Top marks for Reed

The Reed Group recently completed work on a new $15 million Performing Arts Centre and Swimming Pool Complex which has revitalised a school campus.

The selection of The Reed Group for the new $15 million development at Presbyterian Ladies College, Croydon confirmed Reed's ability to deliver a quality project that would revitalise the school campus at a budget that was affordable to the client.

Designed by architects Noel Bell Ridley Smith, the scope of works included a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre with 530-seat auditorium, practice and teaching facilities and an indoor swimming centre with a heated, 25-metre eight-lane swimming pool with a ceiling pitched high enough to allow for water polo.

The site for the new development was a strip of land containing the school tennis courts and two large heritage listed trees. Only two of the courts were to be retained along with the trees that had to be carefully negotiated so as to retain their current vigour. The rest of the grounds would provide the land for the new developments.

Reed were one of four companies selected to tender for the development. They were then short listed as one of two finalists for final selection. Reed's Project Manager, Mark Ardouin says: "As one of the two finalists asked to tender, we won in the end because of our successful track record in working with difficult one-off projects and because we were able to show the client how to make substantial cost savings that would deliver their objectives and goals without comprising the quality of the outcome."

Approach to cost management

"They asked us to create new methods to reduce the overall cost of the project. Reed provided numerous alternatives that allowed for financial benefits to be gained throughout the construction period." With our ideas on the table they were able to recognise our ability to understand what was essential and what could be dropped in the interests of delivering a good project for their budget.

We worked closely with the architects in this process to determine what design options could be modified for a more cost-effective solution. Once we started construction, this gave us the added challenge of working with drawings that had only just been revised by the architects.

The challenges facing Reed to construct the project were tied initially to the short turnaround time for the project to be completed. Starting in November 2004, the project had to be delivered by February 2006.

Mark Ardouin comments: "This time was essentially a period of negotiation, planning and building up the client's confidence in us by putting in place strategies that we could all agree on to deliver the project successfully. We agreed to meet every two weeks with additional on site meetings and inspections."

The meetings ensured all staff had the chance to see what was going on so that they were fully aware of the process that we were entering into and what to expect by way of activity close to the school. For protection and to ensure 24-hour site security, a fence was constructed around the proposed works area. This cut the site off from the adjoining heritage-listed Harnsworth House and gave protection to the students and public while ensuring that Reed were able to work to their full capacity.

Responding to PLC's needs

PLC's representative and Project Director Keith Smith took a lead role in the flow and ease of construction on this project. After building a strong and collaborative working relationship, Keith had this to say about Reed. "The Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney has been impressed with the fact that The Reed Group finished our practically and technically challenging Indoor Aquatic and Performing Arts Centre comfortably within the adjusted contract completion date. Their expertise, efficiency, management structures and attention to detail were impressive. In all that, their personnel remained approachable and responsive to the college\'s needs."

Mark Ardouin then added that: Keith continually acted to smooth the way for us, keeping all parties informed on progress and making our job so much easier. He was fantastic as there were always times when deliveries came too early or too late and he was there to ensure access to the site if appropriate. In this process he took on board the job of actively informing the public, the staff and the students. As a result our operations went largely unhindered and we were able to run a very smooth project."

On the commencement of construction and during the initial surveying of the site, an unexpected contaminated area was found. Sampling and testing of the soil revealed a significant area that had tar and petroleum contaminants which had been left there by the operators of the former defense force function that had been stationed on the site just after World War II and prior to the construction of the school. Through a professional assessment process and onsite testing, Reed were able to reduce what could have been a $1.5 million clean up to one costing only $400,000. Their solution involved the excavation of the soil, its treatment, classification and removal.

To deliver the building of the Indoor Aquatic and Performing Arts Centre, Reed appointed one Project Co-ordinator to work on both buildings and then a Site Manager for each building, and while construction of each building occurred simultaneously, each was run as an independent operation with its own contractors and own deadlines.

Key construction challenges

The initial works on the site started with the Swimming Centre and included the excavation and building of both pools and the pouring of the coloured concrete floors for the concourse. To protect the newly poured floor throughout the duration of the project a supported plywood floor barrier was installed as a temporary covering. Next, the brick perimeter walls were completed along with large expanses of windows placed in horizontal bands to maximise the access to natural lighting for the centre.

The key construction challenge came with installation of a dramatic three-arm truss system to support the Colorbond steel roof. This was a highly successful exercise that demanded the precise delivery of structures with very little room for error. Once completed, a 702 cliplock curved spring roof specially pitched to a height suitable for water polo was installed along with guttering around the edges. Inside, a two level amenities block was built providing downstairs rooms for student's bag storage, offices, store, first aid and male and female change rooms.

Upstairs, the mezzanine level provided a large spectator area for viewing across the pools, a staff office, plant room, kitchen and outside balcony that looked out over the grounds. The centre was completed with the installation of pool decking and seating in key locations around the pool.

Fitting out the Auditorium

A far more advanced building because of the technical fit out for the Auditorium, the construction of the Performing Arts Centre, required the setting up of a very careful program of sequenced works. A semi-circular two-level building built for a high quality theater experience had a number of key challenges.

For a start, within the Auditorium not one perimeter wall was straight, the radial distance of the walls to the stage was never constant, and the seating was stepped and curved. In addition, a very special system of ducted air conditioning and heating had to be carefully planned so that each seat received its own source of air.

Pouring the concrete onto a wooden floor to make the curved concrete stepped seating was a real challenge. In addition to shaping the curve correctly, behind each seat the appropriate space for the installation of an air conditioning duct had to be accommodated. A very labour intensive and precise operation, a 10 man crew was chosen to achieve optimal results as any more on the job would have run the risk of loosing quality control.

The air conditioning system was a unique solution and one with which the client was extremely pleased. It consists of a sealed air void under the stage that is heated or cooled by an electrical motor. When in operation it gently blows air along ducts cast in concrete to the Auditorium. It's a form of soft or silent air travel, avoiding the noisy system so often used in conventional air-conditioning. It was used throughout the precinct, for the foyer, the computer room, rehearsal rooms, sound studio and small technical control areas.

Adding the finishing touches

Cabinet work for the interiors involved the installation of acoustic paneling to the vertical back walls and adding 12 triangular acoustic blade walls to each side. Other walls in the auditorium and balcony were clad with special acoustic tiles which were made from warm-coloured pine veneer that had routed and curved horizontal slots.

The fit out for the Auditorium was executed in hushed tones of dark blues and red for carpets and chairs respectively. Above, the ceiling was black painted gyprock that allows easy access to technical equipment from the roof.

Supporting rooms for the Auditorium include an audio visual room for all sound equipment, and to one side a 'green' room adorned with full lighting and seating facilities for stage makeup. This is linked to an under-stair tunnel to the other side of the stage to the drama room. This design allowed actors to exit one side of the stage and to return to their entry side by taking the stair tunnel route.

"Reed successfully delivered the development on budget and within a very tight timeframe. The uniqueness of a number of aspects of the Performing Arts Centre provided our team with outside-the-box challenges that we are so well known for delivering.

For more information, or to find out how The Reed Group can help you on your next commercial project contact, phone Reed on (02) 9965 0399