Main Building Refurbishment

Project Value
$10M+

Location
Hunters Hill, NSW

Project Sector
Heritage/Education/Accommodation

Services Provided
Project & Contract Management

Project Completion
March 2016

Project Synopsis

St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill engaged Bloompark Consulting in November 2013 to provide Project Director and Project Management services for the essential services upgrade on the Heritage Listed Main Building. Due to the disruptive nature of these works, including the brief to remove any redundant services, a major refurbishment of the areas affected was also completed in parallel. The College required nil disruption to the operations within the Main Building and Main Campus throughout the staged delivery of the works.

Consultant Team and Contractor selection were critical to the success of the MBRP, due to the risk associated with integrating service upgrades, achieving BCA compatible solutions, exacerbated by the heritage constraints of working within a 124-year-old 8,500m2 occupied building. Key works included Hydrant and Sprinkler/drencher pump upgrades, wet fire installation over 5 storeys with two created fire isolated stairwells, Passive fire separation and compartmentation of 300 bed Dormitories, Staff accommodation, Shower and toilet blocks, Coordinator offices, Refectories, Heath Centre, Commercial kitchen plating 4,000 meals per day, Formal galleries and meeting rooms, offices and staff rooms. Due to the functional operations within the Main Building servicing one of the largest boarding schools in the southern hemisphere, there was non-negotiation on agreed Dates for Practical Completion, which were achieved by the incumbent contractor over the four stages of works.

Some of the project challenges include compressed design programmes with limited As-Built documentation, Risk management of the inherent latent conditions, working within short time frames for delivery in the school Christmas Holidays, respecting the heritage aspects of the building including the refurbishment of areas worked on, maximising the performance of fire engineered solutions whilst achieving the Colleges brief. Bloompark Consulting has established a strong client relationship by working closely with the St Joseph College key internal stakeholders, maximising the functional return of key spaces within the budget constraints of refurbishing a heritage building and ensuring effective risk management and communications at all times.