With offices around the country, SHAPE is one of Australia’s premier fit out companies, specialising in commercial fitouts and refurbishments. Their reputation having preceded them, the SHAPE team were engaged by one of Australia’s leading telecommunications providers to deliver a staggering 17-level fitout which would comprise offices, workspaces, reception, common areas and more. Having worked with Aspen Interiors on previous occasions and being familiar with our superior workmanship, SHAPE commissioned Aspen to help bring the 100 Mount Street, North Sydney project to life.
Our Client: SHAPE
SHAPE has built a reputation for outstanding results over the last 30 years. Through a dedication to innovation and a strong client-centric focus, they’ve evolved to become a success story for the Australian construction industry. The firm has worked with some of the biggest names in Australian business, including The Star, Network Ten, Qantas, and MYOB, and has become one of the most trusted and respected firms in the industry.
Operating across a number of sectors, from commercial spaces to hospitality, healthcare, education and retail, SHAPE has unparalleled experience in delivering large-scale, complex projects to life for their clients.
The Project
The 100 Mount Street project, which took place within the newly built Dexus building, comprised seventeen levels, of which three were unique in design and function. Designers, Geyer, collaborated with the client and key stakeholders to design fourteen typical floors which included kitchens, workspaces and meeting rooms, as well as several unique specialty floors to house reception, employee services and business enterprise spaces. The finished space would house 1,500 staff for the high-profile end client, as well as collaboration spaces and meeting rooms for external clients.
“We chose to work with Aspen because not only did they provide a very competitive quote at time of tender, project manager, James, went out of his way to provide a detailed proposal demonstrating their capabilities and their commitment to this project.” Maryanne Akari, Project Manager, SHAPE.
Aspen was brought on to the extensive project to deliver joinery, including exquisite bespoke panelling, curved wall panelling, stair planters, and ceilings for the seventeen levels, including the three Executive levels.
The Challenges
On-time delivery and quality of finishes were two key objectives for SHAPE and their principal motivation behind appointing Aspen to the project. The project was particularly challenging because of the sheer volume of product required to fit out the seventeen levels, including three specialty floors. The fourteen standard floors required the production and installation of a number of elements, including: meeting tables, column cladding, utility joinery, lockers, whiteboards, booth cladding, booth seating, bin storage, phone booths, breakout kitchens, lobby planters, quiet room acoustic panelling, and room booking panels. The three bespoke specialty levels for the project featured meeting room panelling room booking panels, feature ceilings, routed wall panelling, stair planters and seating, reception desks, whiteboard panelling, wellness joinery, first aid room joinery, prayer room joinery, an IT Bar desk, IT Bar low-height wall, CEO Office joinery, CEO Office bi-fold wall panelling and breakout kitchens. In just five months, Aspen was able to manufacture, deliver and install the huge quantity of products for the 100 Mount Street project.
Working with many other tradespeople during the project meant managing a number of challenges, including coordinating measurement and installations stages. These kinds of challenges, if not navigated successfully, can result in delayed delivery of the project or compromises in quality of the finishes.
Aspen’s Expertise
In order to overcome the challenges posed by the size and delivery timeline for this project, the Aspen team utilised our advanced 3D scanning system to create a seamless fit of the joinery on-site. This specialised machinery allows for expedition of the measuring process and helped us to ensure against delays at this time-critical stage of the project.
Coordinating with over thirty installers, including (or as well as?) metalwork, glasswork and stonework teams throughout the installation stages of the project, as well as collaboration with the architectural and management teams of our client meant that Aspen were able to successfully deliver this complex project to a high standard, without compromising on either delivery schedules or quality. Aspen’s experience in working alongside many talented designers and architects in the past also uniquely positioned our firm to assist in the process of value engineering in collaboration with the architects on the 100 Mount Street project, to successfully implement solutions with shorter lead times and ultimately ensure that the project was delivered on time.
“The design elements, the detailing and the quality which were delivered on completion of the project are a reflection of Aspen’s expertise in these types of large-scale, high-end projects.” – Sam Knott, Project Manager, Aspen
In order to coordinate effectively with other trades on site, including audio visual and lighting specialists, the wall panelling and ceiling joinery components of the project were split into separate stages and managed in coordination with the other teams involved. As a result, the project was not only delivered on time, but within budget and to the high standard that Aspen has become renowned for.
“SHAPE’s vision was to demonstrate our ability to deliver a large-scale project for a very important client in North Sydney, to a high quality and on time. We chose to work with Aspen on this project because of the positive previous experiences we’ve had with them. Aspen’s time and effort upfront set them apart from other joinery companies. It was a very professional, positive experience from the get-go.” – Maryanne Akari, SHAPE.