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Ausgrid – Roden Cutler House Redevelopment

Protecting CBD power supply during a 19 storey refurbishment

Built in 1975, Roden Cutler House underwent a substantial redevelopment to become the new Ausgrid Head Office. The 19 storey refurbishment aimed to reposition the building with a flexible workplace design that fostered connectivity and wellbeing.

Completed over three stages, the project included a complete services and lift upgrade (seven new lift cars), plant relocation, lobby and front façade rejuvenation and BCA compliance upgrades.

Challenges & solutions
The project was delivered within a live environment with major structural work, restricted lift access and extensive materials handling coordination. Key challenges included:

  • Protecting a major four storey southern CBD electrical substation below the building throughout the project through careful isolation, coordination and workarounds.
  • The services and lift upgrade required considered live environment logistics for the new rooftop chillers and cooling tower installation. The redesign of the mechanical system to energy efficient floor-by-floor systems converted an existing 80m vertical shaft area on every floor into new HVAC plantrooms. This redesign and a compact services approach enabled the existing upper plantroom floors to be converted into additional usable NLA.
  • BCA fire upgrades covered compliance of fire stairs, upgrades to stair pressurisation and zone smoke control systems, and construction of a fire control room. Close coordination with the Fire Engineer, Fire & Rescue NSW and the Ausgrid substation team was required.
  • The new, accessible ground floor lobby and cafe increased the ground floor footprint by extending a new facade frontage and awning to Campbell Street.

Client

Ausgrid

Architect

Group GSA / Lo Studio

Program

43 weeks

Completion

April 2019