ErgonEnergyDepotAmenitiesUpgrade

Ergon Energy’s new award winning amenities, lunch building and courtyard upgrades at Toowoomba involved the creation of a new 650m² amenities building and 500m² of landscaped courtyard for their workers. The development was undertaken within their existing Toowoomba Depot and required significant coordination with the client due to the close proximity of the development to existing personnel and offices.

The amenities and lunch facility includes PWD, female WC, male WC and lockers, cleaners room, first aid room, parents room, plant room, teleconference / meeting room, kitchenette and lunchroom.

The construction of the courtyard involved a number of block retaining walls bordering the adjoining buildings to raise the ground level in line with the new amenities ground floor. A range of curved concrete planter boxes were constructed and tanked before being waterproofed and landscaped with a variety of plants. The courtyard ground is a mixture of concrete footpath & artificial turf, adjoining a large timber deck with BBQ & seating area.

The main structure is constructed from steelwork with a suspended Bondek slab, and timber stud framework. The structure is founded by 54 bored piers, each of with an individual RL to minimise civil works beneath the structure and to maintain the existing falls. Much of the steel is exposed from either the inside of the building or the exterior, giving an industrial edge to the design. The exterior cladding is predominantly Longline iron to match the adjacent buildings. The new structure abuts into two existing buildings with enclosed links connecting all of the buildings. A blockwork lift shaft housed a new lift required to meet access standards for the new & existing buildings.

The internal finishes are of a high quality throughout, with a range of materials used for both visual & acoustic affect. The main lunchroom has sealed rubber flooring and a perforated acoustic ply ceiling panels installed on the rake between exposed steel rafters. There is a curved wall in one corner, and suspended acoustic panelling, to assist with acoustic dampening in the open space. Decorative laser cut metal screens have been installed throughout the new facility, providing a balance to the industrial finishes. The corridors & building links are gyprock linings and carpeted throughout.

Particular consideration was given to the construction sequence regarding the courtyard as it is landlocked between 3 existing buildings & the new building. A section of the new steelwork had to be delayed to maintain access to the courtyard for the delivery & completion of the landscaping. While this did cause minor disruption to the trade sequencing, a construction joint was introduced to the Bondek slab to allow the main structure to proceed with minimal disruption in completing the delayed link at a time the courtyard access was no longer critical.