Urbanest Quay Street
Urbanest is an inner city multi-storey student accommodation building built on a brown field site.
The upper levels of the building were straight forward utilising conventional structures however, the site posed significant problems for the in ground structures. Traversing the site is a 19th century brick stormwater culvert which is being built over. Negotiations with the culvert owner, Sydney Water, led to a favourable outcome enabling the culvert to remain in place without the need for upgrading or strengthening. The building columns were rationalised to minimise the need for bridging beams over the culvert.
Northrop worked closely with the architect and builder ensuring the ground floor levels and structure were designed to provide an economical solution within minimal earthworks and very little spoil. During the scheme development the client choose to retain and incorporate and existing art-deco facade into the proposed building. The facade retention posed challenges for constructability on this confined inner city site. Northrop, together with the builder considered several options for the temporary retention structure with the aim of reducing the disruption to the construction of the new structure.