The Construction Source Australia

Welcome back from your holidays, and welcome to the latest issue of The Construction Source Australia, our first of the year 2022. As always, we’re proud and excited to launch a new year with a new batch of stories of business excellence. To begin the year, we’ve covered a range of homebuilding and property development companies from across the country, many of them award-winning and industry recognised. Gilchrist Homes, for example, recently won a ‘Best Display Home’ prize at the 2021 Master Builders Victoria Awards. We spoke to company founder and third-generation builder Matt Gilchrist about that award-winning quality. We also discussed the company’s speedy growth in recent years, and the values and exacting standards that have powered it. Beyond Build Constructions is similarly acclaimed – at the 2021 Master Builders New South Wales Awards, they won a category for ‘House Alterations & Additions.’ They are also similarly fast-growing – in just a few years they have already met or exceeded all of their founders’ initial goals. We spoke to one of those founders, Jason Economos, who talked us through the company’s rapid evolution and detailed their ambitious new goals moving forward. Then there’s First Avenue Homes – at the 2021 HIA-CSR Victorian Home of the Year Awards, they were a finalist in four categories and a winner in two. We spoke with Director Anthony Karlovic about those nominations and victories. For more on that those stories, and others like them, just keep reading. We hope you enjoyed your holidays, and we look forward to seeing you throughout the rest of 2020. All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader,

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The Construction Source Australia Group Publisher Jermaine Poulsen General Manager Alexandra Box Operations Manager Josh Stewart-Boyd Production Manager Vicki Lee Head of Editorial Content Michael Hinden Editor Zach Janes Graphics Design Pranim Thapa With over 58,000 senior executive readers, The Construction Source Australia is proud to offer an attractive platform to share your message with the people that matter most - your customers. Whether your objective is to promote a new product, to attract financial investment or to build brand recognition, we stand ready to help. To find out more about being featured in TCS Australia, please contact our Group Publisher Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource.com.au The Construction Source Australia Suite 11.01, Level 11, 175 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia info@theconstructionsource.com.au ABN: 42 976 059 923

JULY 2022 Industry INNOVATIONS LINEAR DESIGN + CONSTRUCT A collaborative journey NORFOLK POOLS The next level of pools MCBRIDE CHARLES RYAN ARCHITECTS Architecture that contributes URBAN + FOUNTAINS & FURNITURE Making life easier ABOUT SPACE LIGHTING Lighting trendsetters ZEN HAUS That little bit extra K2LD ARCHITECTS That little bit extra Product of the Month The Kights Scanner IN THIS ISSUE JULY 2022 ABOUT SPAE LIGHTING NORFOLK POOLS

JULY 2022 Aluminum expected to accelerate worldwide adoption of electric and self-driving vehicles Material takes on an ever-widening role in tomorrow’s vehicles For more than a decade, concerns about fuel efficiency have been encouraging OEMS to replace steel with aluminum on vehicle bodies, doors, trunks, hoods, bumpers, crash boxes, brakes, cables and wheels. With the advent of electric and autonomous vehicles, OEMs worldwide are discovering new uses for aluminum. The need for battery casings and heat exchangers in electric vehicles, combined with autonomous vehicles’ demands for high visibility and structural integrity, is expected to exponentially increase the use of sheet aluminum in tomorrow’s cars, trucks and buses. Supporting the transition to battery-powered vehicles Four major design challenges confront OEMs in their transition to electric vehicles. Extending vehicle range Improving battery and passenger safety Increasing passenger comfort Optimizing cooling systems for lithium-ion batteries The substitution of sheet aluminum for steel helps resolve OEM concerns. Industry INNOVATIONS

