South Gippsland Shire Council: New Life for an aged Civic Building
Build Date
December 2023
Location
Leongatha, Victoria
Client
South Gippsland Shire Council
Architect / Designer
Centrum Architects
Value
$1.42M
A high-profile custom build in Leongatha, this project was significant throughout the region as it created a whole new look for South Gippsland Shire Council’s head office. It also eliminated a significant health hazard.
The Council headquarters is a prominent 1970s building in the heart of town. There were two key drivers for the project. A critical need to remove hazardous asbestos cladding and replace it with Equitone; and the desire for a contemporary and welcoming revamp of the dated façade.
The objective of the refresh was to create a modern civic building that would instil a renewed sense of pride within the community.
Logistics were overwhelmingly complex, with access issues, hazardous materials to remove from the structure and building site, and an office that had to remain open and fully operational throughout the process. This required rigorous project management and planning, consultation with council staff and the community, and astute project management, to ensure site access for a continuous flow of pedestrians and staff in the busy, public space.
Because the office is open five days a week, and had to remain fully operational, the asbestos removal was all done over a weekend. This minimised the impact on and any potential harm to the community.
Unforeseeable supply chain delays meant the specified Equitone cladding, which was imported from Europe, was delivered in two separate shipments, with the second delayed. This major challenge required MDC Building Group to completely rethink their construction methodology.
Our team demonstrated its flexibility and strategic thinking by re-sequencing the entire project, adapting the scaffolding plan and focusing the ongoing construction on areas where available materials could be used. Scaffolding was limited to 50% of the building and access points were limited to the clear side of the building. Once the first side was completed, coinciding with the arrival of the second load of Equitone, that scaffolding was moved to the other half of the building and the access points were moved to the completed side. This enabled us to mitigate costs and kept the project moving forward without compromising the timeline.
MDC Building Group contributed a striking element to the final design outcome of the building with the proposal and implementation of a new exterior lighting system. When the architect’s specified lights were unavailable, a creative alternative featuring programmable, colour-changing LEDs was put to the client.
This innovative solution has given the Council the ability to illuminate the building in the various brand colours of specific community events and awareness campaigns to show their support at relevant times. It also adds a dynamic and engaging layer to the refurbishment, providing an ongoing talking point of interest in the community.
South Gippsland Shire Council was impressed with MDC Building Group’s ability to successfully deliver this challenging project through proactive project management and transparent communication. This included regular safety audits, compliance and progress reports and detailed cost breakdowns throughout the process. Council was well aware of the range of tricky issues inherent in the build, from the community engagement, health and safety considerations and supply challenges. They appreciated the way everything was handled, and that none of the challenges impacted the final budget or timeline for project completion.
This cemented the working relationship between builder and client and directly led to MDC Building Group securing the ongoing maintenance contract for South Gippsland Shire Council.
