BURWOOD EAST SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL
Building Environments that Develop the Academic and Social Potential of Special Needs Students.
Burwood East Special Developmental School (BEDS) is located in a busy Melbourne suburb, straddling the cities of Monash and Whitehorse. Driven by the collective purpose of preparing young people for a positive future in an inclusive society, the hard working academic and support staff are dedicated to student learning and wellbeing.
The school had outgrown the existing front-of-house facilities which no longer supported the office personnel. Similarly, the back-of-house amenities needed an upgrade to cater for growing student and faculty demand. This called for a complete rethink and redesign.
About the Project
Domain National were engaged to complete a comprehensive overhaul of these facilities through this 850m² interior construction project for BEDS. The project commenced in September 2020 and was completed early January 2021 and comprised of:
- New Reception area
- Office Build & Fitout and
- Commercial Kitchen and Servery.
A detailed planning process kick-started the project to understand and manage the specific safety challenges of working in a live school environment. No matter how experienced of the Domain team are working in schools, they leave nothing to chance. Each and every site has its own unique challenges and obstacles to consider, and each demands its own response. It’s the only way to ensure all visitors to and from the school are safe during the construction phase.
Traditionally, the highest area of risk in most school environments is the student drop off and pick-up zone. The high traffic flow from pedestrians and vehicles as parents and care givers converge and disperse, students moving to and from classrooms, and teachers helping with the orderly transitions, all happens within a concentrated timeframe. Couple this with a construction project and there’s good reason for extra diligence. So Domain National accepted responsibility for managing the drop-off/pick-up zone, ensuring the movement of trades, equipment and materials did not interfere with the daily flow.
Given the restrictive nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project manager paid particular attention to the procurement of long lead time materials and equipment. Previous commitments could no longer be relied upon as manufacturers and distributors themselves were challenged by social distancing limitations and supply chains shortages. Thankfully, early planning and revised scheduling ensured the project was not delayed and all requirements were fulfilled as originally specified.
Demolition commenced in preparation for the new reception and office facilities, removing existing fixed joinery, furnishings, equipment, and partitions. Waste was managed and disposed of thoughtfully to ensure minimal inconvenience for the school from noise and dust, and to maintain environmentally sustainable practices.
The project team coordinated a flawless interior construction program which included the coordination of carpentry and plaster walls and ceilings, glazing and associated partitions, mechanical, electrical, data and hydraulic services, the installation of custom joinery and adjustable ergonomic furniture, new floor and wall furnishings, and the installation and commissioning of new kitchen equipment.
As a result of constant and effective communication with the school, specifiers and suppliers, Domain was able to implement workable contingencies to ensure continuous progress was occurring. Managing work activities in this way ensured the program and budget were not impeded and the end result exceeded the client’s expectations.
PROJECT VALUE – $500,000 – $1,000,000
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Builder: Domain National
Client: Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) & Burwood East Developmental School
Architect: FMSA Architecture
Engineers: Kaco Consulting and Engineering