Having Fun With AluPanel (plus installation time lapse)

It's not often private residential projects come up, as the materials we generally produce aren't necessarily conducive to in-home applications. However once in a while something comes up where we can have a lot of fun in the design and installation, while also solving a problem.

In the case of this particular client, they'd had a new fence installed which did not fit the council regulations for safety around their pool. Additionally, having a 2 year old daughter made them very keen to have a solution put together that would brighten up their yard, be an interesting and unique addition to their home, while also ensuring the safety of their little one.

Custom installation around the glass pool fence

Custom installation around the glass pool fence

We went over quite a few options before deciding that AluPanel (also known as CompPanel, SkyBond, AluBond etc) would be the most cost effective and appropriate option.

During the design phase we had mocked up quite a few bright and visually pleasing concepts including a Moroccan tile motif, a Grotto type theme, before eventually agreeing that a repeating pattern which would tesselate with itself infinitely would be something simple and effective.

We worked with the client perusing iStock, Shutterstock and other photographic resources, when we stumbled upon the tropical bird repeating pattern - what a theme to go with their cabana style yard layout and pool area! Tropics in your home!

Close up of the repeating pattern

Close up of the repeating pattern

The installation presented it's challenges, however nothing some on-site customising couldn't solve. Anything is possible with the right tools and expertise.

You've seen the photos, now watch the video of the team! Music by Dave Hammer - https://soundcloud.com/hammerproducer

‘Thinking outside the site’ for St Vincent’s Private Hospital redevelopment, Plus Video by ScrimWorks

Buildcorp’s specialist health team has used creative thinking to solve operational and construction process challenges in the redevelopment of St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, which commenced in December 2015.

The St Vincent’s Darlinghurst health campus in Sydney is set to receive a new 13-level East Wing and substantial renovation of the existing private hospital building which will house additional patient rooms, state-of-the-art operating theatres, consulting suites and a new rehabilitation unit.

Buildcorp has been working collaboratively with the St Vincent’s project team in an Early Contractor Involvement process to develop, design and create buildability solutions that will enable the construction to be delivered safely and effectively around the 24/7 hospital campus.

Buildcorp’s expertise in live environment hospital sites ensured the construction poses minimal disruption to hospital operations and local traffic flow. One of the key challenges from the outset was how to move construction materials in and out of the new East Wing site which is tightly bordered on all sides by operational buildings located on one of Sydney’s busiest roads. The answer required the team to think outside the site and mount the crane on the adjoining private hospital building. With some minor strengthening of the lift core, the engineering was confirmed and the tower crane was installed in a meticulously planned operation in January 2016.

During its time in situ, the tower crane will stand 30m above the private hospital building and this location outside the site footprint has enabled a faster final approved construction program, saving four to six weeks at no additional cost. The same crane location can also be used for the second stage of the project, which involves the demolition and replacement of the seven storey façade on the existing private hospital building. Using the same crane will minimise the need for multiple road closures and allows for a safer and more effective construction method to be used to replace the façade when those works commence after the East Wing project is complete.

Another important project challenge is to minimise the noise and vibrations of the digging and construction works to ensure the existing Hospital patients, medical teams and surgeries are not impacted. Buildcorp has installed three separate vibration monitors around the site in key areas that will alert the team when any vibrations reach near threshold. At this point, the demolition works will stop and a revised method will be used to ensure the threshold is not exceeded. To help protect against construction noise even further, Buildcorp has installed acoustic barriers on the surrounding buildings with a product that both reflects and absorbs sound, reducing the impact on hospital users by up to 30db.

This is Buildcorp’s 58th health/clinical building project across the east coast of Australia. The two stage redevelopment will be complete in mid-2018 and will further enhance St Vincent’s Private Hospital’s capability to meet community needs by 20 per cent.

The 2 Imperatives of Vinyl Hoarding Skins (Part 2): Installation

In our first instalment, we looked at the importance of design in engaging pedestrians, and drawing interest into your imagery and messages, creating an important marketing tool for your business and development.

Installation is so important to the image of the brand and the message that it’s conveying – developments obviously cost considerable amounts of money, so you’d be out of your mind to misrepresent, or settle for second best.

Here is the second instalment of the 2 imperatives for making an otherwise boring, brutalist hoarding into an informative, artistically pleasing, branded and cleanly installed point of engagement.

All you’ll need is a good Impact Driver, as many fixings for one every 500-1000mm, a tape, and a pry bar. Here’s how:

Pry Bar, Impact Driver, Fixing Bits, Hex Head Metal Tek Screws are all you need.

