2020 Master Builder and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards Commercial Buildings

The purpose of building the Brindabella gym and wellness centre was to create not only a facility that served the many business and tenants that occupy the business park, but to bond the business park together and establish a usable space for the wellbeing and happiness of its inhabitants. The building features a 6.4-metre-high aluminium batten screen with a timber look, that beautifully accentuates the curve of the building. The gym has a moody and modern colour palette that is complemented by the tall ceilings. A variety of high-quality and visually appealing materials were used on the project including porcelain tiles, polished concrete flooring and high impact rubber matting.

This project involved building an embassy complex with a chancellery, ambassador’s residence, staff quarters and a function hall. The team incorporated culturally specific elements into the project, including a pavilion style layout and the addition of the gold ‘Naga’ sculptures at each gable end. The team used innovative design on this project including the use of a terracotta tiled roof with metal flashings, ridge capping and facia which created a waterproof, functional and stylish roofing solution. The chancellery features 1.5 tonne trusses that were built onsite, creating a stunning exposed truss feature. The project uses high-quality and visually appealing materials such as timber, bronzed fixtures and double-glazed windows.

The Equine Education Centre is a 2,000m² state-of-the-art conference facility in Willinga Park. The building features a trapezoidal roof with a hovering design, that conceals the mechanical, hydraulic and AV services in the ceiling space, to produce an aesthetically pleasing yet functionally brilliant design. The angling of the ceiling is purposefully designed to produce optimal acoustics. The conference facility is adorned with high-quality materials, including Italian leather, timber veneer wall panelling and Corten wall cladding. The construction team showed innovative practices by designing the centre to run primarily off solar power generated from the onsite solar farm. The overall design of the building shows careful consideration to the natural surroundings, as well as regard for the ongoing functionality of the venue.

This project involved the design and construction of a high-end office building equipped with six levels of split-level basement parking, a business centre, business lounge and café. The building is cleverly designed with a glass façade and minimal columns to maximise on the incredible view overlooking Veterans Park. The building achieves high Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) performance with a 5-star NABERS energy rating and Silver Core and Shell WELL rating. The project was designed with adaptable floor plates to allow for tenant flexibility, as well as a specially designed and tested fireproof wall, to suit this project. The V-columns in the foyer provide functional structural stability, adding to the architectural brilliance of the space.

Construction Control and GHD Group worked with the Federal and ACT Governments to deliver the ACT Healthy Waterways project. Construction Control managed 19 separate civil sites through sophisticated and thoughtful construction management, over two years of design and construction. To reduce pollutants entering ACT waterways, the team used three different water control systems, wetlands/ponds, bioretention gardens and creek naturalisations.

This project greatly benefits the Canberra community by providing a less polluted and more reliable water supply around the ACT which also helps supports the regions aquatic ecosystems.

The project was an outstanding success for the Canberra community, reducing pollutants in ACT waterways by over 490,000 kilograms a year.

This project involved highly technical work to update the Australian National University’s (ANU) Supercomputer. The project involved the installation of a new mechanical plant which included cooling towers, heat exchanges and an air handler unit. The project aimed to increase the Supercomputer’s performance by tenfold, all while keeping the current computer system in full operation throughout the project. The continued tweaking and improvements of the Supercomputer, named Gadi, led to it achieving a ranking of #21 in the world for informal performance. The team improved the cooling systems by installing additional headers which allows waste energy to be captured from the cooling water and used as a hydronic heat source for surrounding buildings.