Chullora Marketplace

Chullora Marketplace has undergone many alterations and additions since its original construction as single storey Woolworths and Big W standalone buildings in 1980. An additional 5,000m2 of retail space was constructed in 1998 and the building was extended in 2012 to include Aldi and other speciality retail. This most recent project involved the re-development of the existing Big W tenancy to accommodate a new Coles, other major retailer and prepare the site for a future re-development.

Working with the facilities team, BSE’s project team were able to ensure the existing centre could maintain in operation during the upgrade works, which included electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, fire protection and ESD services after an initial diligence/ condition audit report. This included staging to maintaining operation during the proposed works, D&C delivery for the Coles fitout and full design of the base building upgrades and other tenancies.

For further project results, view the Project Profile.

Consider your career at BSE

Jessica Chesser shares a quick update on 2021 and encourages talented and enthusiastic designers and engineers to consider their career at BSE.

Please reach out to our Careers Team through careers@bse.com.au.

R U OK? Day

In the lead up to this year’s R U OK? Day, our teams were encouraged to participate in a brief anonymous survey and get their brilliant brains thinking about their current strategies for managing, other options to consider and to think about who they wanted to reach out to as part of R U OK? day.

Today, our teams were invited to listen in and hear the core R U OK? day message – ask, listen, encourage action and check in provided by our National Operations Manager, Jessica Chesser, as well as learning about some incredible resources for personal and professional use. Highlights from her session are covered in tips for individuals, or those being supported for immediate support (app recommendations) as well as high care suggestions (external resources).

Thank you to TeamBSE for being open and honest in the conversations today, and being encouraging and having R U OK? day conversations, every day of the year.

Please note, this session was prepared and delivered informally to BSE team members, there are plenty of “ummms” and personality in this video.

Additional Resourcse:

R U OK? website: https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

Lifeline website: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

BeyondBlue website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Throwback to St Mary Mackillop

Our first Throwback for Canberra, the team delivered state of the art lighting design, including automation for the new Academic Resources Centre at St Mary Mackillop School.

Partnering with CCJ and Manteena, our project team led by Brendon Newham delivered design and documentation for electrical and security services, with communications and dry fire. With an approximate construction value of $5M, this facility provides the school with innovative state of the art lighting design utilising led light fitting and a fully automated lighting control system.

Full profile here.

Switched Up on Spring Street

A base building infrastructure review for LendLease owned 10 Spring Street ensures the high-quality office accommodation continues to offer users of the space, tenants, and other occupants a prime location in Sydney. While these photos aren’t glamourous or polished, they show the inner workings of buildings which are so essential to bring buildings to life!

 Partnering with CBRE, BSE completed an initial inspection and report on electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, fire protection services and vertical transportation services for the existing base building infrastructure of 10 Spring Street. Providing the team with detailed description of the existing services systems, advice on end-of-life equipment and non-compliances/ safety related upgrades. These reports were utilised to provide direction for the future of the building and prime position in the marketplace, for which BSE completed design and documentation.

 Prioritising cost effective and practical advice, the project team provided a comprehensive electrical infrastructure review, single line diagram and mapping of existing sub-mains, and upgrades within an existing operating building.

Throwback to Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School (Concept)

Throwing back to design work undertaken across 2018 and 2019 for Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School. An incredible concept design partnership between BSE’s engineering team, NSW Department of Education, Architectus and Johnstaff, provided successful SSDA for the project.

 The complete refurbishment of the Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School is planned to be completed over 5 years. A $250mil staged project has Department of Education approval (December 2020). The scope involves redevelopment of the existing Chatswood Public School as a senior campus with capacity of 680 students over year levels 10-12). The existing Chatswood High School site will be redeveloped as a primary campus for years K-6, and middle campus for year levels 7-9 with a total capacity of up to 1,530 students.

