In April 2012, FKG sold their old premises to an external party and needed to develop, design & construct, and occupy the new premises inside a 10-month window.

DMA Engineers was engaged by FKG to design and document the mechanical, electrical and fire services for the new headquarters. The new headquarters, almost a stand-alone township, included an 1900m² office building, outdoor alfresco space, kitchen, 1600m² warehouse, a 1400m² workshop, gym, early learning centre and swimming pool.

Due to the urgency of the job, FKG Group required project partners who could get the job done promptly while still designing to a high standard.

The project had two stages each with clear and explicit deadlines. The first stage was constructing the office and living facilities, and stage two involved the construction of the warehouse. DMA Engineers were engaged to complete both stages.

Some of the specific design challenges of the project included the concealment of air conditioning units and ductwork and installing condensers in a specific location on site. The electrical and communications cabling in the office needed to be installed without droppers from the ceiling. The client also placed high importance on achieving a NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) rating for the building. In developing the load requirements of the building, the client also requested an additional allowance for their premises of 30%. It was also critical to them that the site had sufficient yard lighting.

In meeting the project scope and design requirements of the job, innovative and intricate solutions were often required.

Air conditioning plant were located in two centralised platforms. To avoid using droppers for the electrical and communications cabling, DMA used a slab trench to ensure an open office space. To assist the client in achieving their desired NABERS rating on their building, DMA had individual metering of components. Efficient lighting and switching was utilised, light fittings were chosen based on their efficiency, and we worked closely with the landscape architect to ensure the site was sufficiently lit.

The project was successfully delivered on time and within the client’s short time frame.