Shaping_Issue 15_Tall Buildings

Tall Building TrendsThe Business Of Designing Skyscrapers

ShapingA MEINHARDT AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE

15ISSUE

NOVEMBER 2014

www.practicalimagination.info

This latest Tall Buildings special – we have done 2 previously – is not just about how to design tall buildings.

By looking at some of the planning trends in Melbourne, which is Australia’s particular hotbed currently for skyscrapers, we also consider the ‘where’ and the ‘why’.

The engineering teams, meanwhile, turn their thoughts to the business of skyscrapers. ‘How’ is important and ‘design’ is integral to the thinking but it is about ‘how design can deliver value and economic sustainability for developers of tall buidings’.

The façade team gives their thoughts on the trends in both Australia and Asia, while we also welcome a contribution from George Argyrou of the Hickory Group on the importance of self-performance.

As always, we welcome your feedback.

Denis Young, Managing Director – Australia [email protected]

Message From The TopWelcome to the Tall Buildings 2014 Edition of Shaping Australia.

SHAPING | TALL BUILDINGS – NOV 2014

01 | INTRODUCTION

POSTCARDS FROM SHANGHAI Glen Pederick Recaps the Council of Tall Buildings & The Urban Habitat Conference

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE: SKYSCRAPER FAÇADE TRENDS Views from Asia and Australia.

Contentsimagin8

HOW NEW VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CAN LIFT PROPERTY VALUESIf Rialto Towers Were Designed Today.

OPTIMISING SITES & MAXIMISING FLOOR PLATESGrabbing Real Estate From The Sky.

SELF-PERFORMANCE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL SKYSCRAPERS Guest Contribution, George Argyrou, Managing Director of Hickory Group

Case Studies

60-82 JOHNSON SREET, SOUTH MELBOURNEStrategic Foresight Brings Area To Life

CHARLES DARWIN CENTREEngineering Darwin’s Tallest Office Building

TANJONG PAGAR CENTRESetting High Green Standards

Features & Opinion

TALL BUILDINGS CRITICISMA Tall Tale

LIGHTBOXMeinhardt Light Studio’s Tall Building Projects.

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Sandridge PrecinctMontague Precinct

Lorrimer Precinct

Wirraway Precinct

N Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area (FBURA)21.

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imagin8 is a series of educational seminars designed to share the latest global thinking in the built environment space.

Melbourne has become a hotbed for tall building development. The Planning Minister has been dubbed “Mr Skyscraper” and there are currently

49 skyscraper developments proposed for the city. So what’s next?

From planning to construction, our speakers shared their thinking and new ideas to help developers, architects and project managers deliver the next generation of skyscrapers and continue to shape not just Melbourne’s skyline, but cities around the world.

You can download the presentations from our Practical Imagination website.

visit site

“A great way to create conversation and build networks.” Feedback from our imagin8 seminar.

George Argyrou Managing Director – Hickory Group Prefabrication in High-rise Delivery

Andrew Leoncelli Managing Director – CBRE Residential Projects

Current State of the Market

OUR SPEAKERS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Skyscraper Trends

Held in partnership with Urban Melbourne, we recap our seminar – Skyscraper Trends: From Super Skinny To ‘Prefabulous’

SHAPING | TALL BUILDINGS - NOV 2014

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http://practicalimagination.info/imagin8/

http://practicalimagination.info/imagin8/

“A great way to create conversation and build networks.” Feedback from our imagin8 seminar.

Andrew Leoncelli Managing Director – CBRE Residential Projects

Current State of the Market

Jon Brock National Director – Land Development, Meinhardt

The Victorian Town Planning Context

Vincent Amato Associate – Structures, Meinhardt

Optimising Sites, Maximising Floorplates

Glen Pederick Discipline Leader – Building Services

Meinhardt

How Vertical Transportation is Transforming the Modern City


The world’s population has increased six-fold in the past 150 years, while at the same time becoming increasingly urbanized each year. The need for

more people to live on less land makes the increasing construction of tall buildings inevitable.

The ability to continue to construct and access taller buildings has traditionally been driven by technological advances in elevators such as increased speeds and improvements in elevator traffic control.

New technologies such as regenerating drive systems, destination dispatch control systems, double-deck elevators and TWIN allow tall buildings to be constructed more efficiently than ever, making high rise development economically sustainable.

The elevator industry is a major factor in tall building construction. Every day there are more than 7 billion

elevator journeys taken in buildings all over the world - the equivalent to the entire population of the world taking ride.

BUILDING EFFICIENCY With increasing land and construction costs, the key to building a modern skyscraper that is economically sustainable is increasing the building efficiency, which means reducing the size of the building core and plant spaces to optimize the yield.

As the service which occupies the most floor space in a building; elevators provide the greatest opportunity for space savings and efficiency improvements. In tall buildings, saving just one shaft can have a significant impact on the building efficiency and the feasibility of the development. Recent elevator technologies offer further opportunities to improve building efficiencies by allowing the installation of less shafts while still achieving the same level of performance.

How New Vertical Transportation Technology Can Lift Property ValuesWith increasing land and construction costs, the key to building a modern skyscraper that is economically sustainable is increasing the building’s efficiency.

Glen Pederick Discipline Leader – Building Services [email protected]


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Double-deck destination dispatch, in particular, can provide substantial reduction in the number of elevator shafts in office tower developments, increasing the available area and potentially the value of the building.

TWIN elevators, meanwhile, can effectively be used to reduce the overall number of shafts in a wide range of tall buildings such as offices, hotels and mixed-use towers, while maintaining the same level of service.

ENERGY EFFICIENCYIn high rise buildings, elevators can consume up to 10% of the building’s electricity usage. Increasing the efficiency of the drive systems can have a significant impact on the building’s carbon footprint.

