prioritise time with each of our team members, ensuring collaboration and delivering quality designs that only come from being fully engaged in each project, from inception to completion.

 

Did you choose engineering, or did it choose you?

Engineering certainly chose me, a case of being in the right place at the right time. The opportunity to transition from plumbing into design came when the plumbing company I was with had a project delayed, so I had scope to consider designs in more detail than before and see how they could be done better.

 

Even though I became a plumber first, I had considered engineering to start with after school, decided I wanted something practical. So, it was a very circular process, I guess. Hydraulic design is straightforward when it’s based on a foundation of on-site plumbing and install experience. 

 

How do you feel services engineers add value to projects?

We bridge the gap between building design and operational functionality, serving as the crucial link that ensures seamless integration. Operating within a multidisciplinary company, BSE can leverage the advancements in REVIT technology to achieve a higher level of precision and coordination in service design. This meticulous approach minimises site queries and issues, ultimately leading to more cost-effective solutions.

 

Consider living or working without usable hydraulic services – drinking water, flushing toilets, hot water – and you quickly appreciate the value we add.

 

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Not so much what but who — my son! While I do miss the sleep-ins, seeing and spending time with my family is what I look forward to the most.

 

Work-wise, it’s the people I work with — being able to support the team and be involved in design solutions. Every day there is a new challenge, and there is always something to learn.

BSE News | 2025 Acoustics Highlights

We’re excited to share the 2025 highlight reel from BSE’s Acoustics team, with David Luck, Team Leader for Acoustic Services, giving us the inside look. David shared:

 

“2025 has been a big year for the Acoustics team, welcoming Jacob McGrath in QLD and taking on standout projects.

The Huntlee Schools project involves a new primary and high school, with BSE providing acoustic design to support future learning spaces. BSE is also working on NBN Co’s new office in the Victoria Cross Tower, designing acoustics across six floors to create a productive and comfortable workspace.

We look forward to carrying this momentum into 2026!”

These large-scale projects showcase BSE’s capabilities beyond traditional MEP services.

 

Stay tuned as we share more highlights across our state teams and specialist disciplines.


Images Courtesy of:

FoodInSpace Awards 2025 | Hunter & Barrel Parramatta

Hunter & Barrel Parramatta has been shortlisted for the FoodInSpace Awards 2025, recognising the beautiful design by COOOP.Co. They highlighted how the design elevates the brand’s rustic aesthetic, with interiors defined by rustic wood, stone and an open fire that foster a warm, communal atmosphere.

Through our continued partnership with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, our NSW team provided electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, fire protection, and acoustic engineering design services for this stunning restaurant.

BSE’s Godfrey Frederick, Director – National Strategic Partnerships, and Solomon Aluague, Associate – Mechanical NSW, were there for the opening in 2023, testing the incredible space with a combined lunch and commissioning inspection. Sol remarked, “A flavour-packed journey! A great way to ensure our designs are fit for use in such an incredible space.”

FoodInSpace describes Hunter & Barrel as being “in a stunning location with views of the Parramatta River. Hunter & Barrel is a premium steakhouse offering the highest quality cuts of steak, burgers, barrel-aged spirits, craft beers and more. The covered outdoor dining area is the perfect spot to soak up the ambience of your surroundings, as your senses are driven wild with the smell of the divine food cooking in the kitchen.”

Images Courtesy of Hunter & Barrel

BSE Spotlight: 121 Walker Street With Andrew Fraser

With our recent move to our new head office at 100 Arthur Street, this instalment of BSE Spotlight takes a moment to say goodbye to our first corporate office at 121 Walker Street, North Sydney. 🏢 Since moving in back in 1995, we’ve grown from a two-person team into a national business of 105 people, and this space has been a big part of that journey.

Keep an eye out for some old and new moments from our time at 121 at the end of the video! 👀

To everyone in these photos, and to everyone who has been part of #TeamBSE, thank you for being part of our story. 🙏

 

Let us know what topic you'd like us to cover in the next instalment of BSE Spotlight! 🎥 Or tell us who from from #TeamBSE you’d like to hear from next. 

BSE News | We’ve Moved! Our NSW Team Has a New Home at 100 Arthur Street

After 25 years all up at 121 Walker Street, our NSW team has a new home! We’ve officially moved to Level 1, 100 Arthur Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, just a 2-minute walk from our old office.

Today marks our first official day in the new space, which gives us plenty of room to grow the team as the business continues to expand.

A bunch of us at #TeamBSE are already excited about the new games room which is in the works! 🏓


We’ll be sharing photos of our new digs in the new year, so stay tuned. 👀 Here’s to new beginnings and exciting opportunities ahead! 🥂

IESANZ Lighting Awards 2025 | BSE Wins for Southpoint End of Trip

BSE received a Lighting Commendation Award for our work on the Southpoint End of Trip facility at 275 Grey Street, Brisbane. Our Brisbane team was engaged by Rhombus PM to provide electrical, mechanical, fire protection, and hydraulic engineering design services for this EOT, located within a building home to tenants such as Virgin Australia and Flight Centre. Opened at the end of 2023, the project presented several challenges due to the constrained site, which was originally a carpark. One of the standout features is a series of custom light boxes installed above the bike racks, introducing lighting elements typically reserved for high-end interiors and raising the benchmark for EOT facilities.

