Temporary site accommodation with a difference

The project

In mid-2018, Multiplex commenced construction on the new $470 million Maitland Hospital in NSW’s Lower Hunter Valley region. Scheduled to open in early 2022, the facility will provide a range of services including emergency, paediatric, maternity, chemotherapy and state-of-the art operating suites.

Coates was awarded the main works contract in September 2019. The company was engaged to deliver temporary site accommodation and amenities. This comprised a site office for 65 people with a reception area, meeting rooms, kitchen and break-out room, plus a sub-contractor compound with stairs and covered elevated walkways that included lunch rooms, ablution blocks and a first aid room for 600 workers.

The problem

Rather than standard site accommodation, the client wanted a custom-designed break-out room with a wall of windows.

“Site manager Glenn Moore from Multiplex had a vision for an open, light-filled break-out room for his staff to get away from the pressure of the office,” says Brad Sturgeon, Product Specialist - Site Accommodation at Coates.

The unusual design meant Coates needed to engage specialist suppliers, such as window manufacturers, while security was also a key consideration.

“Bringing the design to life was the major challenge. We had numerous meetings throughout the build process to ensure the design achieved Glenn’s vision,” Brad says.

The tight timeframe and site layout presented further challenges to the team. “We had to design and construct on the run,” adds Brad. “Once on site, we then had to make changes to fit the tight footprint and reconfigure rooms to comply with Covid-19 protocols such as social distancing.”

The solution

Coates worked with local window company Air View Aluminium and builder KS Solutions to implement the bespoke design.

• Break-out room – featured 1,800mm-high windows with flyscreens and security bars installed on the outside. “The window frames were painted black so they blended into the wall and created an illusion of a picture frame to capture the bush setting outside,” says Brad.
• Office space – the open-plan site office included two separate offices for Glenn Moore and Jeff Wall, Multiplex’s Project Manager. Careful consideration was required to ensure the design made the most of the open-plan layout while also maximising space for both stakeholders.
• Sub-contractor compound – comprised 69 sheds with a mix of lunch rooms, toilets, showers and changing rooms. Completed over three stages, the compound included decks and awnings between the sheds, along with skirting. “Installation was managed by Kyle Symes from KS Solutions who produced a fantastic product for us,” says Brad.
• Weather-proof link way entrance – this connected the two Multiplex site offices (36m x 12m and 12m x 12m) to create the main entrance and reception. Managing drainage between the two modules, varying roof lines and an awning added to the complexity of the build.

The impact

“Working closely with the Multiplex site team, Coates’ design and delivery team worked collaboratively through issues as they arose, which resulted in seamless delivery of the project,” says Glenn.

“From managing the big picture down to the smallest detail, everyone from the Product Specialists to the Installation team have made this a very successful project,” he adds.

Contact us today to see how Coates can design and install bespoke temporary site accommodation for your next project.