Early steam powered and hydraulic elevators consume significantly more electricity than today’s modern elevators.

Modern variable voltage, variable frequency drives consume less than one quarter of the energy consumed by hydraulic motors.

Regenerating drive systems return the energy of an elevators downward journey back to the electricity supply, reducing the overall elevator energy consumption by up to 30%.

Control systems which transport passengers efficiently to their destination with a minimum number of journeys and stops, combined with modern drive systems, make elevators increasingly energy efficient and sustainable.


“New technologies such as regenerating drive systems, destination dispatch control systems, double-deck elevators and TWIN allow tall buildings to be constructed more efficiently than ever, making high rise development economically sustainable. ”

T he Rialto Towers are premium grade office towers located in Collins Street, Melbourne. Meinhardt engineers undertook the innovative design of the

structure of these landmark towers over 30 years ago, and construction was completed in 1986. The Rialto South Tower remains the tallest office tower in Australia when measured to its roof.

The existing South Office tower comprises 4 passenger elevator services, including a total of 20 passenger elevators as follows (Figure 1):

• Low rise elevators (serving L1 to L12)

• Mid rise elevators (serving L12 to L24)

• High rise elevators (serving L24 to L37)

• Sky rise elevators (serving L37 to L54)

An alternative elevator design (Figure 2) was considered for the tower utilising 2 banks of double-deck destination

dispatch elevators, based on an equivalent level of performance to the original lift services.

Glen Pederick, Discipline Leader – Building Services at Meinhardt and a member of the Council on Tall Buildings and the Urban Habitat Advisory Board, explained the new approach:

“For this alternative design, the low rise service would comprise 6 No. 1800kg double-deck destination dispatch elevators and would serve levels 1 to 29. The high rise service would comprise 6 No. 1600kg double-deck destination dispatch elevators and would be configured to serve levels 30 to 54,” said Pederick.

The service core for alternative double-deck destination dispatch design is compared with the original core design below:

Original Design

Low

rise

4 Passenger Elevator Services 20 Passenger Elevator Shafts

Mid

rise

Hig

h ris

e

Sky

rise

L1

L12

L24

L37

L54

L1

L29

L54

Alternative Double Deck Destination Dispatch Design

Low

Rise

High

Rise

12 Passenger Elevator Shafts

Figure 1 Figure 2


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Case Study: Rialto South Tower, Melbourne Australia.

“The alternative passenger elevator design requires 12 double-deck elevators, while the original design utilizes 20 passenger elevators. As a result, there are 8 less elevators and 8 less elevator shafts,” added Pederick (Figure 3).

Installing less elevator shafts provides the opportunity to gain floor area in the building. The alternative design allows an additional 2850m² of floor area for tenants of the building, which is the equivalent in area to almost 3 floors of the building.

With premium Melbourne CBD office space rental currently at $475/m² per annum, this extra space could provide an additional AU $1.35M in annual rental income.

Premium Collins Street office space in Melbourne is currently valued at around AU $10,000 per m², so the additional value of the extra floor space in the building would be of the order of AU $28 Million.

less passenger elevators 8 less elevator

shafts 8 Floors of extrafloor area 3

$1.35m p/a AUD of Potential Extra Income

$28m Additional Building Value (AUD)

$

Figure 3


As well as sites getting smaller, so are apartments. But do they need to? How do we maximise floorspace to improve returns without compromising design and comfort?

Incredible shifts are happening in technology and building practices. We have a new generation of technology pushing the limits of concrete and steel like never before.

But for engineers to continue to lead, they must provide compelling answers to the question: ‘Can we take what you want, and give you more?’

For developers, it’s more sellable area. For architects, it’s more space with less structure. For builders, it’s increased speed of construction, while at the same time ensuring health and safety.

At their very core, structural solutions for skyscrapers have to be simple, innovative and cost competitive.

Melbourne is in the midst of a skyscraper construction explosion. Three of the five tallest under construction are nearing completion; the 72-storey Prima Pearl on the South Bank, the 68-storey 568 Collins Street; and the 58-storey Abode 318 on Russell Street.

ABODE318With a height to depth ratio of 9:1, Abode 318 on Russell Street in Melbourne’s CBD, could almost be classified as super skinny or pencil thin skyscraper (this is usually defined at a ratio of 11:1).

Skyscraper Trends: Optimising Sites & Maximising Floor PlatesWith valuable land in city CBDs around the world getting smaller, as well as scarcer, how do you maximise their development values and are skyscrapers viable on these compact sites?

Vincent Amato Associate – [email protected]


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ImagesLeft: Abode318Right: 568 Collins Street


To achieve the requirements for 58-storeys on such a small site, optimising the building’s stability solution was critical. Wind tunnel testing and Finite Element Analysis were therefore conducted early in the project.

This early analysis highlighted the challenges associated with wind acceleration and revealed an overall building natural frequency on the borderline for occupancy comfort.

“We incorporated provision for a tuned mass damper to be located at the top of the building, while at the same time optimising all of the building’s primary elements and lateral mechanisms, including car park ramps, lift cores and shear walls, in a computer model,” explained Vincent Amato, Associate – Structures.

“When the structure was 80% complete the actual building frequency was measured using a ‘drop test’. One of the building cranes safely swung a weight above the structure and the building response was measured.”

This test revealed the dynamic response of the building to be acceptable without the need of the costly tuned mass damper, which could have cost the client $100k-$150k.

“It was also important to not underestimate the importance of floor systems,” added Amato. “When you have literally acres of the same footprint, it’s a significant cost to the overall project.”

The horizontal and vertical wave form of the Abode façade meant that every floor had a different geometry to the floor below and the floor above.