The Construction Source Australia The lighter the vehicle, the longer its range. According to Ducker Worldwide, aluminum is expected to contribute more than half of the anticipated vehicle mass reduction demanded by electric vehicles (EVs) to extend range. Ducker reports that in North America alone, aluminum content in EVs will increase to nearly 565 pounds (256 kilgrams) per vehicle by 2028. The larger the vehicle, the heavier the battery and casing required to optimize the EV’s range. It is the larger EVs, i.e., sedans, SUVs, taxis, trucks and buses, that will realize the greatest benefits from a steel-to-aluminum conversion. In the U.S., a vehicle’s gross weight determines which class of commercial driver’s license (CDL) will be required. Without lightweighting, some EVs could demand a higher-class license or additional endorsements due to the added weight of the battery. In older European cities like Brussels or London, some bridges and tunnels only allow vehicles up to 3.5 tons in weight, a target that is very difficult to meet for larger EVs without lightweighting. For heavier material transport EVs such as trucks, weight reduction enables an increased payload, providing a significant monetary benefit. Generally, the larger the vehicle, the higher the payback. Particularly relevant for larger human transport EVs such as buses and taxis, the weight reduction made possible through aluminum provides the added benefit of reduced CO2 emissions and improved air quality, of value not only to vehicle operators, but to the communities they serve. The thermal and anti-corrosion properties of aluminum make it ideal for battery frames. Sea-water resistant, highly formable, highly surfaced aluminum alloys provide the strength necessary to pass side-impact crashworthiness testing, protecting passengers and the battery should impact occur. Casing floor plates made out of aluminum are not only strong, but also capable of resisting corrosion related to weather exposure. These characteristics enable aluminum battery casings to resist weather-related deterioration and impact from road debris, minimizing the risk of related fires and further securing passenger safety. Optimizing battery and human safety Extending range Dispersing heat The batteries used in EVs produce energy while charging and decharging, requiring the use of heat exchangers to dissipate heat. But the types of heat exchangers used in vehicle air conditioning systems are inadequate to meet this new challenge. Aluminum clad brazing (which connects multiple layers of aluminum together to disperse heat) requires heating in a controlled atmosphere (e.g., a vacuum) to achieve optimum joining. Aluminum heat exchangers designed specifically to meet the challenges presented by electric vehicles can use as many as five types of aluminum sandwiched together, with the layers providing gradient properties to optimize cooling. These specialized processes and materials address OEM concerns, ensuring adequate dissipation of the heat generated by battery-powered vehicles. An experienced aluminum processing partner can help OEMs specify the right process and alloys to meet specific vehicle temperature thresholds, ideally working side by side with OEM engineers early in the design process to maximize the performance of electric vehicles. IT IS THE LARGER EVS, I.E, SEDANS, SUVS, TAXIS, TRUCKS AND BUSES, THAT WILL REALIZETHEGREATEST BENEFITS FROM A STEEL -TO-ALUMINUM CONVERSION .

JULY 2022 The luxury sedan market will likely be the first to transition to self-driving electric vehicles. Passenger comfort and safety, and an expansive view of the surrounding environment, are expected to be top priorities for this market. The hefty B pillars used in conventional vehicles to meet structural requirements for crashworthiness are undesirable in a self-driving scenario. To enable large windows and an unobstructed view without sacrificing passenger safety, lightweight aluminum will be the strong material of choice. Supporting the eventual transition to autonomous vehicles In addition to the design challenges presented by EVs, society’s demand for sustainable solutions will likely continue to be a driver in the transition to aluminum-lightweighted vehicles. A Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen (fka) study, using a Volkswagen Golf as its reference vehicle, determined that an electric aluminum-based vehicle could meet the same safety standards as its steelbased equivalent, while emitting 1.5 tons less greenhouse gases over its lifecycle, taking into consideration production, a total driving distance of more than 93,000 miles (150,000 kilometers) and eventual recycling. Ongoing environmental concerns Conclusion Aluminum alloys are ideally suited to the design challenges presented by electric and autonomous vehicles. By aligning with aluminum partners deeply experienced in developing processes and alloys to meet demanding performance requirements, transportation vehicle OEMs are accelerating the pace of EV and self-driving vehicle adoption throughout North America. .

The Construction Source Australia

JULY 2022 Business World Australia

The Construction Source Australia Business Worl d Australia

A collaborative journey

Linear Design + Construct is a Brisbane-based home renovation specialist and new custom home building company that utilises technology, collaboration, and hard work in order to help clients achieve the homes of their dreams. According to Michael Pinter, founder and director, they have developed a “way of working that transcends the bricks and mortar approach of many builders.” Using their proven approach, they guide clients through a “seamless building journey,” avoiding common home building pitfalls along the way, and at the end of the process delivering a high quality product, on time and within budget.

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“Wework tirelessly to establish a clear path from dream, ideation and design to themoment when doors are opened for the first time on the client’s renovation or new custom build home,” Michael says. “It’s a truly collaborative journey, one that steps our clients through key milestones on their path to creating the home of their dreams. We are dedicated to putting our best tools forward for clients in Brisbane to deliver a seamless process.” Michael is a qualified carpenter and registered builder with over 30 years of industry experience – experience that’s backed by a university degree in Applied Science Construction Management. Over the course of his career, he’s worked in a variety of roles, earning experience as a carpenter, foreman, construction manager, and then contract manager with a commercial builder. After spending about five years working abroad, he returned to Brisbane and soon after started his own company in 2006. Initially, the company was called Linear Constructions, but the name was later changed to better reflect the company’s capabilities. That eventual change started percolating very early on, when the company quickly observed what they saw as “a huge gap in the THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA “We work tirelessly to establish a clear path from dream, ideation and design to the moment when doors are opened for the first time on the client’s renovation or new custom build home,” Michael says.