Included in the scope is refurbishment of heritage buildings, with core facilities to be shared across the schools precinct. Temporary demountable buildings will be utilised to maintain operation during construction stages where required

 BSE’s NSW Buildings team, led by Stuart Johnson, Maggie Xia and Solomon Aluague, provided electrical, communications, security, mechanical design services, and scope specific speciality services acoustic, sustainability and vertical transportation for the initial concept and design documentation.

Design documentation will be delivered as separate packages for each stage including any enabling, decanting, or temporary works to maintain an operational facility as a priority for Teachers and Students.

Providing detailed existing site investigations and prioritising insights into user workshops allowed BSE’s Team to fully understand the existing services and provide fit for purpose and innovative solutions to site specific issues and requirements of the Schools. A key priority for the project is the continuation of power supply through staged works to maintain an operational site for Teachers and Students. Sufficient consideration was required to minimise acoustic impacts to mechanical services equipment due to the Schools close proximity to major roads.

Images courtesy of Johnstaff.

Welcoming our 2021 New Starters (so far)

TeamBSE has welcomed incredible new people in all our offices this year, bringing exceptional technical experience, innovative ideas, and a whole lot of laughs.

BSE is made up of talented, professional, creative, and passionate people, who work hard and have some fun along the way.

Our promise to our team is building for growth, innovation, engineering excellence and BSE fun!

If you’re interested in joining TeamBSE, we share all our open roles on our Careers page or pop your CV through to careers@bse.com.au if your expertise aligns!

Behind the Scenes... some days are more interesting than others

A sneaky behind the scenes look at a recent site trip, which happened to be more interesting than some, due to specific safety requirements

What do we do in this situation? Of course, we ask our Wade Prendergast pose for annoying photos for our marketing team. 

Safety of our team members will always be our top priority, and BSE partner with builders, clients and project managers to ensure our team can get to site and complete inspections, safely.

We can’t help but wonder that if this PPE getup was on trend as everyday wear, if Australia’s current lockdown challenges would be different.

Beer is Bubbling at Newstead Co Brewery in Brisbane

Last month, a new, even iconic taphouse was opened to the public in Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal. A partnership between Airport Retail Enterprises and Newstead Brewing Co. included this new facility as part of Brisbane Airport’s larger $40 million redevelopment, which even offers an exclusive ‘Tailwind Ale’ for Brisbane Airport.

Condensing a full-service food and beverage facility into the small areas (300m2 in this scope) available in airports always requires innovation, which our team delivered across electrical and communication, hydraulic, mechanical, fire protection and security design, engineering, and documentation.

Results & Value Add:

Working within an Airport provides its own challenges and requirements. BSE worked with all parties to ensure that the services could be installed and maintained in accordance with the Airport codes and requirements.

BSE identified a challenge in that the drainage between the luggage conveyors underneath the bar and the location of the mechanical services above the bar required a large amount of coordination due to site restraints.

BSE added significant value in being involved in the delivery of bespoke pendent lighting specially made and designed for this Newstead Brewery.

 Brisbane Airport shared a more detailed look at this project here:

https://newsroom.bne.com.au/newstead-brewing-opens-iconic-taphouse-in-brisbane-airports-domestic-terminal/

 Images courtesy of Brisbane Airport.

New Angles for Anglicare at Woolooware Shores

This new facility for Anglicare in Woolooware Shores, provides the community and residents with 42 independent living units, and community areas, 48 bed residential aged care facility, car parking, upgraded infrastructure and landscaped areas.

Designed by Jackson Teece Architects, and built through D&C by Growthbuilt, this facility now operates next to the existing Woolooware Shores Retirement Facility to meet market demand.

Initially engaged to complete peer review of D&C design documentation, BSE partnered extensively with Growthbuilt to offer additional value through construction stages of the project, and additional design where necessary. Our team delivered technical input across electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, fire protection and lifts. The overall development, which was built over 3 stages reinvigorate the underutilized site, offering a diverse range of new community uses and taking maximum advantage of its waterside context.