An economic floor plate design was achieved by seeking order in the waves and adopting a 10 floor repetition of the floor plate with the majority of the floor plate remaining consistent and variation being limited to the edge. This allowed the contractor to achieve economies of repetitive design with a bespoke outcome.

568 COLLINS STREET The 68-storey, mixed-use tower at 568 Collins Street meanwhile is set on a plan dimension of only 30m x 40, which is very small for a building of this height.

Traditionally in the Melbourne market high rise towers get their lateral stability solely by the central service core. On this site, however with the limited space the client wished to maximise the sellable floor space whilst not impeding the views with bulky structure.

By working closely with the architects and client in the early stages of the project a transfer-free structure has been created. This is rarely achieved in a mixed-use tower due to the floor plates requiring different functional grids for various uses.

“We were able to achieve this feat by use of advanced long term shortening and shrinkage modelling to predict and compensate for an uneven loading pattern to the structure,” explained Amato.

“We called on our experience in the Middle East and Asia and adopted an outrigger system, which alleviated the core of all the work and kept the façade free of bulky structure. With an outrigger system in two locations (top and bottom), we were able to shrink the core and give more sellable space back to the client.”

“In addition, a retention system without temporary ground anchors accelerated construction and avoided potential damage to surrounding services.”

The whole approach also reduced the building’s overall height while keeping the desired number of floors and reduced the cost to the developer.

PRIMA PEARLLocated across from the Crown Casino, the prestigious 72-storey Prima Pearl apartment tower is nearing completion. The mixed-use building includes an indoor swimming pool, sauna, spa and gymnasium, private cinema, lounge and library, 8 –level podium car park, virtual golf driving range and level-67 sky lounge.

Unlike Collins Street, this tower has the core doing all the work. Nevertheless, there are still opportunities to optimise space.

“We considered the impact of small internal core walls on the overall building stiffness,” said Amato. “And despite receiving calls from the contractor’s steel scheduler to check what we had submitted was correct, we were able to reduce the required reinforcement and wall thickness of the main external core walls.”

At the top of the building, on the penthouse floors, the client demanded even more.

“We have changed the shape of the floor plates above level 30 from concave to convex, which has created larger floor plates for the premium apartments,” said Amato. “This structural floor plate design, which we developed, easily accommodated the changing building footprint without compromising a typical design philosophy for fast construction.”

This is clearly where the benefit to the project translates to added value back to the client.

It is literally possible to grab real estate out of the sky.


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The whole approach also reduced the building’s overall height while keeping the desired number of floors and reduced the cost to the developer.

PRIMA PEARLLocated across from the Crown Casino, the prestigious 72-storey Prima Pearl apartment tower is nearing completion. The mixed-use building includes an indoor swimming pool, sauna, spa and gymnasium, private cinema, lounge and library, 8 –level podium car park, virtual golf driving range and level-67 sky lounge.

Unlike Collins Street, this tower has the core doing all the work. Nevertheless, there are still opportunities to optimise space.

“We considered the impact of small internal core walls on the overall building stiffness,” said Amato. “And despite receiving calls from the contractor’s steel scheduler to check what we had submitted was correct, we were able to reduce the required reinforcement and wall thickness of the main external core walls.”

At the top of the building, on the penthouse floors, the client demanded even more.

“We have changed the shape of the floor plates above level 30 from concave to convex, which has created larger floor plates for the premium apartments,” said Amato. “This structural floor plate design, which we developed, easily accommodated the changing building footprint without compromising a typical design philosophy for fast construction.”

This is clearly where the benefit to the project translates to added value back to the client.

It is literally possible to grab real estate out of the sky.

Images (clockwise from top):1. Prima Pearl Floor Plate Design2. The Outrigger System for 568 Collins Street3. Prima Pearl under construction



Building super tall buildings and getting it right takes collaboration, dedication and know-how. More so than any other type of construction project,

following best practice processes and having experienced professionals on the team is critical.

For us, it also means ensuring tight control of the project to mitigate risk and ensure projects are built safely and remain on program and on budget.

Currently constructing 568 Collins, one of Melbourne’s tallest and leanest residential towers (structural, civil & facade engineering by Meinhardt), we have employed several key self-performance capabilities to ensure an optimised construction programme and streamlined approach to building methodology. This includes using Hickory’s established formwork division to construct the building structure.

From the ground-up, our process is that of a project builder, not a project manager.

CONTROLLED FACADE DELIVERY Like structures, façade procurement and installation is one of the most risk intensive facets of tall building construction, with the late delivery of internationally sourced façade systems frequently contributing to late contract delivery. We have not been averse to this issue, and recently created a risk mitigation strategy in the form of a 60-person façade division dedicated to the design, procurement, fabrication, warehousing, transportation and installation of façade systems. By sourcing facades through our own Chinese based procurement officer, the new streamlined supply chain enables greater control of the façade process on high-rise projects.

The architecturally complex 568 Collins glass façade features geometric vertical strata that accentuates the tower’s slender form. Our façade division has optimised the construction sequence on the project by enabling façade and formwork to be performed concurrently behind the protection screens, deploying a 22 man project façade team to install the 29,000 square metres of glass curtain wall. To

George Argyrou, Managing Director of Hickory Group, was one of the keynote speakers at the recent imagin8 seminar in Melbourne. Here he writes how he believes self-performance is crucial in ensuring optimum efficiency when constructing tall buildings.

