Best laid plans cost less: Five tips to improve refurbishments

Here are some ways to ensure your refurbishment project runs on time and to budget. A campus refurbishment can be one of the most disruptive activities for tertiary facilities, next to out-of-control O-week escapades. Continual construction works that disrupt learning and displace staff and students dramatically affect productivity, results and satisfaction. A badly managed refurbishment project doesn’t just leave a sour taste in the mouths of students and administrators, it also can cause long-term financial impacts if budgets blow out. Staying on track and on budget doesn’t have to be as hard as studying advanced engineering though. Solid planning from the start, as well as appointment of the right project partners, can greatly assist in minimising issues on refurbishment projects. Australian fit-out and refurbishment company SHAPE Australia has completed more than $78 million worth of construction work in the education sector already this financial year, for tertiary institutions including Curtin University, Deakin University, Queensland University of Technology, the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Western Australia. After delivering thousands of jobs across Australia, five key tips for staying on track have emerged. Involve your contractor early Engaging a contractor during the preliminary design phase is the number one way to save money, prevent issues and keep the process on track. It is at this phase when their advice has the greatest impact, as they are able to anticipate any buildability issues early and resolve them to the satisfaction of both designers and the client. SHAPE research shows that completion dates can be brought forward by up to 30 per cent through early contractor involvement, as it also allows the trade procurement process to run in parallel with the design development. This allows the contractor to commit to orders with long lead times at no additional risk. In addition, market-tested, open book pricing from the contractor can provide real-time guidance to the project team on design choices within the budget. The earlier this advice is considered, the more influence it can have on prioritising the most valuable design outcomes. Understand how you use space At the heart of minimising disruption is considering how space is used. Determine when the peak periods of usage are and when the space will be quiet. Then, most contractors will plan their build around this, to minimise noise disturbance and displacement. As many contractors in education are willing to work 24/7 to minimise disruption, arming these teams with a good knowledge of usage is important. Tasked with a major refurbishment of the University of Sydney’s Fisher Library last year, SHAPE started by studying how the space was being used. The library was to be dramatically altered, with the demolition and replacement of about 80 per cent of its interior, the installation of a double concrete lift shaft and much more. With careful planning, SHAPE was able to install the double-lift shaft, including extensive drilling works while students used the space. This was achieved by understanding peak usage periods and planning every element of construction around them. Loud drilling was done after hours, while quieter works proceeded during the day to ensure the project was delivered according to the agreed upon timescale. Finalise the design and get moving In construction projects, one of the main culprits causing cost and time over-runs are variances to the initial design scope. As budgets, workforce and the delivery of materials and supplies are all based on the agreed upon design, changes to this design can take time to resolve, pushing out the timings of trades and affecting the availability and expense of materials. Once the design has been chosen, the less interference the better if sticking to schedule and budget is important. Of course, issues during the construction process may arise, which is where a great contractor is worth its weight in gold. When unanticipated design issues are identified midway through a project, win-win solutions can be developed quickly between the contractor, architect and client. Audit your building Before undergoing a refurbishment, it is beneficial to understand the core components that build the base. It’s necessary to grasp how it was constructed, and knowing where services such as water, power and gas can be accessed can greatly assist in staying on budget. For example, older buildings can add construction costs and delays. Assessing the age of a building is therefore key to identifying issues early. Older buildings can contain many concrete pre-cast walls, which makes installing cabling a challenge. These access issues generally translate into more worker-hours than usual, sending construction costs soaring. For educational institutions targeting best-practice, interactive environments, audio-visual systems can quickly exhaust budgets. In many cases, it isn’t unusual for AV to cost upwards of $2 million. Thus, getting construction costs and accessibility sorted is key. If you have an old building, try to get access to old architectural diagrams that may decode any access issues. Make your construction manager aware of this issue during the quotation period, so it can provide a realistic assumption of hours, taking into account complex service installation. Recycle, reuse and refurbish A sustainable approach to construction isn’t just great for the environment, it can also help with the bottom line. Identifying what you can retain, recycle and reuse in your current space can generate savings. There are elements you may not realise can be retained or reused, so briefing project partners such as the architect and contractor to keep an eye out for these is important. More than $200,000 was saved on a recent project when SHAPE pointed out that a new ceiling proposed over two levels wasn’t necessary. The examination of construction documents determined that the existing ceilings and lighting could be retained, speeding up delivery and improving the project’s bottom line. Ed O’Sullivan is a senior project manager at SHAPE Group Australia.