JULY 2022 marketplace.” “In our early years, we were doing a lot of tendering, but we were finding that a lot of the projects we tendered on would never get off the ground, because the designs were miles over clients’ budgets,” Michael explains. “A lot of the time, after going through the tender process, the gap between the client’s budgets and the cost of building would just be too big to wind back,” he says. “As a result, I would say at least a third of all the projects we tendered on in these formative years never progressed beyond the drawing board. They never saw the light of day because they were just too far in excess of what the client could spend. There was a big disconnect between what architects would design and what the clients could afford.” “So we saw this massive void in the industry,” he says. “We saw that it would be in the best interest of the clients to get the builder involved in the initial stages of design development.” The benefits of design + construct – the project delivery system – are numerous, affording to Michael. The biggest benefit, however, is the cost control. All too often, architects or building designers will create house plans without careful considerations of a client’s budget or requirements. Often that would result in the project not even going forward, as Michael and his team experienced, but sometimes construction would commence only for it to become clear that the design was missing important elements, and the client would be forced to pay extra to remedy those issues. With design + construct, however, both the design and building team work together from the very first day. Not only is there a “seamless transition between the completed design idea and the construction of that design,” Michael explains, but there’s also less room for error in the design or budgeting and less chance of expensive variations during construction.

THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA In addition, having a single point of contact during your entire build also makes for a “more seamless and stress-free building process.” Today, the vast majority of Linear Design + Construct’s projects are, naturally, design + construct contracts. They can range in value anywhere from $250,000 to $1.5 million, and they mostly take place within a 10 to 15-kilometre range of Brisbane’s CBD. According to Michael, clients in that price range, and within that geographic area, tend to choose Linear Design + Construct because of how easy they make an otherwise difficult process. “Building a home is probably the second biggest expense in most of our client’s lives,” Michael says, “and the biggest expense is usually buying the property in the first place. The anxiety that comes with that is immense. We do everything we can to relieve that anxiety.” “We work collaboratively with the client at every stage, and we’re always looking out for their best interests,” he adds. “During the design development, wemake sure the design is proceeding in synch with their budget. We make sure there are no gaps in the documentation. We make sure nothing slips through the gaps. We make sure there’s no scope of work that’s been missed, no allowances that are undersold. We put in a lot of extra work up front.” “We give our client’s peace of

JULY 2022 mind,” he says. “I think that’s extremely valuable to them. I think that’s why they choose us.” Relatedly, Linear Design + Construct is committed to acting ethically – which means being transparent with pricing, always taking accountability when they make mistakes, and “telling clients what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear,” according to Michael. That commitment is reflected in the company’s high rate of repeat work and referrals. “That shows the kind of experiences our clients are having. They are prepared to put our name forward to others without reservation. That’s how we generate most of our work.”

The customer loyalty that Linear Design + Construct has earned over the years is also a credit to the quality of their work. Michael credits that quality, in part, to the calibre of their team – that includes both their direct team members as well as their longstanding roster of suppliers and subcontractors. “We’ve had long-term relationships with most of our subcontractors and suppliers,” Michael says. “We’ve identified some of the best partners in the industry and we’ve held on to them.” That team, Michael continues, has been carefully assembled and refined over the years. He says that in his “formative years” in building he worked with a lot of people, and through that experience he figured out who he could trust and who he couldn’t. His team now is only Building relationships THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

JULY 2022 people he trusts. “Everyone has a clear understanding of the level of quality they need to achieve,” he says. “Everyone knows what to expect. And if there ever is an issue, we never have trouble with getting people to come back and attend to it.” “I think those are the kind of relationships you can only build over time,” he adds. “You have to go through a few trades initially until you find the right people. We’ve gone through that process. We’ve found the right people.” Michael also credits the company’s quality to their limited size. Over the years, he’s been careful not to grow too big over the years and risk losing control. His goal has always been to stay “at a comfortable size, where everything is manageable.” Moving forward, that goal remains the same. Michael believes there’s currently room to scale up a little bit, but “we’re not out here to be the biggest builder in the city.” “We never want to lose our boutique nature,” he says. “I think sometimes people look at quantity more than quality, and that’s not us. That’s never going to be us. We put quality first and we put our clients first. We can up the volume a little bit, but we’ll never grow to the point where we lose touch with clients.” As for the kind of projects they want to do, Michael says they want to keep going down the path they’re on – they want to do high-end renovations and additions and new homes, and they don’t mind taking on some of the more challenging jobs that other builders tend to avoid. At the same time, they also want to branch out a bit and do some developments of their own. They believe there’s a gap in the multi-residential market for projects with reasonable

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JULY 2022 price points but that still have a high-level of fit and finish. They want to fill that gap. They’ve experimented in that space in the past, and they are currently doing their largest project to date – which is five townhouses, due to be delivered later this year. Lastly, Linear Design + Construct will continue to embrace technology as it advances. That’s always been part of the company’s mission. Michael started his career in residential building, but then later worked for many years in the commercial sector in both Australia and overseas. In that time, he saw the industry evolve quite a bit in terms of project management programming and software. When he returned to residential building, roughly eight years later, he was dismayed to find that “not much had changed.” When he started Linear, he made sure to bring that technology with him. His goal now is to keep up to date. “If technology can assist with the process and enhances the clients’ experience, we want to stay on top of it,” he concludes. “We’re definitely not set in our ways. We’re always looking for ways to improve and to service our clients better.”

