Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services — all under one roof
Integrated services are vital for clients wishing to avoid costly clashes during construction or, worse yet, retrofitting work-arounds after building is complete.
Ashburner Francis’s Brisbane team is documenting MEP services for a proposed extension to a three-storey Arcare Aged Care Facility in Springwood (‘Arcare Springwood’), on the city’s southside. Extension plans will increase the accommodation from 110 beds to 172 beds — a significant upgrade that requires careful coordination of mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.
Our project team is led by Paul McKenna (a senior hydraulic design/services manager with 25yrs+ experience), working in close collaboration with our mechanical engineer Phong Pham and our senior electrical designer Michael Heaslip. Collectively, the team brings close to 60 years’ industry experience to the project.
Together, they work closely to ensure all services are well integrated. “Sharing an office enables us to design concepts concurrently,” Paul says. “We can check-in with one another instantly — to understand what’s required for each service and then make design decisions to avoid any clashes.”
A complex project like the Arcare Springwood extension includes, but is not limited to:
- Plumbing (updgrading water, sewerage, trade waste and stormwater services to accommodate the new build)
- Mechanical (relocating/coordinating with existing services, and integrating additional air-conditioning and ventilation to the extension)
- Electrical (assessing the power of the existing boards and increasing capacity as required)
Paul describes his team as a “tight-knit” unit. And it shows. Their track record of very few problems developing during the construction phase is testament to their proficiency and well-coordinated documentation. When services they’ve designed/documented are being installed, on-site variations are generally limited.
For Arcare Springwood, our MEP team is staging the services’ design to ensure vital parts of the facility (including the kitchen and laundry) can remain operational during construction.
Our team also works hand-in-glove with Elevation Architecture — who are responsible for designing the architecture for Arcare Springwood’s extension. We are mindful that services be appropriately concealed, to help maintain the integrity of the interior and exterior design (without compromising the performance of the pipework, ducts and other vital service infrastructure).
Elevation Architecture Director Sascha Christensen describes the cohesion that Paul, Phong and Michael bring to the project as being “seamless”.
“For upgrades of large existing buildings like Arcare Springwood, an integrated approach is essential,” Sascha says. “Having the Ashburner Francis team literally sitting adjacent to each other, and trouble-shooting throughout the design phase, circumvents me having to manage communications between three different consultants for mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.”
Additionally, Sascha says our proactive approach is an important time-saver. “They are great communicators — always updating me about any potential issues like placements for piping or ducts. That early intel allows us to modify the design accordingly, rather than receiving drawings that require me to backtrack to remedy issues on site.”
The Arcare Springwood extension marks the 14th year Sascha has worked with us. She sums up the relationship as follows: “They’re competent, knowledgeable people who are always willing to work together to achieve the best outcome for every project on which they’re engaged.”
Want to find out more about our integrated MEP services? We welcome your enquiry at hello@ashburnerfrancis.com.au