Chatswood Chase Redevelopment, Chatswood, NSW

The redevelopment of Chatswood Chase Sydney is set to rejuvenate and breathe new life into the popular retail precinct on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. With a focus on modernisation and sustainability, the vision is to transform the centre into a premier destination encompassing shopping, art, culture, food, work and leisure.

Spanning 60,000 m² of gross floor area (GFA), including 10,000 m² of commercial net leasable area (NLA), the project emphasises the reuse of existing infrastructure and services.

It includes two major components. The lower ground, known as Chase Market, will enhance culinary offerings with over 40 new dining options and fresh food experiences. The upper section consists of 3 levels of retail and a proposed commercial precinct, called Chase Quarter, which is designed to accommodate up to 10,000 m² of modern rooftop workspace that is proposed to boast an open-air rooftop laneway, landscaped terrace, informal meeting spaces and open-plan workspaces.

A key objective of the project is maximising leasability with premium and luxury brands. With our in-depth understanding of what tenants need, NDY assisted this goal by providing flexible building services that align with tenant requirements and support future adaptation of spaces.

To optimise the facility for leasing, we centralised smoke exhaust in voids, eliminating the need for smoke risers which reduces the services costs and allows the retail area to be re-carved with ease.

NDY’s engineering services aligned the shopping centre with current codes and standards while focusing on energy efficiency and enabling energy monitoring for net zero goals. The project enabled substantial enhancements to the building’s fire detection and emergency alarm systems, with a compliant system designed to blend new and existing components including the latest cutting-edge fire detection panel with a lifespan of 15-20 years.

The lower ground concrete elements feature a 40% reduction in cement content, a sustainable choice that reduces carbon emissions. Collaboration with the project team during the early design stages ensured a well-integrated construction process. The concrete’s engineering properties were customised to meet on-site requirements, including the use of higher flowing concrete mixes for improved workability and precise placement.

Chatswood Chase is targeting Green Star and NABERS certifications, with a range of sustainable design initiatives ranging from energy and water efficiency to sustainable materials selection and a focus on enhanced user comfort.

The retail space is targeting 4 star Green Star Design and As Built certification, 4.5 star NABERS Energy and 3 star NABERS Water certifications. The commercial space is targeting 5 star Green Star Design and As Built certification, 5 star NABERS Energy (Base Building) and 4 star NABERS Water certifications.

The retail space will benefit from a selection of sustainable products with low embodied carbon. Sourced from endorsed suppliers, the range includes concrete with reduced Portland cement content; lifts with reduced whole-of-life cycle impacts; and a variety of finishes with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

In addition, the commercial space places greater emphasis on improved indoor environment quality, and occupant comfort and wellbeing. For example, users will have control over lighting levels within their space; the acoustic strategy provides appropriate sound reductions and greater privacy between meeting rooms and open plan areas; higher volumes of airflow will be provided to keep CO₂ levels low; and thermal comfort will be maintained with tighter controls.

Other initiatives include the provision of end-of-trip facilities for cycling and active transport, electric vehicle charging and an overall reduction in embodied carbon achieved through the aforementioned sustainable product selections and a preference for building reuse.

NDY encountered various challenges during the project which have been summarised below.

• Addressing latent conditions and developing flexible solutions to tackle them.
• Adhering to a strict timeline while minimising disruptions to ongoing operations was key for customers and businesses. The dedication and efficient coordination between NDY and the wider project team was instrumental in successfully navigating these hurdles.
• Repurposing the existing electrical infrastructure to meet the latest standards. While overhauling switchboards and infrastructure is typically required for a complete fitout, our innovative solutions enabled us to adapt the existing infrastructure, resulting in significant cost savings for our client.
• Long distances between main switchboards and tenancies (a consequence of the development’s size and the pre-existing conditions and substation locations). We implemented power distribution solutions tailored to these unique circumstances, ultimately delivering cost-effective results.
• Maintaining the functionality of existing security and surveillance systems during construction, while minimising disruptions to tenants and customers.
• Early fire protection project challenges included the need to maintain continuous fire detection and alarm systems during construction, with some areas still in use, and replacing outdated fire detection panels that were no longer available due to discontinued production. We tackled these issues by gathering crucial client documents, assessing compatibility with panel manufacturers, and conducting site inspections to identify salvageable components. Our solution involved replacing panels during construction and completing installation and other tasks after mall trading hours.

Lower ground only:

• Integrating new structural elements into the existing structure. Where possible we retained and reused the existing concrete elements, strategically introducing new structural components to produce the required increase in strength for the intended new use of the spaces.

Beyond the immediate project results, the redevelopment offers significant long-term advantages, including job creation during construction and ongoing opportunities as the revitalised centre becomes operational. Additionally, the centre will be more energy efficient and equipped with updated and compliant life safety systems, enhancing both its sustainability and safety credentials.

In a world where sustainability and modernisation are paramount, innovative design and a commitment to reuse exemplifies how to transform existing structures, promising enduring benefits for the community and the environment.