For more on Linear Design + Construct, the simplicity of their process, and their range of capabilities – and to get in touch with Michael and his team today – visit https://www.linearconstructions.com.au/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

The next level of pools

Norfolk Pools is a Brisbane-based pool builder that has been providing homes with high-end, top quality pools for almost five decades now. Throughout their long history, they have delivered several thousand projects; all of them catered the individual needs and wants of their clients

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Today, they have a reputation for taking on the kinds of jobs that other construction teams would rather avoid, for delivering them to an extremely high standard, and for providing their clients with enjoyable experience every step along the way. “We believe that, as a key feature of your home, your swimming pool should be everything you want and need, from a relaxing sanctuary to your personal exercise zone,” says Danica Vansleve, Business Manager. “We construct to your requests and specifications to ensure that your swimming pool is unique and built to last.” “With our extensive experience and a team of creative problem solvers, we can carve out exactly what you want based on your lifestyle, expected pool habits, and home style, while also taking into account the property and the site itself,” she adds. “Working only with truly qualified and experienced swimming pool builders, we promise personalised service and complete project supervision from start to finish.” Danica is the daughter of the company’s founder and owner, Jim Vansleve, who has been building and designing in-ground concrete swimming pools in the Brisbane region since 1971. Over the course of his career, he has gained vast THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA “We believe that, as a key feature of your home, your swimming pool should be everything you want and need, from a relaxing sanctuary to your personal exercise zone,” says Danica Vansleve, Business Manager.

JULY 2022 experience in every aspect of the industry. He established Norfolk Pools in 1974 with the intention of “offering clients the opportunity to deal with one person, who would be the sales consultant, designer, and builder all in one.” From the start, that approach enabled Norfolk Pools to offer a “really personalised service,” according to Danica. They were able to form close relationships with their clients and gain a complete understanding of all their requirements. By offering that enhanced level of communication, they were able to avoid the pitfalls of larger swimming pool companies. Today, almost 50 years later – and several thousand Brisbane swimming pools later – Norfolk Pools still offers that same personalised service and quality. Danica, for her part, officially joined the company in 2002. Ever since, alongside Jim, she has played a part in every aspect of the business, from administration through to construction. Since 2007, after completing a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, she has taken on much of the design work. She also holds her QBCC license for site supervision for swimming pool construction and landscaping, and she has in-depth knowledge of site conditions, engineering, and access issues. The combined knowledge and expertise of Jim, Danica, and their team adds up to Norfolk Pools being one of the most experienced builders in Brisbane. As previously mentioned, that experience allows them to take on the difficult projects that other builders won’t. According to Danica, there are virtually no limits to their capabilities: “We can do anything with concrete,” she says. “We’ve built pools as small as two-by-three, we’ve built 25-metre lap pools, we’ve built pools that wrap through high end houses and end up 19 metres long in total. Anything is possible.” Danica believes that experience

THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA – and the capability that comes with it – is one of the main reasons that clients choose Norfolk Pools. Another main reason is their aforementioned personal service. After all these years, they are still a small family-owned company, and customers still deal directly with Jim and Danica at every stage, from quoting, to design, through to construction and completion. “Our customers aren’t getting passed around,” Danica explains. “They’re not going from a salesman to a project manager. Nothing is getting lost along the way. I think having that one point of contact makes clients feel comfortable with us.” Jim and Danica also make it a point to be up-front, transparent, and 100 per cent honest at all times. That honesty and transparency also engenders comfort, Danica believes. “We like to give our clients all the information we can, and then let them make decisions,” she says. “We’re also not pushing them in any one direction,” she adds. “We’re just there to give them advice. We work hard to understand their vision and then we work hard to go out and achieve that vision. We’ll give them suggestions about what might be better or more cost-effective, we’ll give options – but whatever they decide, we’ll help them make it happen.”