 

Organised by IESANZ – The Lighting Society, the Lighting Awards provide a unique opportunity for public and industry recognition of professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting applications and technology.

 

The award was received on behalf of BSE by Tim O’Regan, Associate Director – Interiors & Refurbishments QLD and our project lead. Tim shared:

 

“From arrival, it is clear that the Southpoint EOT offers something distinct. Visitors are immediately greeted by a striking backlit glass brick wall, illuminated by colour-changing LED strips that shift in coordination with other lighting elements to create a dynamic and ever-changing visual experience. A key consideration was ensuring compliant lighting levels across the space, regardless of the colour setting. For example, red light alone could not meet minimum lighting levels, so supplementary lighting was introduced to meet code requirements.

BSE and the design team had to take special care with the backlighting of the glass brick wall. This required a significant amount of sampling, prototyping, and coordination. A key requirement was serviceability. BSE worked with Luxon and Digilin to develop a solution where flexible LED strips were housed in custom channels, allowing individual sections to be removed from the top and replaced if required.”

 

BSE is proud to have contributed to this striking EOT facility, together with our project partners Knight Frank, Rhombus, Quadric, Loop Creative, Whatalec, and Lo-fi.

 

A special shout-out to Urban Aluminium, who presented our award.

Life at BSE | Melbourne and Sydney EOY Celebrations 2025

#TeamBSE kicked off our end-of-year celebrations in Melbourne and Sydney! 🥳🎉

Melbourne enjoyed an intimate dinner, with Andrew and Nicki Fraser flying in to join the fun. 🍷🍽️


Sydney brought festival vibes with a Greek food truck, desserts, and live music organised by echo events. 🚚🍰🎶


It was the perfect way for both to celebrate the outstanding projects and achievements #TeamBSE delivered throughout the year.


Next up: Canberra and Brisbane! 


Property Council of Australia’s Annual Christmas Lunch 2025

Godfrey Frederick in Sydney and Andrew Sayer in Melbourne have been out and about attending this year’s Property Council of Australia Annual Christmas Lunch! 🎄🍽️

#TeamBSE has been busy at various year-end functions, connecting with colleagues, partners, and clients across the industry before the holiday break. 🤝

If you’re heading to the PCA Christmas Lunch in Brisbane this Friday, be sure to say hi to Godfrey Frederick! 👋

BSE Spotlight: 2025 End of Year Wrap With Andrew Fraser

It’s that time of year again when we turn the BSE Spotlight to our CEO, Andrew Fraser. 🔦 In this instalment, Andrew reflects on 30 years of BSE, this year’s highlights, next year’s trends, and more.

 

2025 has been another year filled with milestones for BSE, and it isn’t over yet.

 

As we close out the year, we wish our clients and project partners a happy Christmas and a safe and hopeful New Year. We also extend a warm thank you to our teams, who have once again gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional work.

 

Let us know what topic you'd like us to cover in the next instalment of BSE Spotlight! 🎥 Or tell us who from from #TeamBSE you’d like to hear from next. 

BSE Feature | Too Quiet? Safety in Acoustically Rated Booths

With the growing use of acoustically rated office pods and booths, an important safety question arises: can occupants still hear critical emergency alerts while inside? As part of a recent project, BSE investigated this issue.

 

Working on an office refurbishment in Brisbane, our Acoustics team carried out specialist testing to support the design of the fire alarm and Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System (EWIS). Particular attention was given to the acoustically rated four person booths and single person pods, since they are not fitted with internal alarm or EWIS speakers and rely entirely on the base building system.

 

Measured noise levels and speech intelligibility outcomes showed that the alarm and EWIS systems met the requirements of AS 1670.4–2004 in the open office area directly beneath the ceiling speaker. However, the levels fell well short of compliance inside the sealed booths and pods, with BSE confirming clear non-compliance. Qualitative observations from the project team also noted that alarms were near-inaudible inside the booths, competing with the background ventilation noise of the pods themselves.

 

Our Acoustics team notes that the AS 1670.4–2004 requirements could still potentially be achieved if alarm and EWIS speaker levels in the open office were raised to between 105dB(A) and 110dB(A). However, this would require system modification and further acoustic testing to verify, with the risk that increased noise levels in the open office may become uncomfortably loud and reduce overall speech intelligibility. The project team chose to proceed with an alternative solution, incorporating visual indicator technology such as flashing strobe lights to ensure occupants inside the pods and booths receive adequate warning.

