The Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star 2014 project brings together 14 industry leading organisations as Thought Leaders who are passionate about sustainable approaches to construction. WGE is thrilled to be a Thought Leader and over the next 18 months will be providing input into the evolution of Green Star and further transformation of Australia’s built environment. WGE will have representatives on the steering committee and technical advisory group that will, amongst other things, shape the advancement of the Design & As-Built Green Star rating system. The WGE representatives will be feeding into the development the requirements gathered from …
Date: January 1, 2014WGE are proud of their close association with the Property Council of Australia (PCA) and were pleased to sponsor the Victorian chapter’s annual Christmas lunch. The Melbourne team took this opportunity to express the positive changes and developments within the industry. View the exciting short video that was pulled together for the event.
Date: December 15, 2013
Morgan is the HR Manager at WGE and been an integral member of the team since 2004 where she was first employed as a filing clerk. ‘I didn’t even have an interview when I joined,’ Morgan says. ‘My mum worked here as a filing clerk and they just trusted that I’d be a good worker like she was, so they gave me the job.’ Over the years, as Morgan progressed through various administrative roles, she was recognised for her talent, willingness to learn and ambition. The company invested in her training and development so she could take on more challenging …
Date: December 9, 2013
Prasanna is the Perth Section Manager for the Sustainability team and a Principal of WGE. He is passionate about the construction industry and advocates for it to take a more conscientious and dedicated approach to sustainability. ‘I think there are many people in this industry that use the sustainability angle as a green washing or marketing exercise without really taking it seriously and advising wisely,’ says Prasanna who has been working in the division since 2006. After graduating as a mechanical engineerand working for two years at WGE, Prasanna took the opportunity to work under the leadership of Bruce van …
Date: December 9, 2013
Grant Holman was born and bred in Perth and spent his first year of University studying architecture. After a year he decided it wasn’t the career for him so he packed his bags and surfboard and spent some time travelling along the various coasts of Indonesia with some mates in search of some fun and a few waves. ‘I was only 19 and I was having far too much fun to be thinking about my career. Then we met a bloke in one of the remote islands of Indonesia one night and he told me he was working as an …
Date: December 9, 2013
John Lucchetti is an extremely likeable young man who is a Hydraulics Project Engineer at Wood & Grieve in the Melbourne office. His introduction to WGE was a little unusual. ʻAfter graduating from Melbourne University, I started work in defence and aerospace manufacturing. Working in a manufacturing factory I was exposed to very little design work and exposure to other engineers who could act as mentors and peers was extremely limited. I met Grant Holman at a WGE event. Grantʼs enthusiasm and passion for WGE was infectious. I knew I wanted to work there and basically set out to make it happen and …
Date: December 9, 2013
Renewable energy, in particular the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector, has experienced exponential growth in recent years. The growth of this industry has largely been due to rapid rises in electricity prices, aided by the lower capital cost of solar systems, government rebates and special finance schemesnow available. There are many considerations when it comes to selecting the solar system, and solar system installer, right for your building. To begin, the most important consideration is the “right size” of the system.It’s not as simple as the old saying “the bigger the better!” This is due to solar systems being categorised by …
Date: December 6, 2013
WGE have provided their input to the National Energy Efficient Building Project which is looking at the efficacy of the energy efficiency measures included in the National Construction Code (NCC). Energy efficiency measures have been included in Section J and Part 3.12 of the NCC with aim of reducing the Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with the operation of buildings. Whilst these measures have undoubtedly improved the efficiency of new building stock, there are some issues with the system that need to be refined to ensure the improvements continue. The main issues raised by WGE include: A process needs to be …
Date: December 4, 2013
As ‘Thought Leaders’ for Green Star 2014, WGE hosted a breakfast information session about the changes currently planned for the next generation of Green Star tools. On the 6th November, Jorge Chapa, Executive Director for Green Star Technical Development and Operations, updated a group of nearly 50 industry professionals about the current process and the planned changes. Green Star 2014 will deliver a single Design and As Built tool that can be used to rate any class of building other than single residential dwellings. All of the benchmarks will be reviewed to ensure they continue to drive sustainability in the …
Date: November 6, 2013