JULY 2022 Throughout their history, Norfolk Pools has generated almost all of their work from referrals and repeat business. Danica credits that customer loyalty to both their transparent customer service as well as to the consistently high quality of their product. In turn, she credits that quality to their team: “Wehavesomeveryexperienced trades,” she says. “Some of them are second-generation, like me. Our interior company is second generation. Our excavation company is second generation. Some of our tilers are second generation.” That longevity, Danica explains, has led to a “mutual respect.” “They know what we expect, and we know what to expect from them,” she says. “And if something unexpected comes up on site, they know they can come to us and we can problem-solve.”

Since they started submitting for industry awards, just over a decade ago, Norfolk Pools has won a long list of industry accolades in recognition of their design and quality excellence. At the Swimming Pool Association (SPASA) Design Awards, alone, the company has won well over 55 prizes. For example, at the 2021 SPASA Queensland Awards of Excellence, they won both ‘Pool of the Year’ and ‘Spa of the Year.’ The same year, they alsoentered the Master Builds Awards for the first time – and they won an MBA Gold Coast Award for ‘Best Residential Swimming Pool.’ “That was quite the honour,” Danica says of the MBA recognition. “That particular pool was quite an engineering feat,” she explains. “There are three or four layers of steel in it. Half of Industry recognised THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

JULY 2022 it cantilevers off the base of the pool. There’s so much that went into it.” The pool in question took approximately two years to complete – partially because it was built around an existing house that was undergoing renovations, and partially because of the amount of detail. For example, it was fully tiled both inside and outside, and the tiles transitioned from one size to another to create different effects within the water. “That pool was really designed to be a show-stopper,” Danica explains. “It’s the focal point of the property. It’s truly one-of-akind.” The inspiration for the design came from a pool the clients experienced at a resort in Bali. Their goal with this project was to create the same sort of feeling they had there within their own. Danica believes they successfully achieved that goal. “They just love it,” she says of the finished product. “They spend all their afternoons in it. It’s a great way to cool off.” And the pool is never too far from the clients’ mind, she adds, because of how integrated it is with the home. “You can see it from everywhere in the house. It’s just a step away from the entertaining area. It’s integrated with the deck. And with the lighting, it’s always a feature of the property.”

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Moving forward, Norfolk Pools’ goal is to continue delivering exceptional quality pools. Currently, for example, they are constructing another resortinspired residential pool that might even be more spectacular than their 2021-award-winning project. “That’s an indoor pool and it will have all sorts of fancy tricks to it,” Danica says. “Smoke machines. Lighting. All sorts of different water features. That will be quite stunning when it’s done. It’s going to be out of this world.” “Those are the kind of projects we want to focus on in the future,” she adds. “We want to do creative design. We want to do bespoke landscaping. We want to take the pool industry to the next level.” What Norfolk Pools doesn’t want to do, however, is grow too much larger. According to Danica, they are already at a “comfortable size” – a size where they can tightly control their quality and built personal one-on-one relationships with clients. “Jim has had other pool companies in the past,” Danica explains. “At one point in time, he was the biggest builder in Queensland. We don’t want to get back to that. We’re happy starting two pools per week. That’s manageable. We can control the quality. At that size, we can build relationships with our clients, we can communicate with them in a great fashion, and we can focus on design. At 20 pools a week, that’s just not possible.” Out of this world JULY 2022

For more on Norfolk Pools, their services, their problem-solving abilities, and their past projects – and to get in touch with their team today – visit https://www.norfolkpools.com.au/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

Architecture that contributes

McBride Charles Ryan (MCR) is an industry-acclaimed architecture practice guided by a single passion – providing exceptional design for clients. Since forming almost 35 years ago, they have successfully managed projects with budgets in excess of $1 billion, and they have earned experience spanning nearly all industry sectors. Along the way, they have won a long list of industry awards in recognition of their design excellence.

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A recent example of an awardwinning project is the firm’s work on the Penleigh Essendon Grammar School (PEGS) Music House. At the 2021 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards, that project twice won the ‘Award for Educational Architecture’ – first in Victoria, and later nationally. “That means a lot to us, to be honest,” says Debbie Ryan, cofounder and owner of the firm. “It’s not the main reason we put a lot into our projects, but the fact is we do put our heart and soul into our projects, and those awards are part of the reward we get for it.” “The client appreciating it, and the public appreciating it – that’s also really rewarding,” she adds, “but to get peer recognition on top of that is just a huge bonus. There’s nothing much better than that.” The award-winning Music House was one of the latest in a series of projects undertaken by MCR on various PEGS campuses. One of their earliest collaborations was the Junior Boys’ Year 5&6 building – which was completed in 2009, and was also award-winning. This new music building sits right alongside that original junior boys building. “We’ve been working with the Penleigh Essendon Grammar School for a long time,” Debbie says. “They’ve been a fabulous THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA “It’s not the main reason we put a lot into our projects, but the fact is we do put our heart and soul into our projects, and those awards are part of the reward we get for it.”