 

The industry is also rapidly evolving in its understanding of occupant warning requirements for acoustically rated pods and booths. Some manufacturers are now developing systems that integrate EWIS speakers, fire sprinklers, and other safety measures from the outset, helping to resolve these emerging challenges.

 

This project demonstrates BSE’s industry-leading experience in the design and commissioning of PA and EWIS speaker systems. Our work ensures compliance with AS 1670.4 and IEC 60268-16 while also delivering broader outcomes for speech intelligibility and acoustic performance.

 

Our Acoustics team has applied this expertise across major projects including international airport terminals and large-scale office fit-outs. With certified instrumentation and extensive technical knowledge, BSE provides speech intelligibility testing and PA/EWIS system commissioning for commercial, office, retail, and facilities projects throughout Australia.

 

Jacob McGrath, our Acoustics project lead said: “BSE’s Acoustics team is dedicated to bringing value to projects through the conferring of acoustic wisdom and upskilling, ensuring that the project team are understanding of the acoustic design directions, the levels of acoustic performance that will be delivered to the end users, and the coordination that is required between disciplines to realise these amazing acoustic outcomes.”

Elevating Excellence | November 2025

We’re thrilled to announce a series of recent elevations at #TeamBSE! 🥳🎉

 

Each team member has shared a short comment on this milestone and a little bit about their life outside of BSE, which you’ll find in the images.

 

Thank you for your contributions and for the role you play in driving BSE forward. Your impact is felt across our projects, our, clients and our culture.

 

Hats off to Claudia Faulkner, David Luck, Divya Pasupula, Robert Holman, Paul Burkinshaw, and Alix Bragg!

Life at BSE | Sydney’s Melbourne Cup

While we don’t get the day off like our friends in Melbourne, the Sydney team made the most of Melbourne Cup day with our own Calcutta auction and sweeps! 🏆🐎

The bidding was intense, with our auctioneer, Godfrey Frederick, doing a great job getting everyone to dig deep into their wallets. Gasps were heard as the favourites were snapped up at rapidly rising prices. Elham Alipanahi backed the right horse, taking first place with Half Yours. Ping Lu with Goodie Two Shoes and Angela Khadka with Middle Earth came in second and third respectively.

For the sweeps, it was Elham once again who won the $5 sweep, with Nicki Fraser taking the $2 sweep.

We also enjoyed a beautiful spread along with the traditional BSE fascinator and sock competition. 👒🧦 Congratulations to the best dressed, Layal Sadek and Evan Christidis, for winning this year’s competition!

Want to join #TeamBSE? 🙋 Check out our openings here. 💼

Powering the ARFF: How BSE Supports Safety at Western Sydney International Airport

BSE has been engaged by Comtex to provide electrical engineering design finalisation services for the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Facility at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, which has been allocated the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code WSI. WSI has been designed to reduce pressure and congestion at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) International Airport, serving as Sydney’s second major airport, and will operate without a curfew.

 

The ARFF Facility is designed to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating and will provide a Category 10 service, the highest level of emergency response able to cater to the largest aircraft, including the Airbus A380. The size of the aircraft requires extensive rescue and firefighting cover as determined by the Civil Aviation Authority. The project also includes an airside Hot Fire Training Ground (HFTG) and other associated facilities.

 

With the ARFF Facility being integral to the operations of the airport, a key focus of the electrical design is the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and the standby generators, along with their accompanying diesel fuel storage and transfer systems. This is to ensure continued operations even when there are issues with the mains power supply.

 

Other highlights include the private building management system (BMS) and solar array. Compared to separate control systems, a BMS offers control and optimisation of equipment cycles with algorithms focused on energy efficiency. The system allows for energy-saving strategies such as precise start-up and run times, eliminating overlaps between systems such as HVAC, adjustments for seasonal conditions, and more.

 

Geoff Taylor, Associate Director - NSW and BSE’s project lead on the ARFF Facility, commented:

“It’s a privilege to contribute to such a nationally significant infrastructure project. Our focus is delivering robust, future-ready electrical systems that align with the airport’s long-term operational and sustainability goals. Working collaboratively with Comtex and other stakeholders, we’re proud to help bring the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Facility to life as part of Western Sydney’s next-generation airport.”

 

BSE is proud to play a pivotal part in supporting safety at WSI, Sydney’s newest airport.


Life at BSE | October 2025

Here are some of the things that we were up to in October:

📍 Sydney played a Squid Game-themed activity organised by our Hydraulics and Fire teams, with Simon Daly coming out on top! 🦑

📍 Melbourne had morning tea and cupcakes! 🫖🧁

📍 The Finance team celebrated Nicki Fraser’s return with lunch! 🍽️

📍 Godfrey Frederick and Amelia Fraser headed to Perth for the Property Council of Australia’s The Property Congress! 🛫

Want to join #TeamBSE? 🙋 Check out our openings here.

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