George ArgyrouManaging Director – Hickory [email protected]

Self-Performance Key To Successful Skyscraper Delivery

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date this new approach has proved successful, with the project consistently hitting targets and tracking successfully towards an on-time delivery in 2015.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION LEARNINGS In line with this emphasis on bringing key componentry in house, we have also established a manufacturing division producing modular buildings and building products. Using UB technology we have erected complete modular projects in record time, like the recently opened Schaller Studio Art Series hotel in Bendigo that went up in 6 days, and the 9-level One9 apartment project in Moonee Ponds that materialised in just 5 days.

Realising however that not all buildings lend themselves to being built in a completely modular fashion, and the height limitation inherent in most modular systems, we are now concentrating on delivering key prefabricated elements to our conventional projects, rather than complete off-site builds.

“For us, it also means ensuring tight control of the project to mitigate risk and ensure projects are built safely and remain on program and on budget. ”

SHAPING TALL BUILDINGS - NOV 2014

OFF-SITE BATHROOM CONSTRUCTION Our newly formed Sync bathroom pod product has been instrumental in the on-time delivery of 568 Collins Street, creating significant buildability advantages and improving delivery and site logistics by removing up to 12 trades from the restrictively small site footprint.

All 794 of the 65 level tower’s project bathrooms have been fitted and finished to completion in our Brooklyn factory then simply trucked to site where they are craned onto a loading platform, wheeled into position, connected to services and sheeted with plasterboard. On a compact site such as 568 Collins, taking bathroom trades off the critical path (including plumbers, tilers, carpenters, electricians and shower-screen installers) has enabled 12 – 18 day reductions on each cycle and ensured a consistent quality product across the 224 metre project.

PREFAB TECHNOLOGY TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS We are now planning to employ these prefab efficiencies on a much larger scale for future high-rise projects. Built on our learnings refining and manufacturing the UB System, we have developed a new system for tall-building project delivery that blends the best of modular and conventional construction practices. The new Hickory Integrated Structural System uses the principles of modular delivery, breaking down a high-rise structure into individually assembled units, however the essential make-up of these units is quite different. The integrated system creates a chassis-style structural unit beginning with a light-weight concrete floor with pre-determined slab penetrations to which load bearing columns and curtain wall (or other specified façade) is attached. A fully finished bathroom pod is also integrated into the structural unit, which is then deployed to site for assembly.

Using this structural system we can overcome the height limitations of conventional modular systems, which are generally based on panelised steel container structures that are self-supporting and have limited structural integrity over 10 – 15 stories. Instead this system enables structure to be prepared ex-situ, with added strength delivered by shotcreting between the units on taller builds.

Whilst the majority of fit-out (with the exception of bathroom pods) can still take place on site, the benefit is that all onsite work happens behind the protection of a prefinished

façade, removing the need for protection screening and the potential risk of delays due to inclement weather.

A BEST-PRACTICE MODEL FOR THE INDUSTRY Hickory see this new structural technology as a logical extension of our self-performance capabilities, to be employed on a best-for-project basis. Combining structure, façade, subassembly and fit-out capabilities, we hope that this methodology will provide a catalyst for further exploration and change in the industry.

By investing in continuous innovation, the construction and engineering industry can enable Australia’s significant pipeline of new tall buildings to be delivered faster, more safely and sustainably and to a higher quality than ever before, showcasing our considerable homegrown talents to the rest of the world.


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Image (previous page):1. 568 Collins Street - bathroom pod installation

Images (clockwise from top left)1. 568 Collins Street - Structure and Facade Install2. 568 Collins Street - bathroom in the Sync factory3. Integrated Structural System Unit Model


Planning ideologies are slowly changing. The recently released Metropolitan Planning Strategy, Plan Melbourne, advocates densified residential and

commercial buildings at increased heights, particularly within the CBD and urban renewal areas – both of which are strategically located near jobs, transport and existing infrastructure. Despite these positive steps, the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, has been widely criticised for what many view as his tall tower ‘approvals binge’, leading to him being dubbed “Mr Skyscraper”.

There are currently approximately 30,000 apartments within Melbourne City Council’s boundaries, with over 100+ tall towers approved for construction in Central Melbourne. An estimated 15,000 more apartments housed within tall buildings are planned over the next five years (Figure 1).

In August 2013, Professor Rob Adams, Melbourne City Council’s Director of City Design, questioned this growing trend towards tall buildings and higher plot ratios and warned that the city centre could become “Hong Kong but without the spectacular setting” if planning rules were left unchecked.

Melburnians’ earnest engagement over the future of their city skyline exemplifies a community pride that has grown since the rejuvenation of the city centre in the 1980s, prior

to which the Age newspaper’s architecture critic Norman Day described the bleak CBD in 1978 as “an empty, useless city centre”. Professor Adams’ comments thus embody a long-standing narrative of Melbourne’s developers and decision makers wrestling with community groups over the height of their projects.

But are the claims that tall buildings are “soulless towers” destined to become “slums of the future” justified? What, if anything, is wrong with height and how do tall structures detract from Melbourne as the “world’s most liveable city”?

Apart from densification enhancing Melbourne’s prime “liveability” status by containing urban sprawl, tall buildings can elevate cities by redefining their local and regional environment, creating jobs and opportunities, and becoming the iconic structures of re-imagined city centres.

Melbourne’s flat topography allows appropriately positioned tall buildings to define and articulate the city structure, visually reinforcing areas of significance or noteworthy localities within the city area. The combination of appropriate site location and a considered architectural response enable tall buildings to become important city landmarks.

Tall buildings should therefore be appropriately located if they are to enhance and complement the city structure

Tall Building Criticism: A Tall TaleThe sustainability of tall buildings has been forgotten, write Tim Retrot and Jon Brock.