JULY 2022 client to us. We had to compete on our first two jobs together, but after that, they basically said, ‘Well, you’re our architect.’” Debbie credits the longevity of that relationship to the quality of the outcomes they have achieved together. She believes that over the course of their working relationship, they have “transformed the school.” “Working together with them, we’ve given their school an identity,” she says. “We’ve enriched their environment, in my opinion. At the end of the day, I think that’s helped attract enrolments. It’s been a successful relationship on both sides.” In the case of the award-winning Music House, the mission of the project was to refurbish the existing music centre – a singlelevel Victorian ‘house,’ which wasusedby the school formusic tuition – while adding improved and additional spaces for music tuition and performance. The new building is comprised of variously sized practice-rooms whichallowfor individual tuition and group practice. A large classroom has been included, intended for both tuition and as a key performance space for students, parents, and others. According to a text description by MCR, in the finished design, the three buildings – the existing music centre, the new music house, and the Y5&6 building – “become more than the sum of their parts.” Together, they “activate the impression of a mini-precinct through the ensemble of buildings.” The new addition of the Music House “acts as a mediator between the formality of the 2009 building and Victorian house.” “The addition has all the DNA of your archetypical ‘modernist’ school building and can be seen as part of the family of later institutional typologies throughout the campus,” the description reads. “The utilitarian and modernist origin is a brick and skillion roof building attached to the more formally complex historic building with its variegated silhouette. The south and west

THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA façade’s framed entrance are a reminder of the origins of this institutional typology.” “The building applies a playful lyricism to the institutional typology,” the description continues. “Its key gesture, the line of a frozen soundwave, was passed across the buildings undulating plan, generating the north expression which frames both the new outdoor and performance space. This new project continues the thematic inspiration of the 2009 building as a kind of musing on context, beauty, and imagination.” With their original project at PEGS – the neighbouring Y5&6 building – Debbie believes that MCR “stirred the imagination of the students.” That was their intent on that project, and it was again their intent this time. “When we started working on this project, we started thinking about how we could stir the imaginations of boys when it came to music,” she explains. “So we started thinking about music and soundwaves and all those sorts of things.” Going back to the description, the building uses “standard school components in an innovative formal composition.” The design intention was “focused on the pursuit of joy and beauty, allowing the design to transcend the utility of the technology and material used. Beauty and indeed music have their own utility.” In addition to pursuing ‘joy and beauty’,MCRalsohadthedesign goal of honouring the heritage and extending the life of the original Victorian music house.

JULY 2022 To that end, they “echoed” the brickwork of the old building in the new building, “retaining a similar patternation while vibrantly distinguishing the two through colour and texture,” according to the description. “The undulation and oscillation of the annex’s façade engages with the lyricism of music as an over-arching theme, the contrast between existing and contemporary meeting in the middle with carefully considered slippages, as ceiling heights change, thresholds and transitions merge, and the two become one.” “The heritage is celebrated in every detail,” the description concludes. “The contrast of volumes, the meeting of a decorative cornice, and the preservation of art-deco doors adds substantially to the narrative and character of the built form.” According to Debbie, the team at MCR was particularly proud of that project because of the challenges that surrounded it. Some of the challenges they imposed on themselves – for example, the steelwork on the curvaceous arches they designed ended up being quite complicated. Other challenges were out of their control – for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic began right about when the project first got started. Despite all the complexities and challenges, however, the project was delivered to a very high standard, as evidenced by the award recognition. Debbie credits that execution to the strength of project team, which included builder Bear Projects,

THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA services engineers ECM Group, and structural engineer Drew Rudd. In particular, Debbie credits the engineering team. She says that “we gave them some challenges, we asked them to do a bit of magic.” “They pulled it off,” she says. “They resolved the challenges and worked it all out, and the result speaks for itself. It was a really great outcome. It’s a really complete and beautiful building. It works on a lot of levels. Everyone was proud of it. ‘Everyone’ includes the client and the users. Debbie says the feedback from the school has been nothing but positive: “The client loved it,” she says. “The students love the building. The parents love the building. The teachers love the building. We haven’t got any complaints. We’ve gotten nothing but high praise from everybody that has been using it.” As part of the AIA awards process, the clients were asked ‘how does the design benefit the way you live/work/play/ operate/educate?’ In their response, they wrote that the new Music House “allows for flexible engagement with students; with the breadth encompassing large groups working and performing together, as well as individual tuition.” “The building is a constant hive of activity, alive with lessons, rehearsals, after-school string quartets, junior orchestra and one-on-one lessons; additionally, providing multiple students a supportive space to perform of a lunchtime.” “Beyond the percussion room being a big hit, the creative elements of the design are an inspiration to the boys, who have watched it grow with a sense of appreciation and excitement.”

