This fitout project at a major New South Wales university was initiated by a large global resources group to help support its local miners and provide them with a local communication base.

NDY along with a renowned architect were engaged to design the new fitout. The project spanned across a large floor plate totalling approximately 2,700 m2 of floor space. The fitout design incorporated sustainable engineering practices with particular emphasis on energy consumption and the use of green materials. Sustainability workshops were periodically held during the design process to assess the construction materials and to identify high energy consumption devices.

Sustainable Engineering Practices

As part of the project’s green initiatives, the existing base building luminaires where modified to incorporate new individually addressable ballasts. This allowed for much stricter lighting control processes and ultimately lowered the energy consumption of the fitout. NDY carried out energy modelling simulations to demonstrate that the fitout achieved the desired NABERS rating.

Computer Room

The new floor communications room was fitted with a gas suppression system, Multipoint Aspirating Smoke Detectors (MASDS) and an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) system to assist with data integrity and business continuity procedures, and mitigate risk to the buildings communications infrastructure. A Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) unit was installed in the communications room to maintain optimum room temperature and humidity levels.

Flexible Workspace

To allow greater flexibility with future office layout churn, NDY investigated the design and installation of a new under floor ducted bus way system for provisions of general power to the floor. Further analytical works into Multi User Telecommunications Outlet (MUTO) boxes were completed as part of the services design. Following NDY’s research, the resources group agreed that the most cost effective solution would be to install fixed power and communications cabling across the floor plate.