Tim Retrot Senior Consultant – [email protected]

Jon BrockNational Director – Land Development, Infrastructure & [email protected]


17 | FEATURES & OPINION

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MELBOURNE GROWTH TIMELINE

SOUTHBANK & HODDLE GRID SOUTHBANK

SHAPING | TALL BUILDINGS- NOV 2014

and protect the amenity of sensitive areas. A poorly located, poorly designed tall structure can physically and visually overwhelm adjacent streets and neighbourhoods, overshadow nearby open space, create unnecessary traffic congestion, and produce uncomfortable wind conditions.

Tall buildings thus have a responsibility to respect the surrounding environment. It is the opinion of the writers that Melbourne appropriately balances this obligation – take the Swanston Street city core as an example (Figure 2). The ‘heart’ of the CBD preserves its rich historic architecture and character by avoiding tall buildings and ensuring a thoughtfully blended contemporary design aesthetic. The majority of current tall building approvals are on the west and north-western edge of the Hoddle Grid, Southbank, or, more recently, Fishermans Bend.

Urban renewal precincts such as Fishermans Bend are strategically located near jobs, transport and existing infrastructure. By creating efficient and sustainable tall buildings within and near the central city, the need for transportation and land are economised, resulting in increased social equity, shared resources, energy savings, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per person. Unfortunately, these powerful ecological, social and economic arguments appear to have become too passé for those Melburnians agitating against the aesthetic of their evolving city skyline.

Apart from the lifestyle benefits of proximity and connectivity to city amenity (not to mention the spectacular views), tall buildings are economically sound propositions. Taller buildings cost less per square metre to build. The rising land values in Melbourne’s central city have increased pressure to densify and achieve greater dividends for prime-location sites, which in turn allows high-risk investors the lure of recouping their outlays, thereby stimulating economic growth.

The increasing focus on developer contributions in the form of public open space is also encouraging. Not only do these areas enhance the sustainability of the city by securing land for public use and enjoyment, they also enhance

30,000 APARTMENTS

100+ TALL TOWERSAPPROVED FOR CONSTRUCTION

City of Melbourne ZoneCentral Melbourne area

45,000 APARTMENTS

100+ COMPLETED TALL TOWERS

2014 MELBOURNE TALL BUILDINGS

2019 MELBOURNE TALL BUILDINGS

MELBOURNE TALL BUILDINGS GROWTH PREDICTION

City of Melbourne ZoneCentral Melbourne area

Figure 1



the streetscape by ensuring a pleasant public realm and community asset. It is here, at the street interface and lower levels of tall buildings, where attention should be focussed – and this is where the concern surrounding some tall building approvals is justified.

The public domains of commercial buildings have generally been self-fulfilling because profits are maximised by creating generous retail space and public plazas that are as inviting as possible for business tenants. Residential buildings have caught up in recent years with an acknowledgement that the profit derived from the number of units needs to be balanced against an attractive public domain and activated retail frontage as investors have become increasingly ‘lifestyle’ savvy.

Melbourne does have poor examples of taller development (mainly approved in the 20 years between 1980 and 2000) with podium levels facing away from the street employing high, blank, unactivated walls, which force socioeconomic activities inside rather than out. Such internalisation of uses results in the isolation of retail and social activities from the collective city community and the ‘buzz’ of city life.

Simple landscaping elements such as tree canopies and streetscape designs incorporating awnings and retail frontages effectively mitigate internalisation of uses and solve the human-scale problem by creating a micro-environment for pedestrians.

To conclude, well-designed tall buildings do not detract from Melbourne as the “world’s most liveable city” because:

• The combination of appropriate site location and a considered architectural response enable tall buildings to become important city landmarks.

• Tall buildings within and near the central city are sustainable – an argument that needs to be cogently reiterated.

• Appropriate street treatments can solve the human-scale problem by creating a micro-environment for pedestrians.

“What, if anything, is wrong with height and how do tall structures detract from Melbourne as the “world’s most liveable city”? ”

Figure 2


The development comprises four towers ranging from 21 to 58 storeys and incorporates 1600 dwellings atop a podium structure containing a variety of

uses including retail, commercial and extensive communal facilities, including a proposed Village Hall to be donated to Council.

The proposal was located in the Montague Precinct in an area typified by large lots. The draft Montague Structure Plan envisaged development not exceeding 100m for the Precinct. Yet the site was located on the border of the Sandridge Precinct and had the capacity to accommodate a substantial building envelope, which prompted the Meinhardt Planning team to argue that there was no transition between the Precincts.

The area links the Hoddle Grid and Docklands to Fishermans Bend, and the site is one of the first visible when coming across the Charles Grimes Bridge. As such, the Meinhardt Planning team added that the site surrounds should be distinguished as a gateway to Fishermans Bend, and needed to be defined as such.

A rigorous conceptual analysis placed the site in context by identifying a number of features that create physical and psychological ‘barriers’, which formed natural boundaries to create a new ‘Northern Gateway Precinct’ for the Fishermans Bend area.

The central location of the site within the identified ‘Northern Gateway Precinct’ meant the large site had the capacity to support a landmark development of substantial scale that would act as an architectural identifier for the Precinct. In addition, the correct mix of uses would enable establishment of a heart and active community hub for the area; a design solution that suitably complemented the other nearby activity centres.

Meetings and workshops were therefore organised with State Government, and an urban context report was prepared which set its own parameters outside the published Structure Plans.

The new approach has been well received by relevant government bodies, and the client is delighted as it proposes a far better development outcome and one that is now financially viable.

Strategic Foresight Brings Area to LifeThe $1 billion mixed-use development at 60-82 Johnson Street, South Melbourne, is located within the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area (FBURA) and responds to the recent Capital City rezoning and urban renewal objectives for increased high-density, high-rise development.