The Perth Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) hydraulic team has worked with Roxby Architects to create Toyota’s new state of the art headquarters. Toyota’s drive from the start was to create a stand out building in regards to sustainability which should match their car branding, aiming to save CO2 emissions, minimise the ecological footprint and achieve a minimum of 5 Star Green Star Rating. This drive meant the whole design team was challenged to come up with considerably more than just the standard design solutions. WGE’s hydraulic team’s main goal was to reduce the water consumptionof the building to a …
Date: October 24, 2013Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is proud to announce they are part of the successfulconsortium with Brookfield Multiplex and BG&E, which will now form an alliance with the Public Transport Authority (PTA) to build a new state-of-the-art underground bus station in Perth. This is an enormous project, with an investment value of $249 million, which is essential to the $4 BN Perth City Link project and will be the final step in reconnecting Perth and Northbridge. WGE was chosen to be part of the Brookfield Multiplex team as they have a proven track record of successfully delivering large, complex projects on time …
Date: October 4, 2013
Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is excited to announce that specialist commercial building civil engineer, Dara McGrenaghan, has joined the Melbourne team. With Dara’s addition to the team the Melbourne office has one of the most diverse engineering offerings in Melbourne with experts in acoustics, civil, electrical, fire protection, fire engineering, hydraulics, mechanical, property asset management, sustainability, structural and underground power services. WGE see this expansion as a necessity, and in direct response to client demand and future strategic developments. Melbourne office manager, Grant Holman, said, “Dara’s hire is key to meeting our clients’ expectations and capitalising on market and …
Date: October 3, 2013
People are searching for meaning in their work, for something they can contribute to and be truly recognised for. If the staff value and understand the organisation, what it stands for, their role within it, the impact they have and their importance then it will go a long way towards strong engagement. It becomes more than just work – there is purpose. While ‘culture’ is often spoken of and values are plastered across websites and marketing materials, what matters most is that the people within the organisation do what they believe. A fun, dynamic culture can permeate the organisation. People …
Date: September 25, 2013
Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) contributed to four projects that won awards at the prestigious Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) WA 2013 Awards for Excellence. The categories, winners and the WGE contribution are outlined below: Category: Judges Award& High Density Development Winner:Pelago West, Finbar Group Ltd WGE contribution: Structural services Category: Seniors Living Winner: Affinity Village, Stockland WGE contribution: Civil, UPD, Hydraulic, Mechanical & ESD services Category: Medium Density Development Winner: Centro North East, Qube Property Group WGE contribution: Structural & Fire services Category:Residential Development over 250 lots Winner:Meadow Springs, Mirvac WGE contribution: Civil & UPD services …
Date: September 4, 2013
There are significant issues in the market place affecting the performance of PP-R Pipe systems in combination with copper in hot water recirculation systems. Jonathan Jackson speaks with hydraulic consultant David Steblina about those issues and how they can be worked around. Click here to read the full article.
Date: September 1, 2013
Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicholas Johnson as the Section Manger of the newly established Sustainability section in the firm’s Sydney office. The introduction of Sustainability within the Sydney office is in direct response to client demand and the growing requests for a stronger focus on sustainability, innovation and an adaptive engineering consultancy approach. Sydney office manager Joseph Walsh said, “Relocating Nick from our Melbourne office to Sydney will enable us to service our Sydney clients in a more efficient and innovative manner. Nick has over 9 years experience in the sustainability sector …
Date: August 2, 2013
The Metropolitan Golf Club’s new clubhouse has set a new benchmark for premier golf club facilities that will be hard to meet. The clubhouses’ striking architecture provides not only a fantastic new venue but a magnificent backdrop as you play the 18th hole. Working closely with SJB Architects, the Melbourne Wood & Grieve team undertook the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, fire protection, fire engineering and sustainability services for this challenging build. SJB Architects set very high expectations with respect to the final finish and services integration, particularly with the bold zinc roof. With no services penetrations and innovative approach to roof …
Date: July 31, 2013
Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) are extremely pleased to announce they have been accredited as an Aon Hewitt Best Employer in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). This award is a wonderful acknowledgement that WGE is so much more than a place to work and that it is indeed their culture that sets them apart and enables them to deliver their very best to clients and partners. CEO Jose Granado said, “I am truly delighted that Wood & Grieve has been recognised for the second year in a row as being an Aon Hewitt Best Employer. We pride ourselves on our …
Date: July 6, 2013