Property industry heavyweights have stepped up to create a new world-first facility supporting homeless youth in partnership with the Victorian government. Construction of an $8 million centre began this month with the vision to transform City Mission’s Frontyard, Melbourne’s largest early intervention and crisis service for severely marginalised and disadvantaged youth, into a 24/7 service provider with expanded support services. The centre, at 19 King Street in Melbourne’s CBD, has offered a safe haven to young people in crisis for almost 30 years. Melbourne City Mission chief executive Vicki Sutton says the new venue is designed to disrupt the cycle …
Date: August 1, 2018
Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) made history when Aon announced the 2018 Best Employers list on 30 July; a program which recognises an elite group of organisations across Australia and New Zealand who not only record high employee engagement scores but deliver outstanding people practices. WGE was accredited for the seventh consecutive year (and eighth time overall), which is the longest accredited streak out of any Australian company since the program began in 2000. In total, 106 organisations participated in the 2018 survey with just 15 receiving Best Employer status: BPAY Group Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand Colliers International Eden Brae Homes Employsure …
Date: July 31, 2018
“Becoming an Aon Best Employer for the eighth time is an incredible achievement, and is a reflection of our high performing staff.” Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) has been awarded its eighth Aon Hewitt Best Employer Accreditation, becoming Australia’s longest running accredited Best Employer in the history of the prestigious program. Each year, an elite group of organisations across Australia and New Zealand achieve Aon Best Employer status by achieving record high employee engagement scores and delivering outstanding people practices. It’s the seventh consecutive year WGE has achieved accreditation status, since receiving its inaugural status in 2009 as the first …
Date: July 30, 2018The below article is courtesy of AIRAH’s July edition of Ecolibrium; first published 18 July 2018 Property prices, high-density residential development and a resurgence in inner-city living have combined to influence major changes in traditional school design. As Sean McGowan reports, vertical schools solve the problem of land availability but bring with them challenges more akin to commercial development. Like many others, I grew up in the outer suburbs within close walking distance to my state primary school. Built in the 1920s in an area once considered rural, my “alma mater” occupied a 2ha site that became surrounded by brick …
Date: July 19, 2018Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) would like to congratulate our clients who were recently recognised by the Australian Institute of Architects 2018 state awards. In total, WGE were involved with 15 successful projects across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Optus Stadium was the big winner in the west, taking out the top prize – the George Temple Poole Award – along with four other categories; Public Architecture, Sustainable Architecture, Steel Architecture and Lighting. Highgate Primary School took home two awards for its new teaching building including the Educational Architecture top prize, the Hillson Beasly Award, while also …
Date: July 18, 2018“Developers are looking for an extra edge that helps them get to market quicker and more affordably. Timber is that edge.” In cities of glittering glass, steel and concrete, the idea of timber buildings may seem reactionary. But a revolution is upon us as timber buildings tall and small crop up around the world. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, there are more than 50 timber towers proposed, under construction or operational globally. Among these are 5 King in Brisbane and Forté in Melbourne, both projects developed by Lendlease. In May Lendlease promised to build in …
Date: July 11, 2018Studies show that lighting has a direct effect on people’s emotions, both positively and negatively. Not only that, it can effect productivity and energy levels, so it should come as no surprise that organisations are taking a closer look at their office lighting options. The amount of natural versus artificial light, energy saving opportunities, large and small spaces – there is a lot to consider when designing a project’s lighting. According to Wood & Grieve Engineers’ (WGE) Specialist Lighting Project Engineer Jean-Paul Kirkland, there’s also another option to consider: how it looks. “Lighting is more than just a functional feature, …
Date: July 4, 2018Tomorrow, Saturday 23 June, is International Women in Engineering Day – a day in which we hope to raise the profile of women in our industry and the exciting engineering career opportunities available to young girls. This year’s theme is ‘Raising the Bar’ and a program which personifies this is the Property Council of Australia’s (PCA) 500 Women in Property (WIP). The program involves a personal commitment from Property Council members to champion women in their organisation who they believe would benefit from further networking and professional development opportunities. It is the first year the program has been extended to …
Date: June 22, 2018Construction of the new-look Western Sydney Stadium is full steam ahead, with the NSW Government giving early access to the media for an exclusive first look at the development so far. Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is proud to be associated with the project, working with our clients Venues NSW and Infrastructure NSW in a technical advisor role underneath the project management of Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC). Below is an excerpt from Fairfax’s chief sports reporter Andrew Webster who, it’s fair to say, is impressed with what he has seen so far… Is there such a thing as love at …
Date: June 19, 2018Perth’s Elizabeth Quay development has been awarded Australia’s best urban renewal project by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), Australia’s peak body for the urban development industry. The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority’s (MRA) Elizabeth Quay project has changed the face of Perth’s CBD, transforming 10ha of largely underutilised land along the Swan River into a waterfront destination, providing a new backdrop for major events, tourism promotions and news broadcasts. Designed by Melbourne-based ARM Architecture, Elizabeth Quay’s Master Plan allows for others to develop the sites it establishes. It identifies the locations and types of built form desired, areas for pedestrians, pedestrian and vehicle routes, and sight lines to and …