Tim Retrot Senior Consultant – [email protected]


21 | CASE STUDY

“ The site was located on the border of the Sandridge Precinct and had the capacity to accommodate a substantial building envelope, which prompted the Meinhardt Planning team to argue that there was no transition between the Precincts. ”

Images:Top: 60-82 Johnson Street, South Melbourne.Bottom: FBURA Precinct Map



23 | CASE STUDY

Designed by Pei Cobb Freed, with local architectural partners DWP Suters, this development sees the construction of an iconic lens-shaped tower of 21

storeys, rising to a height of 83 metres.

The building will provide Premium Grade office accommodation to blue chip clients including half of all the NT Government’s departments together with retail and above-ground and below-ground car parks.

Meinhardt is providing multi-disciplinary engineering design services for the project which is currently under construction.

The lens shape is a key feature of the design and will offer generous panoramic views of the waterfront while giving Darwin a unique sculptural form on its skyline.

From a structural perspective, the major challenge is to enable the iris-shaped building to withstand hurricane force winds. Computational fluid dynamic modelling simulations were carried out to assess the forces from all directions.

The presence of necessary penetrations at the building core has also proved to be a challenge as this structure will bear the full weight of the building.

The services design has had to be specific to meet the NABERS 5 Star and Grade ‘A’ office requirement, taking into account the lack of green power purchase opportunity in Darwin, and to have all services fitted within the constraints of the core areas.

Repetitive simulations were carried out to establish the optimum make-up of the ESD features with the ultimate determinations on building services systems and building façade components based on these ESD credentials, ease of operation, risk, cost and life cycle considerations.

The following building services strategies have been adopted:

• To help reduce utility bills and maintenance costs a centralized energy management system has been installed. This comprehensive Building and Management and Control System (BMCS) integrates Mechanical, Power, Lighting, Vertical Transportation & Security Services to monitor base building, and individual tenancy floors’ energy consumption, and to control access and usage both during normal and after office hours

• Digital thermostats will monitor room occupancy and automatically adjust the temperature when occupants enter or exit

Engineering Darwin’s Tallest Office BuildingThe engineering challenges range from designing to withstand hurricanes to meeting NABERS 5 Star requirements.

Paree CordatoProject Leader [email protected]


• To reduce lighting costs, energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors have been provided. A lighting control system based on ‘state of art’ technology DALI standard has also been specified to be implemented throughout the whole building. Daylight sensors are located at the window perimeter zones for daylight harvesting controls over artificial lighting

• A flexible design has allowed roof space and capacity within the electrical infrastructure to enable the installation of a Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) system to generate on-site renewable energy

• The installation of high efficiency (full load and part load) water-cooled chillers

• The use of low velocity air distribution ductwork to reduce the fans’ power consumption

• The use of a variable air volume air conditioning system with optimum AC zoning to provide close temperature control to each space without overcooling

• A guide has been produced for implementation by the building owner to help educate cleaning and maintenance staff to turn off lights and adjust thermostats, and implement preventive maintenance programs

“ The major challenge is to enable the iris-shaped building to withstand hurricane force winds. Computational fluid dynamic modelling simulations were carried out to assess the forces from all directions. ”

imagesPrevious page:Charles Darwin Centre Artist’s ImpressionThis Page (Clockwise From Top Left)1. Charles Darwin Foyer Impression2. Charles Darwin Foyer Impression3. Charles Darwin View From Office4. Charles Darwin Construction Photo


25 | CASE STUDY


The 290m project, which sits above the local metro station, will contain 1.7-million square feet of Grade-A

offices, high-end residential apartments, a luxury business hotel, premier retail space and a sheltered event space in Tanjong Pagar City Park.

Meinhardt is the Design Engineer of the Mechanical and Electrical Services & QP of the Mechanical & Electrical System

The M&E services, which are all being designed using Building Information Modelling (BIM), have been developed to meet the multi-stakeholder Multi- Tier Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) requirements.

In tandem with this, minimising the GFA for the M&S Services Plant Rooms to optimise lettable areas has been another key goal, while the team has also designed a flexible solution which can easily allow for the provision of future tenancy works.

Tanjong Pagar Centre sets a high benchmark for environmental sustainability and the design of the M&E services has been integral to this.

The transit-oriented development uses passive technologies such as solar shading devices and natural ventilation to reduce mechanical loads, sophisticated power management and lighting systems, including T5 and LED lighting, rain water recycling systems and will employ photovoltaic panels to generate one percent of the building’s energy.

The project has received Green Mark awards from the Singapore Building and Construction Authority, while GuocoTower, the 38-story office building portion of the development, has achieved LEED® Platinum Precertification (Core + Shell) from the USGBC.

Tanjong Pagar Centre is slated for completion in 2016.

Setting High Green StandardsTanjong Pagar Centre is a large-scale integrated mixed-used development set to be the tallest building of its type in Singapore.

Wong Kong Sing Director – [email protected]

Client: Belmeth Pte Ltd/ Guston Pte Ltd/ Perfect Eagle Pte Ltd

Design Architect: Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill LLP

Architect (QP): Architects 61 Pte Ltd

Main Contractor: Samsung C&T Corporation

Quantity Surveyor: Davis Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd

SHAPING | HEALTHCARE - NOV 2014

27 | CASE STUDY

SHAPING | HEALTHCARE - NOV 2014

Ballarat Base Hospital

Pan Pacific Singapore

Face PlatinumKuala LumpurNIGHT PERSPECTIVE

Tianjin Bohai Bank TowerChinaNIGHT PERSPECTIVE

A Snapshot Of Our Tall Building Projects



MNC Tower JakartaMEDIA FACADE

MNC TowerJakartaEAST WEST FACADE

Four SeasonsKuala Lumpur

RESIDENTIAL ELEVATION


Postcard from Shanghai

Glen Pederick, Discipline Leader – Building Services at Meinhardt Australia was invited to speak about vertical transportation at the world’s largest conference for Tall buildings.