 BSE added significant value to the overall progression of this project through the review of design finalisation to verify compliance with client requirements, Australian standards and industry best practice.

All problems were resolved or effectively handled through coordination of infrastructure requirements for the stage and of the project with consideration to future stages. BSE provided reticulation pathways for connection of future stages without impacting operation of existing completed stages.

BSE prides itself on the inclusion of innovative thinking across all projects, this project required detailed involvement with testing and commissioning including integrated systems testing which ensured that the development was functional and ready for use at practical completion.

Images by Tom Ferguson.  

Chartered Engineer - Maggie Xia

Congratulations to Maggie Xia, Senior Electrical Engineer in our Sydney Buildings Team, she has recently achieved Chartered Engineer status!

Maggie has been an invaluable part of our team for 6 years, with over 10 years’ experience, Maggie never gets flustered, always over-delivers and has embraced our True Partners approach to project delivery!

Just published: How built environment businesses can gain flexibility and growth in the cloud

Image courtesy of Total Synergy.

Recently, Jessica Chesser, our National Operations Manager, spoke with Total Synergy about the business transformation cloud based platforms provide to businesses in the AEC sector.

BSE believes our True Partner approach extends beyond our project commitments and project partners, and extends into our business connections as well.

You can read the full profile here:

https://totalsynergy.com/jessica-chesser-building-services-engineers/

Design Practitioner Changes, is your project ready?

New Legislation for Residential Projects, is your project ready?

We sat down with our NSW Director, Stuart Johnson to get a clear understanding of how the new Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 will change delivery for our project partners in NSW.

While there is an increased obligation and a changed risk profile through the Act, BSE strongly believe that this legislation promotes accountability, transparency and best practice, quality engineering and design solutions offering occupiers, tenant, owners, and users of the building with exceptional outcomes. The intent of the Act is to facilitate an integrated design approach, allowing improvement in industry practices from the outset of project concept.

At its core, the DBP Act brings in:

• Professional Engineer Registration

• Design Practitioners

• Regulated Designs

• Design Compliance Declaration

• Building Practitioners

The DBP Act applies to all BCA Class 2 buildings (multi-unit residential) and any building with a Class 2 part.

Half of the eighteen classes of Design Practitioners apply to building services and fire safety systems delivery, with BSE having our team ready to be registered in each class relevant class of design practitioner.   

Stuart has outlined the impacts of 1 July 2021 will have on your residential projects:

Regulated Designs…

In accordance with the DBP act, after 1 July 2021 regulated designs are required to be lodged for construction certificate prior to commencement on site. Any variation to this regulated design during construction (e.g. coordination changes, value engineering, product substitutions etc.) need to be updated and re-lodged prior to commencing that variation work. Designs that reflect the installed work are required to be lodged for occupation certificate and any changes to these designs (e.g. defects rectification) are required to be re-lodged within 90 days of OC.

Building work has not started…  

If you have not started building work under a particular complying development certificate or construction certificate before 1 July 2021, the full requirements of the DBP Act applies to you. This applies regardless of whether your construction certificate or complying development certificate was issued before or after 1 July 2021.

Building work has started…

If you have started building work before 1 July 2021, the new rules do not apply to the work that has started under that construction or complying development certificate. However, the designs you have relied upon will still need to be lodged prior to occupation certificate. Any subsequent building work started on another certificate or variations to the current design after 1 July 2021 will need to comply with the new rules.

Designs by an ineligible designer…

Where designs have been prepared before 1 July 2021 by a practitioner who is not eligible for registration, those designs will need to be reviewed and a certificate, provided that they comply with the Building Code, by a registered Design Practitioner. The Design Practitioner can provide the Certificate even if they were not involved in supervising or coordinating the design.

We believe that the DBP Act will clarify responsibility of design work and will improve the overall quality of construction in the future. It may change your current methodology for procurement of design consultants prior to construction certificate and throughout construction, which may impact preference of Design & Construct or Construct Only engagements.