Pry Bar, Impact Driver, Fixing Bits, Hex Head Metal Tek Screws are all you need.

  1. Ensure you’ve gotten your measurements correct! Check the height of the Hoarding, and how the Vinyl Skin is going to fit on (don’t forget we need to allow a little extra space top and bottom to fit our sail track extrusion)
  2. Run your first length of sail track along the top of where the skin will run. You’ll only need screws or fixings around every 1000mm apart
  3. Take your skin, and run the top Kedar edge along the inside of the sail track, like a curtain (this is the fun part)
  4. Run the sail track along the bottom edge and let it sit there for a bit, you’ll come back to this later
  5. Run a length of sail track along a vertical edge of your choosing, and affix it to the hoarding, again fixings around 1000mm apart
  6. Move to the opposite end of the skin, and slide in the other vertical length of sail track. Pull it as tight as you possibly can using your pry bar by pressing the elongated end between the track and the skin, applying your weight to the curved end of the bar, using this for leverage and extra tension. Once it’s as tight as you can possibly go, take your fixing and go into the hoarding – screw on an angle to get a few extra millimetres of stretch. You should notice that the skin has ripples running horizontally along it’s length – if it doesn’t, you need to go tighter
  7. Working on the bottom, take your pry bar, and use the same technique just mentioned. Project your weight downwards, and angle your fixings downward as well. You’ll see that this is pulling out those horizontal ripples. You don’t want to over tension by putting too many fixings in though as this will create other ripples – less is more!
  8. If there are any residual ripples, experiment with your pry bar to see where you can put a fixing
  9. You’re done! If you do however see a few slight creases in the fabric (like an un-ironed shirt), don’t worry, some exposure to the sun will get those out.

Check out this time lapse of the ScrimWorks team using this technique for an amazing result.

You should now be a professional at design and installation – but if you ever need a hand or some insight, or someone to do all the work for you, get in touch with us and we’ll be more than happy to complete the design, print, and installation, start to finish. We love it.

The 2 Imperatives of Vinyl Hoarding Skins (Part 1): Design

In the Construction Industry there is a requirement to keep pedestrians safe and re-direct human traffic across footpath facing site elevations in a thoughtful and efficient way. In most cases, using Type A and Type B hoardings completes this.

Hoardings can become quite ugly, are not thoughtfully constructed, and don’t quite use the ‘blank space’ across the frontage of the site effectively.

Here are is the first instalment of the 2 imperatives for making an otherwise boring brutalist hoarding into an informative, artistically pleasing, branded and cleanly installed point of engagement.

Design

Simply being there visually is an advantage. Let’s take a look at a few numbers to better understand why visuals in design are important:

  • It takes 13 milliseconds to see and form an interpretation of an image – whereas 60 seconds is the average time it takes to read 200-250 words.
  • 50% of your brain is involved in visual processing
  • 70% of all your sensory receptors are in your eyes
  • Microsoft has conducted research showing that we have as little as 10 seconds to clearly communicate a proposition to gain engagement
  • Wharton School of Business found a 17% uplift in engagement when a verbal only presentation was supported by images

Why are images so important? It’s all down to how our brains process information. Let’s keep it simple, and talk about why images are more important than words.

“A sentence is a collection of symbols, which when combined, conveys meaning.
An image is just one symbol that conveys meaning.”

Images are faster to process, faster to understand, easier to engage.

If you’re already in the construction phase – you’ve already got all the elements you need to complete an awesome design. Look back at your architectural renders, conceptual interior photos, jump on iStock or Getty to find additional images. Be sure that the images align with your target market as something that they desire or aspire to be. This imagery will set the platform and gain the initial attention of your pedestrians.

Only support using text, keep it simple, and say it how it is. Lists and point form are great ways of separating ideas, ensuring your message is clear and undiluted. If it’s residential, try to avoid price, if it’s commercial, add value in simple terms. Technology is our best friend – direct them to a website. Or, let the sales people do the selling via phone or in a meeting.

Oh, and don’t forget your brand, website, and contact details.

Made Agency based in Sydney nail visually engaging and informative designs

Made Agency based in Sydney nail visually engaging and informative designs

You should now be a professional at creating engaging designs – but if you ever need a hand or some insight, or someone to do all the work for you, get in touch with us and we’ll be more than happy to complete the design, print, and installation, start to finish. We love it.