The Council on Tall Buildings and the Urban Habitat (CTBUH) event took place from September 16 – 19 in Shanghai, China.

Glen’s paper titled “How Vertical Transportation Is Helping Transform The Modern City” discussed new approaches to vertical transportation design and some of his key findings are included as part of his thought leadership article earlier in the e-magazine

Glen has also been appointed to the CTBUH Advisory Group. Drawn from the international Council membership, the Group provides wider strategic counsel and guidance to the Board of Trustees. He is the only representative from Australia.

Glen Pederick Discipline Leader – Building Services [email protected]

Future Cities: Towards Sustainable Vertical Urbanism

Things I Learnt1. Tallbuildingsarenolongerofficebuildings,theyaremixed-usebuildings.2. Theyarenolongersteelconstruction,andaremostlycompositestructures.3. Buildingsaregettingtaller,withnewchallengesbeingcreatedfordesigners

Images courtesy of CTBUHhttp://www.ctbuh.org/



Things I Learnt1. Tallbuildingsarenolongerofficebuildings,theyaremixed-usebuildings.2. Theyarenolongersteelconstruction,andaremostlycompositestructures.3. Buildingsaregettingtaller,withnewchallengesbeingcreatedfordesigners

GP


TECHNOLOGY TRENDS: WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS CHANGING HOW WE DESIGN?

[MD]: As each new skyscraper tries to outdo the last, facade and building forms continue to evolve in their complexity aided by 3D programs and continually evolving BIM technology...

But the sector continues to rise to these challenges through clever thinking.

We have seen and been part of innovations like three part unitised systems to accommodate double curvature curtain walls (Figures 1, 2 & 3). We have also been at the forefront of extreme cold bending for curtain walls by developing in-house parametric modelling that considers all aspects of cold bend glass, including structural and fabrication limitations, as well as appearance (Figures 4, 5 & 6). A

specific testing method to validate numerical models for this has been developed as well.

[SS]: The tall building market in Australia historically has been predominantly influenced by the residential market. These projects were often developed with the expectation of large cash returns with architecture and sustainability held in less regard. This saw a trend for cheaper and cheaper materials, simple designs and mass production options as a driving force for facades. Innovative solutions and opportunities for R&D were very limited.

This though has led to more design scrutiny as a common expectation from builders when providing these cost effective solutions nowadays. They have learnt from the past as remedial façade works have started to pick up, similar to the post-Olympic era in the 1990s, caused by fast and in-experienced construction.

Pushing The Envelope: Skyscraper Façade TrendsThe façade sector is a dynamic, constantly evolving industry driven by a number of trends from technology to materials to costs. Mimi Daraphet [MD], Technical Director, and Sanjayan Sivasubramaniam [SS], Associate - Senior Facade Consultant, give their perspectives as to what this means for tall buildings in the Asian and Australian markets.

Mimi Daraphet Technical Director – [email protected]

Sanjayan Sivasubramaniam Associate – Senior Facade [email protected]



Images (clockwise from top left):Figure 1: Three part unitized system for Hangzhou Raffles City, China by UN StudioFigure 2: Form models of Hangzhou Raffles City by UN Studio Figure 3: Construction of Hangzhou Raffles City

“Technology has also contributed to the sustainability of the materials driven, in tandem, by the increased demand for green certification of projects. Technology has also opened up new techniques and possibilities for application. ”


Images (clockwise from left):Figure 1: HQ, Lebanon by ERGA GroupFigure 2: Cold bend glass - QA/QC inspection at factoryFigure 3: Credit Libanais site photo



From a systems perspective in Australia we note the following key trends:

• Monumental awning windows on residential buildings to improve natural ventilation. This is saving costs on air-conditioning but needs to be considered in tandem with wind implications, which isn’t always being done

• A move away from BMUs and a tendency towards rope access – a potentially worrying trend putting cost before safety

• Stage by stage construction which creates opportunities for wind engineers and other specialists

MATERIAL TRENDS: WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR MATERIALS CURRENTLY AND IS THERE A REASON FOR THIS?

[MD]: Glass continues to be the most popular material because of the popularity for full height glazing.

The technology for glass fabricated and processed in China is advancing to meet the European and American supply and it is very competitive in terms of cost. Even Europe and USA are now allowing their products to be processed in China for export use and are even selling their coating technology to Chinese factories in order to remain competitive in the market.

Factored into this are architects who are also wanting larger and larger glass size panels and for clearer and clearer glass, which is pushing the boundaries in terms of glass selection criteria (Figure 7a & 7b).

Technology has also contributed to the sustainability of the materials driven, in tandem, by the increased demand for green certification of projects. Technology has also opened up new techniques and possibilities for application. For example, we are investigating the use of a 60mm thick single piece of carbon reinforced plastic (CRP) that is 15m x 15m on a project.

[SS]: I agree that glass continues to be the most commonly used material but there is also a trend towards other cheaper material options.

These include light weight steel, as this avoids the need for specialist trades, and the use of weaker stones like travertine stone, which, as well as the cost benefits, is also locally available and Green Star rated.

CLIENT TRENDS: WHAT ARE THE CURRENT PRIORITIES FOR CLIENTS? [MD]: Sustainability, aesthetics, buildability, future-proofing, price – they are all important. It really depends on the client or the market.

Price is a big factor, and rightly so, as the facade is the largest surface area of a building. But it is also the first thing people notice about a building. Some clients value the impact potential over price and some don’t.

Some value getting it up in the shortest time possible at little cost variation and some build for future-proofing and efficiency (although this is not a common buzzword for Asia).

