In the 670 Hunter Street project, the builder, Abigroup, approached Suters to develop the design. The project brief included a commitment to achieve a 4.5 star ABGR. The brief had a strong emphasis on linking community and social services and the building had to be easily identifiable and respond to and influence Newcastle’s urban environment.

Acevski says the overall proportion of the building was derived from its relationship with the commercial developments to the north of the site and the boundaries of the site itself. “The vertical massing and façade composition reflect that of the adjacent five-storey Honeysuckle House, the podium element forms a strong base which anchors the building to its site and a lighter, glazed façade opens the internal office spaces to the beauty and benefits of the natural environment.”

To the south, the building shifts emphasis from height to horizontality so it does not dwarf the surrounding two-storey buildings. On this aspect, the façade is articulated through a balance of mass and void which not only assists in diverting attention from the length of the façade but also clearly identifies points of entry into each element of the development. Sandstone was also used within the façade.

The design originally called for the external aluminium composite feature wall panel system to pass through the internal public space. Hagan says this was substituted with painted CFC cladding internally because of the durability and maintenance of the material was appropriate for its location, there were issues with the availability of materials and skilled labour, and cost control constraints.

Areas of innovation for Abigroup included construction vibration reduced to zero by the use of a hydraulic piling system, which allowed precast concrete piles to be pushed into the ground rather than driven by pneumatic impact. “Precast external wall panels and internal columns were incorporated to achieve the star rating as they have excellent thermal and acoustic values. The detailing was such that the need for external scaffolding could be dramatically reduced,” Hagan says.

For Acevski, the most challenging aspect of the project was the incorporation of three separate functions within a single building, in particular, the integration of a needle exchange clinic within a commercial facility. Separation of the two areas was achieved through two clearly defined entrance nodes segregating the Newcastle Community Health Centre from the retail and commercial tenancies. Another challenge arose when steel prices almost doubled from the time the building was originally priced to when the steelwork was required. This led to pressure to bring costs down in other areas of the project.

Problems which arose during the project for the architect and builder were negotiated through a mutual understanding of what each of the parties was trying to achieve. A good working relationship was also established from the beginning and regular design meetings were held to keep all parties informed.

“While we were prepared to lower the standard of finishes in some areas to assist the builder with budget constraints, there were also certain elements — namely the façade and entry areas — that we were not willing to sacrifice, and AbiGroup respected that. It came down to compromise,” Acevski says.

Since completion of the project, lessons have been learnt. Hagan says: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. When decisions are made they can only be based on the amount of available knowledge at the time.”

Acevski says there were areas of the building which could have been detailed more thoroughly, which is sometimes difficult to achieve in a design and construct contract. He says: “There’s definitely more than one solution to any problem, and the best one usually arises when both the architect and builder are working together, instead of against one another, to solve it.”

Stephanie McDonald

Stephanie McDonald

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