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McBride Charles Ryan was founded by Debbie and her partner Robert McBride in 1988. Prior to that dae, both founding partners had studied at Monash University and RMIT, and had each carved out successful careers in the industry. Soon after joining, they were faced with an economic recession – but together they “toughed it out,” Debbie recalls, and before long they had earned a good name in the market for the quality of their designs. Over the years, the focus of MCR’s work has continuously shifted along with the demands of the market. A few years ago, for example, they were doing a lot of high-end single-residential jobs. About a decade ago, they were mostly doing highrise apartments. These days, their focus is more health and educational work, on projects like the PEGS Music House. Hope for the future THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

No matter what sector they are working in, however, MCR has always focused on projects that interest them – projects “where we think we can contribute,” according to Debbie, “where we think we can do something fantastic or important.” Those projects can range greatly in value, anywhere from $1 million to $200 million and anywhere in between. “If the project is interesting, if it’s special, then we’ll look at it,” Debbie says. “If it’s going to contribute to the community, or contribute to the culture of architecture, or contribute to the social fabric, then we’re happy to be a part of it.” The clients with those projects, Debbie believes, choose MCR “because they know we can do it.” “Our reputation precedes us these days. We’ve done all sorts of different projects over our history. I think people know we can handle anything they can throw at us. They know we can get it done. We’ve proven that.” “We’ve never had a bad project in our office,” she adds. “We have such a high degree of professionalism here. We have a structure that ensures that projects get done, and they get done well.” Moving forward, Debbie says MCR’s goal is to maintain that professionalism and continue delivering the kind of highimpact projects the firm has become known for. “We want to continue being the firm that we are,” she says. “We want to continue making every project the best it can possibly be.” “One time we were given a job in the middle of the railway, and it was meant to just be a shed for the workers – but we turned it into something beautiful,” she says “We thought that ‘Well, people are going to see it from the platform and from the road. It’s going to be a public building. It still needs to be good.’” “That’s what we do,” she concludes. “We optimize our projects, and we try to give a bit of joy and hope to our projects. We think that’s something that’s a bit lacking at the moment. We’ve come through some pretty grim times the last couple years. We want to design builders that offer hope for the future.” JULY 2022

For more on McBride Charles Ryan and their many award-winning projects – including the PEGS Music House – visit https://www.mcbridecharlesryan.com.au/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

Urban+ Fountains & Furniture is a proudly-Australian company that has been sustainably crafting drinking fountains and street furniture since 2001. From the start, they have been powered by the goal of creating products that last. They were founded with the understanding of Australia’s need to reduce waste and they built that need into their product designs, business programs, and operations. Their mission has always been to lead the way in sustainable business practices, but in recent years they have taken that mission to another level. They now seek to support the shift to a ‘circular economy,’ where their products will remain in use for generations to come. Making life easier

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Urban+ was founded by Gary and Claire Allan. Prior to starting their own business together, Gary was a qualified fitter and turner and had become frustrated with business practices that created products with built-in obsolescence, and Claire was a nurse by trade who was devoted to going above and beyond to care for her patients. Gary had a vision of crafting and manufacturing products that would last, and that vision matched with Claire’s desire to run a business that was meaningful beyond the products sold. From those sympathetic visions, Urban+ was born. “Gary started the business wanting to make products as good as he could possibly make them,” says Simon Higgins, Managing Director. “His and Claire’s goal was always to make life easier for the customers who used their product. They baked in some instinctive values into the way they did things.” In 2019, Gary and Claire had the desire to take the company to the next level, and that’s when they brought Simon on board. Simon connected them with the team at Coreo – an award-winning organization of systems, strategists, and “allaround doers” who promote the transition a ‘circular economy’ – and that proved to be a “pivotal turning point.” “Urban+ gained a new THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA “Gary started the business wanting to make products as good as he could possibly make them,” says Simon Higgins, Managing Director. “His and Claire’s goal was always to make life easier for the customers who used their product. They baked in some instinctive values into the way they did things.”