The latter really depends on the client, their corporate image, their culture and whether they are going to sell or keep the building. We get the extremes of that in Asia.

[SS]: In my opinion the high Australian dollar has stifled creativity in the past. With the Australian dollar now falling, clients are expecting more – more detailed outputs and more specialist capabilities within the team to really showcase the façade.

Sustainability, buildability and price are all part of existing requirements. In my opinion, the future will require capabilities in lighting, ESD, animation, specialist materials, Eco façades – as seen in the Invisible Tower in South Korea – and wind mitigated facades – as seen at Brisbane Airport’s new car park.

CHALLENGE TRENDS: AS WE CONTINUE TO GO HIGHER, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES NOW BEING FACED?

[MD]: There are three particular trends that we have identified as key to the next evolution of tall buildings:

1. The magnification of issues on small buildings is exacerbated as you go higher. For example, there is the elastic shortening on columns as you build higher, so the stack joints need to cater for that by being installed with bigger joints.

2. Although there are examples, like our own 568 Collins Street project in Melbourne, where transfer structures have


Image (from top):Figure 7a: and 7b 1.7m wide by 5.5m tall piece of glass for a 10.5m tall façade at Singapore’s Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. The other pieces are 3m wide by 3.5m tall. The glass is also very clear with a 72% visual light transmission but with a relatively good performing SC value of 0.46



been avoided, inevitably in most buildings as we go higher these will have to be made at some point. This means careful consideration must be made for the deflection of the façade members to the floor above and below the transfer floor.

3. Greater heights will lead to greater variation in wind loads and so optimising frame sizes will test façade engineers.

[SS]: Architects and clients are becoming more and more comfortable working directly with the manufacturers, and most contractors have a very good understanding of traditional curtain wall and detailing.

The challenge for façade consultants is how to exceed the knowledge of an architect and traditional detailers. That is to bring both the architectural aspect and engineering together and deliver them scientifically so that they work in harmony.

COST TRENDS: HOW CAN GOOD FAÇADE DESIGN IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPER’S BOTTOM LINE?

[MD]: For a low-rise building one could expect the façade cost to be in the range of 10% or less of the total construction cost. With a super high-rise building the façade cost can easily exceed 20%, which is more than the cost of the superstructure, but simply because there is more surface area.

Savings can be made by having robust coordination between the design consultants; not only with the architect, but also the structural engineer (for reasons mentioned above), the MEP engineer, the specialist lighting consultant and the BMU consultant.

Other savings can be made by understanding your materials properly in order to optimise the cross-size of members and to minimise wastage by choosing appropriate modulations for the façade.

Building Physics Modelling can also help generate significant value. Energy modelling helps ensure appropriate glass selection to reduce loading on the HVAC systems, while daylighting and glare studies can help optimize façade additives and the overuse of artificial lighting. We have a live example where this approach saved the client a million dollars by halving the original depth of the sunshades (Figure 8).

[SS]: From a developer’s perspective, it is all about risk and reliability.

Nearly 100% of façades are produced based on façade contractor’s shop drawings. Construction risk can be minimized via a systematic QA/QC approach and contractual risk can be managed via specification.

FUTURE TRENDS: WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS?

[MD]: The future presents a key challenge in the maintenance or façade access of a building. As buildings become taller and more intricate, ensuring that all parts of the façade can be accessible is a huge challenge that is often overlooked or left to the last minute. It is why we have a dedicated BMU and Façade Access engineering team.

With buildings being so tall, the duration of the cleaning cycle could mean that once you finish, it may be time to start again.

The maintenance of artificial lighting on a taller façade needs also to be considered as well as the replacement of glass and/or components on the façade (ie. gaskets, sealants, etc) (Figures 9 & 10).

[SS]: For me the future of façades lies squarely in a consultant’s expertise and capability to deliver.

Staying on top of all the trends we have referenced is crucial to ensure the fostering of creativity but also an understanding of how these can be delivered without compromising the final design outcome for the sake of short-term financial gain.

“Sustainability, aesthetics, buildability, future-proofing, price – they are all important. It really depends on the client or the market. ”


Image (from top left):Figure 8: Daylight Analysis testing the depth of the sunshade for optimization for CREATE at Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS)Figure 9 and 10: Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou has 6 access doors in the façade (2 each on the front and back and 1 each on the short facades).

“The future presents a key challenge in the maintenance or façade access of a building. As buildings become taller and more intricate, ensuring that all parts of the façade can be accessible is a huge challenge that is often overlooked or left to the last minute. ”




Your Contacts

Denis Young Managing Director – (Aus)[email protected]

Jon BrockNational Director - Land Development (Aus)[email protected]

John CorriganNational Director - Property & Buildings (Aus)[email protected]

Luke TaylorState Leader - Property & Buildings (QLD)[email protected]

Bob EllisState Leader - Property & Buildings (SA)[email protected]

Tom HarringtonState Leader - Land Development (VIC)[email protected]

Jason MurdochState Leader - Land Development (QLD)[email protected]

Nick BamberState Leader - Mining & Resources (QLD)[email protected]

Daniel MooreState Leader - Mining & Resources (SA)[email protected]

Michael WhiteDiscipline Leader - Civil [email protected]

Steve DunstoneDiscipline Leader - [email protected]

Dr. Santo RagusaDiscipline Leader - Environmental [email protected]

Glen PederickDiscipline Leader - Building [email protected]

Brendan SmithDiscipline Leader – Project & Programme [email protected]

Rennie DarmaninDiscipline Leader - [email protected]

Tony DouglasGeneral Manager - [email protected]

If you have any queries about the content in the magazine, please contact: Justin Farmer PR and Marketing Manager – (Aus) [email protected]

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