Urban renewal

Inner-city building sites invariably pose their own challenges for construction and project management companies, and the Lumiére Residences project was no exception.

Brookfield Multiplex was contracted to construct and project manage the $600 million Regent Place development a role that included consulting on buildability issues, and the commissioning and co-ordinating of all subcontractors.

Site manager Brad Sugar says the buildings' position, right in the heart of the Sydney CBD, and the staging of the development, compounded the construction challenges.

"The 42-storey Fraser Suites project was completed before the taller Lumiére Residences, which meant site access was restricted," Sugar says. "We were also mindful of the need to protect several trees on the site, and the adjacent, heritage-listed Tileska Building on the corner of George and Bathurst Streets."

Sugar says following extensive negotiations with the city council, over a period of 14 months, the company was able to establish a 15m work zone on George Street. Further space for materials handling was provided on site, as Brookfield Multiplex chose to build the podium structure after the tower was constructed. A platform was placed over the future podium area, providing an area for materials handling and services.

"Once the rest of the structure was completed, we were then able to infill the 20m x 34m, four-storey podium," Sugar says.

The close proximity of five major underground rail lines added to the complexity of the construction, which included the detailed excavation on a rock shelf directly above a tunnel. Sugar says Brookfield Multiplex, in conjunction with RailCorp, undertook ongoing vibration monitoring.

"For the first 12 months of the project, the cross-city tunnel infrastructure was also under construction. And, although the tunnel is 16m below street level, our site access from Bathurst Street was restricted to the hours between 9am and 3pm."

Brookfield Multiplex's construction and project management expertise was also critical when it came to realising Foster + Partners' architectural vision. The distinctive features that characterise the Lumiére Residences added to the complexity.

"The necking of the building, where the tower is cantilevered over the podium, highlights a very non-typical construction, compared to the rest of the building composition," says Sugar. "A concentration of post-tensioning and column transfers occurs over three levels. Units on the first three floors above the podium have different wall configurations to accommodate this."

The 50m, suspended pool on the podium was also built to accommodate four large, tapered transfer columns. The monolithic concrete pool shell was wrapped around each of the columns, leaving a 60mm waterproofing gap between the sides of the pool and each column. Sugar says the 7m x 3m, 200mm-thick acrylic vision panel, which was sourced in Colorado, is one of the largest viewing ports to be installed in a pool.

To ensure vibrations from the water would not be transferred through to the structure of the building, rubber isolators were installed beneath the pool.

Sugar says the quality of the interior fit-out also reflects the high-end nature of the development.

"We were working with extremely tight tolerances every floor finish in the apartments, for example, had zero tolerance. The developers elected not to introduce any set-downs into the structural slab, which allowed for greater customisation. However, it also meant the 50mm concrete toppings had to be poured separately, by wheelbarrow, which was very labour-intensive."

Sugar says tight tolerances in the kitchens and bathrooms also required a high level of joinery expertise.

"Flush surfaces, floor-to-ceiling doors, and an absence of mouldings, meant every fixture and fitting needed to be individually measured on site at every step of the process.

"The high standard of finish evident throughout this building reflects its benchmark status."

For details, contact Brookfield Multiplex, Level 4, 1 Kent St, Sydney, NSW 2000, phone (02) 9256 5000. Website: www.brookfieldmultiplex.com.

Story by: Trendsideas