JULY 2022 understanding of the principles around the circular economy which provided clarity, not least in the language they could use to articulate the Urban+ purpose,” Simon explains. “In many ways Urban+ was already living and breathing principles of a circular economy, but there was more that could be done.” “Fast forward to today and Urban+ has completely shifted its focus to a purposeled business with a circular businessmodel, the perfect way to do good for our customers, our planet, and our future generations.” In addition to helping the company shift towards a circular business model, Simon also helped the company grow. When he came on board, he says business had already been growing on a “double digit scale for many years,” even without the benefit of sales or marketing. He believed they still had “the capacity to quadruple within three-to-fiveyears, easily.” In particular, Simon saw a lot of opportunity in the international and export market. “When I joined, we were getting approximately 20 unsolicited requests from North America per month. That was without any advertising. There was a gap over there. We were confident that growth would come if we connected with the right people. We saw massive potential.” Soon after Simon came on board, however, the pandemic started. According to Simon, that meant they had to pause their plans and “take a good hard look at ourselves” – though he believes “that was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to us.” “When you have a business model where you are just reacting to what customers want and you’re just servicing orders, you perhaps don’t have a clear identity,” he explains. “What COVID forced us to do is take a step back. It made us realize that if we really wanted to grow then we really had to understand what made

THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA us different. We had to really consider what it was about our business that people really liked.” Taking a step back also helped the company to realize that although they were well-known in their regional area, “the rest of Australia didn’t really know us.” “In hindsight, we were perhaps being a bit naïve,” Simon recalls. “We had the view that everyone knew us, but in fact they didn’t. We hadn’t really done a good job raising awareness in other parts of the country.” Before they could raise awareness, however, they still needed to clarify to themselves what they stood for and what their identity was. In order to do that, they looked back to the values that Gary and Claire founded the company on. “We had perhaps taken those values for granted,” Simon says. “We certainly hadn’t articulated them. We started to do that.” At the same time, the pandemic had inspired Simon to start thinking more deeply about sustainability. That’s when he really delved into the concept of the circular economy. “I was one of those people who had heard about it before but I didn’t really understand it,” he says. “For me, it was just synonymous with recycling. But I ended up educating myself more than I would have had before. There were all these changes happening in the world, and now I was part of

JULY 2022 a business that I owned, and I wanted to figure out what I could do to contribute.” Around that time, Simon also learned about the concept of the ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ – which is the day in a year when humanity has consumed all the renewable resources that the planet can renew in a single year. Globally, that day is typically sometime in July, but the pandemic had caused the date to move into August. “What that proved is that we can’t stop the world from consuming, but that if we change our behavior, we can make a difference,” Simon says. Thus, the importance of contributing to a circular economy – which Urban+ was essentially doing anyway, Simon reiterates. “We were able to connect the language that Gary used about his values 20 years ago with this new language about a circular economy,” he explains. “We found that it was already pretty similar. So we decided that our identity was going to be purpose-driven and led by circular economy principles, not because it was vogue, but because it was something authentic to who we already were. We were able to tell our story about what made us different in a way that connected with a sustainable message that the world was crying out for.”

Today, Urban+ distributes their products Australia-wide as well as internationally, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Tasmania, New Zealand, Hong Kong, America and more. Those products include drinking fountains and refilling stations, seats, picnic tables, day beds, bike racks, outdoor showers, tree grates, bollards and balustrading, bins and bin enclosures, dog agility equipment, and other street furnishings. Over the years, the company has developed a range of standard products for customers to choose from, but customization is available on request. Additionally, they offer a full custom furniture design service, where their in-house design and manufacturing team can help clients reach a practical working solution for their unique design Making change THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRAL IA

JULY 2022 needs. They can work within virtually any design, budget or time constraint, and their experienced team is ready to offer advice on any alternative use of materials or finishes that may result in a more practical or economical solution without compromising on quality, functionality, or aesthetics. According to Simon, that ability to customize and react to the specific needs of their clients is a significant part of how the company earns customer loyalty. And they do earn loyalty – for example, they have been working with the City of Brisbane for 20 years. Urban+ also earns repeat business, Simon adds, simply by providing some of the highest quality and longest lasting products on the market. He credits that quality to founder Gary Allen, who established a very high standard right from the beginning of the company’s life. “Gary built products that were outstanding in their quality and finish, that were thoughtful in their design, and that were made to last,” he says. “They could deal with the elements. They could survive outdoors. Where other products would often be seen to be failing over time, Urban developed a reputation for having products that would last. That’s always generated word of mouth and customer loyalty.” Moving forward, Urban+ aims to continue earning that customer loyalty – and not just with customers regionally, but customers all over Australia and eventually globally. They are currently working successfully to connect to some large businesses and organizations that will help them make that leap. Lastly, they want to continue doing everything they can to support and promote the circular economy. For example, one of their key programs is they will take product back from customers, and not just their own products. If it is their

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JULY 2022 own original product, they will refurbish and recycle it and introduce it back into the supply chain. If it’s a competitor’s product, however, they don’t want to invite any intellectual property issues regarding ownership, so what they will do is gift the product to “a good cause.” “Hopefully that promotes regenerative use and circular thinking,” Simon says. “At the end of the day, our goal is to help create change,” he concludes. “We’re still small, and we don’t pretend we’re bigger than what we are, but our ambition and our desire to make change happen is massive.”

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