Date: June 14, 2018Phase one of the All Abilities Play Space on the Nedlands foreshore – including the main playground area – has officially opened with a new name. Nedlands Mayor Max Hipkins, Rotary and the major sponsor formally opened the facility on June 7 at Beaton Park near the Swan River, unveiling it as the Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space. Vern and Jo Wheatley are major sponsors of the cutting-edge play facility for all ages and abilities, motivated by the many hours of Vern’s happy childhood spent on the Nedlands foreshore. Initiated by Rotary seven years ago, the Jo Wheatley All …
Date: June 11, 2018Wood & Grieve Engineers’ (WGE) top brass will be roughing it for one night on Thursday 21 June, all in support of the St Vincent de Paul Society. José Granado has signed up to support the Vinnie’s in this year’s CEO Sleepout, an event which sees business leaders sleep outdoors to raise awareness and funds for the homeless. Returning for the second year, José joins 80 individuals who will be participating in 2018. So far, the Perth sleepout has raised $188,000 across 960 supporters, comprising about seven percent of the national funds raised. Having set a target of $5,000, José …
Date: June 8, 2018Noise may be an occupational hazard on construction sites. But new technology from Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) eliminates the endless engineers’ reports and puts noise control in the palm of the client’s hand. You can hear a pin drop at 10 decibels and a whisper at 30. A jackhammer assaults the ears at 110 decibels and a thunderclap shocks the senses at 120. Noise is highly subjective and what is acceptable to one person may be irritating to another. But anything above 50 decibels is generally considered noisy – whether that’s in a buzzing workplace or a quiet suburb …
Date: June 7, 2018Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) recently welcomed Le Han Tan, who joins the Sydney Sustainability team as a Project Engineer. Le Han brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the group, having worked as a sustainability engineer in the NSW market for both small boutique and large firms for over a decade. Le Han describes his background as “services orientated” with a strong focus on the property and construction industries. “Having worked as a sustainability engineer for the last 12 years, I’ve had experience in delivering Green Star and NABERS Energy building ratings and designing energy efficient buildings,” he …
Date: June 5, 2018Optus Stadium, and the surrounding Stadium Park, was last named the 2018 winner of the Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA). Announced at an event in Melbourne, Optus Stadium beat out five other finalists from around the country. Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) worked closely with our clients Multiplex throughout the project and proud to have provided multiple services to the new development, including electrical, fire engineering, fire protection, mechanical, security services, sustainability and vertical transportation. The Australian Construction Achievement Award is promoted by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and Engineers Australia, and is the peak annual award for the major players in …
Date: May 25, 2018A meeting of the minds was held recently with Roads Australia hosting a single table dinner in Sydney to discuss Australia’s subsurface utilities. Individuals from across Australia were invited to the event, including Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE), which featured special guest Stephen Troughton, Deputy Secretary for NSW Infrastructure and Services. WGE’s Brisbane Infrastructure Section Manager Rob Sansbury was invited to speak at the event thanks to his close involvement with the current upgrade to the AS5488 standard. He said it was a wonderful opportunity for WGE to show its innovative and proactive approach to Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). The …
Date: May 25, 2018Density done well means working closely with the local community. This is the lesson to learn from Blackburne Aria Swanbourne, WA’s RLB Development of the Year. Building owner and developer Blackburne took home the Property Council’s prestigious award recently for a 156-apartment complex that balances luxury and affordability. According to the Property Council’s executive director Lino Iacomella, the project “demonstrates how density, when well delivered, can add value to a local community”. “The judges were impressed with the standard of design and amenity, and with the developer’s commitment to engage with the community and local residents during the construction period,” …
Date: May 24, 2018As the famous poem so eloquently states, we love our sunburnt country – a place which, on average, receives between six and 11 hours of sunlight per day. It’s also no surprise that Australia’s average sunlight increases between October and April. With that kind of natural resource on tap, Australian businesses and households have jumped on board Solar Energy solutions with solar PV panels the obvious popular choice. And there is no better time to get on board the solar train than right now. A record 3.5 million panels were installed on Australian household rooftops in 2017, giving the …
Date: May 22, 2018Barangaroo South has emerged as the big winner from the 2018 Property Council of Australia/Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation & Excellence Awards, which were held last Friday evening (11 May) in Sydney. The largest commercial project to be developed in Sydney for the last decade, Barangaroo South – located in Sydney’s newest Barangaroo precinct – took home five national awards, including: Australian Development of the Year Best Workplace Project Best Sustainable Development – New Buildings Best Mixed Use Development People’s Choice Award Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) are proud to have been a part of the acclaimed project, having provided acoustics …
Date: May 14, 2018Australia’s largest child advocacy centre is being built on a heritage site at Midland’s historic railway workshops. Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) is excited to be working with our client Pindan Constructions by providing a variety of services towards the development, including acoustics, audio-visual, civil, electrical, hydraulics, mechanical, structural and sustainability. The first sod was turned on the $25 million project earlier this week (Tuesday 8 May) and Parkerville Children and Youth Care chief executive Basil Hanna said holistic services at the new centre would help children recover as well as saving them from the horror of reliving abuse by …
Date: May 10, 2018