If you would like further clarification, or to discuss how the DBP legislations impacts your current and future projects, please reach out to our team!

30 Day Challenge - Charity Partner Donation

Our resident PIF Champion, and 30 Day Challenge leader, Godfrey Frederick was delighted to present our donation from our hardworking team to the Property Industry Foundation!

With a goal of $1,000 our team smashed this with $1,255 funds raised to this great cause!

PIF Champion, Godfrey Frederick with novelty oversized cheque for 30 Day Challenge donation!

Godfrey even grew a handlebar moustache to increase some donations!

Thanks to our team for their hard work, covering 1,110kms: Godfrey Frederick, David Luck, Michael Syposz, Linda Cotterill, Amelia Fraser, Jackson Arico, Nicki Fraser and Siti Mustaffa.

The Property Industry Foundation exists to solve this problem of youth homelessness. They bring together the property and construction industry to build homes for homeless youth through the PIF House Program. For more information on PIF’s great work, head over to their website https://pif.com.au/

"Getting the band back together"

As Australia and BSE continue to recover from the pandemic, for the first time in 18 months we were able to wrangle our Directors and State Leads into one location! Together for some thorough catchups and conversations, and of course plenty of coffee! Finishing their time together, with a great meal at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron with a bottle (or two) of the good red stuff.

Andrew Fraser, CEO commented “Creating and maintaining a close working relationship between our regional teams underpins BSE’s national and local delivery approach. Our True Partners mantra exists for our clients and also for all of our team members. Growing the trust and bond between our people is where the future of BSE’s growth and project innovation lies”.

NSW Director, Stuart Johnson and ACT Regional Manager, Brendon Newham are both musicians and keep suggesting (or threatening) to actually get a BSE band together! We’re still trying to work out how excited we are with this idea.

Pictured, left to right:
Orlando Cavuoto, Stuart Johnson, Cameron Webb, Amanda Webb, Nicki Fraser, Godfrey Frederick, Andrew Fraser, Brendon Newham, Terrence Hing

Image taken in Sydney, prior to current Melbourne lockdown.

Project Profile: Midtown Centre - Rio Tinto Fitout

A new 20,000swm workplace for Rio Tinto, as anchor tenant in the new Midtown Centre in Brisbane. Taking Levels 20 to 26 the fitout by COX Architecture, includes a central atrium with floating stairs, outdoor terraces, exceptional end of trip facilities, wellness centre, boardrooms, meeting rooms, offices, workstations, collaboration spaces and amenities.

BSE’s team delivered electrical, communications, mechanical and lighting, for all stages of this scope, including concept and detailed designs, support through tender and construction stages, commissioning, and defects period.

Working with COX Architecture’s vision for a central atrium and floating staircase, our team delivered designs fit for purpose with lighting and conditioned air systems. To meet BCA requirements, a creative smoke exhaust design was identified and documented for the atrium/ stairwell feature to meet building code requirements while maintaining the integrity of the architectural impact.

Architects visualisation, Atrium view. Courtesy of Hutchinson Builders.

Project Profile: Midtown Centre - The Fifth Estate

NEWS | The Fifth Estate, Poppy Johnston, took a deep dive into this project!
Hint: try the ‘before and after’ graphic tool halfway down to see the amazing transformation:

https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/architecture/why-joining-up-two-brisbane-office-buildings-was-a-good-idea/

Street view of Midtown Centre, during final stages of construction. Courtesy of Godfrey Fredreick.

Project Profile: Midtown Centre - ABC Story

Covered by the ABC in 2020, Jessica Hinchliffe profiled Midtown Centre in this Australian first project! Learn more about this incredible design and engineering triumph:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-25/two-buildings-become-one-in-australian-first/12277142

Construction progress of Midtown Centre. Courtesy of Fender Katsalidis.