Zurich engaged Acuity as the project manager to deliver a new Melbourne office accommodation and complete make good of their existing premise. Cachet were appointed by Zurich as the contractor for the design and construction of the project.
The design of the new office focused on providing Zurich staff with opportunities to explore new ways of working. It boasts spectacular views, plenty of greenery, a spacious Café, and state-of-the-art huddle spaces equipped with the latest technology. Zurich’s Melbourne team can now enjoy seamless connection as they move around different workspaces.
The project was successfully delivered on time and on budget within an accelerated program to allow early termination of Zurich’s existing lease. As a workspace that prioritises sustainability, fosters collaboration, and puts people’s wellbeing first, it is a place that Zurich Melbourne employees can take pride in.
The project program was fast tracked to enable Zurich’s early relocation and allow for sufficient time for make good of existing premise. This meant that the progress of the design in relation to cost had to be closely monitored to mitigate potential risk of prolonged value management process following trade tender. The densely populated floor to maximise the floor utilisation posed challenges associated with building services. There was some complexity in creating flexible multi-purpose meeting spaces whilst maintaining desired acoustic performance individually and when combined.
Acuity and our project cost advisor, WT Partnership, tracked the cost closely throughout the design development and took early action on value management based on a detailed pre-tender estimate, which played a crucial role in achieving the budget while remaining on program. The floor density challenges were expertly managed alongside the base building services engineer, NDY by having a clear understanding of the base building capabilities and providing innovative solutions. The recommendation of an acoustic engineer to design and validate acoustic performance post-construction enabled Zurich to meet expectations whilst maintaining the desired flexibility of Front of House meeting spaces.
