Steady as she goes continued

An update from our CEO Andrew Fraser, steady as she goes continued:

As fatigued as we all are around COVID-19, there can be no doubt that it has changed the world and our way of working forever.

Since April 2020 BSE’s approach has been to take a steady-as-she-goes approach, ensuring our teams deliver strong internal collaboration and coordination processes as part of our standard project practice.

Nearing the end of another year, this process has ensured our teams have utilised the strength and flexibility of the industry and continue to produce incredible project outcomes, from home, or from offices. Practically in 2019, BSE strategically moved towards a cloud based and SaaS technology focus, so when lockdowns begun, we were well placed to swiftly shift and allow our team members to work from home safely and practically, with very little disruption to our clients and project partners.

The word ‘resilience’ has been thrown around a lot, and while some associations are less than positive, it’s apt: a response or recovery from a crisis. COVID-19 has been a health crisis and for many an economic crisis. At BSE, our goal moving into 2022 is to transition from requiring team members to be resilient towards empowering them as calm, proactive, flexible and growth minded. Our incredible team have been able to preserve the great social connections of our teams and offices in a remote setting where necessary and in the office where possible. We have provided practical mental health check ins, regular business updates, casual catchup opportunities, remote games and meets to involve as many people as possible in ways that suited them.

As a national business, we remain focused and ready to adapt to and benefit from the many and varied opportunities that we expect to identify in 2022.

THROWBACK | RFS

As Australia heads into another bushfire season, we’re taking a moment to look back on the incredible facility which supports the RFS NSW in their marvellous work to keep communities safe.

Image courtesy of Sydney Olympic Park Business Association

NSW Rural Fire Services are based in Sydney Olympic Park, with four floors dedicated to the headquarters providing the agency with a state-of-the-art control centre, supporting office spaces and high-quality end of trip facilities.  With 180 screens, 640km of data cables and 5,200 data access points, the IT and data setup alone is singular configuration as part of an integrated fitout and support more than half of NSW’s RFS personnel and volunteers. The building achieved a 5 Green Star, NABERS energy and water rating on completed.

BSE worked with NSW RFS and their project management team to develop the scope for the new facility, and then continued involvement on the client-side team providing design peer review and advisory services. Our team delivered this value across mechanical, electrical, fire and hydraulic services.

Being part of this project and providing value in ensuring NSW Rural Fire Service ended up with a workable and functional facility was a huge honour to be part of and support the RFS in their incredible work for the NSW communities and keeping people safe.

Image courtesy of RFS NSW on Twitter

Out & About

Our Director - National Strategic Partnerships, Godfrey Frederick has been delighted to take full advantage of easing restrictions in NSW and engage with industry friends in person again.

This week, Godfrey was able to enjoy the Melbourne Cup while on Sydney Harbour! Of the day, Godfrey said

“It’s a very different way to watch the race and it rocked. It might have been interesting if it had rained but the sun gods were with us. Just so nice to be back out at a face to face event. To be in a corporate social setting with a group of people who really appreciated the new found liberty was a joy. Here’s to many more!”

Godfrey was a guest of Unispace, aboard the Glass Island vessel.

Throwback to Redhead Gardens Aged Care

This project expanded on Whiddon Group’s existing aged care facility in Redhead Gardens with the additional of 120 beds and ensuites, a new RACF building and the extension/refurbishment of the existing RACF building. A new commercial laundry and kitchen and a range of resident accessible rooms, staff rooms, public rooms and plant/services rooms were also provided, expanding upon the existing community care services.

BSE’s team, led by Stuart Johnson, delivered concept, design, documentation, and construction phase services for mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, fire protection, lift, acoustic and ESD services for this $30 million project. The project went through Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) at approx. 50% design with BSE delivering documentation to 80% completion for finalisation by a D&C contractor. BSE’s team continued to add value to our project partners by acting on behalf of the client in a review role during design finalisation and construction.

With a significant ESD focus, our project team was able to provide initiatives such as PV arrays, battery storage, efficient lighting and centralised controls systems, geothermal, centralised solar boost hot water integrated with the laundry appliances, centralised air conditioning with heat recovery, showing how our bottom line sustainability commitment takes a standard multi-disciplinary design and leverages it into reduced operating costs and lower carbon emissions for Whiddon Group and residents of the new facility.

National Safe Work Month #ThinkWorkBeSafe

October is National Safe Work Month and BSE took the opportunity to touch base with all our team members through a safety chat over a cuppa.

After some live interactive polling established just how much knowledge our team retained about health and safety in the workplace, a quick refresher on health and safety at BSE provided a touch point on the essential point of consultation and ensuring the message of “Safety is everyone’s responsibly” was shared.

As October is also Mental Health Month, the chat also covered the necessity of ensuring mental health as a priority. Refreshing our team on the recent R U OK? Day message and ensuring it extends to 365 days of the year, our National Operations Manager, Jessica Chesser, has taken the time to speak to each team member and work through the challenges of the past 18+ months, return to the office and lasting changes with all our team members individually, to ensure our polices, procedures and BSE Community can transition to living with COVID-19 world, while ensuring we prioritise maintaining or improving the physical, psychological and mental health and safety of our people!

The opportunity to touch base with our teams in real time, ensure they can Think Safe, Work Safe, Be Safe every day as part of national safe work month was great. Just one moment of our ongoing commitment to ensure the health and safety of our team members.

For more information on Safe Work Australia’s National Safe Work Month:

https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/national-safe-work-month

First Ever Five Guys in Australia

American burger giant Five Guys announced in early 2021 (via Good Food) it would be opening a store in Australia, and this first store opened in September 2021. Located on Mulgoa Road, Penrith (west of Sydney), starting with take away due to current COVID restrictions and opening to diners as restrictions allow.

Sydney-based hospitality company Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group are running the facility, which is adjacent to other hospitality and entertainment amenities, and joins 1700 Five Guys restaurants across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. 

Expanding on our successful partnership with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group with a commitment to make the initial Australian Five Guys a success, BSE’s experienced team, delivered mechanical, electrical, fire and hydraulics services for the full internal facility, working with the existing base building constraints. The Five Guys model require higher than usual loads for MEP services to facilitate delivery of high-quality products at the Five Guys standards. Specifically, without freezers or microwaves, produce is fresh and handmade daily. Our designers and engineers used intricate calculations and analysis of existing infrastructure to ensure the space was fully utilised and met the exacting standards required by Five Guys globally. This model will be rolled out across further Five Guys sites in Australia.

BSE’s design and engineering team worked with Design Partnership Australia and Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group to convert Five Guys strict USA designs to comply to the Australian regulatory and construction environment, without altering the utility of the streamlined production and delivery model known around the world. This clear outcome required exceptional collaboration between our teams and BSE’s own highest standard internal review and coordination works.

BSE’s team delivered an alternative solution to ensure the non-compliant fire services satisfied the latest NCC and Australian Standards while working within the requirements of the existing building and its constraints. The addition of new gas and water mains ensure the facility has supply required upon commissioning and the innovative analysis and design ensured the required equipment could work within the parameters without the need to upgrade electrical infrastructure.

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.