design
mag |
83
Together the 11-storey towers (including two
basement levels) offer 234 high-quality
apartments, with accommodation from one to
three bedrooms. Many of the apartments have
panoramic northerly views across the river to
Auchenflower.
Common to all apartments is a high standard of
finish, with the developers giving particular
attention to the design and quality of the kitchens,
bathrooms, balconies, lighting and flooring.
On-site facilities include an air-conditioned gym,
25-metre infinity-edge lap pool, wading pool,
multi-purpose theatre, recreation room, and a
communal outdoor room dubbed The Summer
House.
In all,Austral Precast manufactured and installed
377 panels for this first stage of the Waters Edge
project, 207 panels covering 1900 square metres
for Reach and a further 170 panels or 1840 square
metres for Drift.
The double-height precast concrete panels
forming the basement perimeter walls were
especially innovative in their design and
construction. Increased reinforcement allowed the
builder to use shorter props that finished just below
the soffit of the upper basement slab, thus
removing the need for costly slab penetrations.
Efficiencies were also introduced by redesigning
the curved precast balustrade elements to
increase their length and minimise the number of
radii, thereby reducing manufacturing, transport,
lifting and installation costs.
The tightly-controlled conditions of the precast
manufacturing process allows a high level of
quality and efficiency in both materials and
labour, along with the potential for economies of
scale. Production delays due to weather becomes
a thing of the past.
The completed panels are precisely engineered,
consistent and have a high level of durability. On
site, precast technologies allow rapid construction,
reduced site congestion and reduced trades.
Austral Precast also offers a complete installation
service, which Pradella Constructions chose to
utilise for this project, completing the end-to-end
service with one contract and total responsibility.
Reach and Drift, the first stage of Pradella
Developments Waters Edge project, has won a
string of HIA and MBA awards for its design,
construction, innovation and housing technology.
The two towers of Waters Edge
accommodate 234 high-quality
apartments in a prime Brisbane
riverside location.Austral Precast
manufactured and installed 377
wall panels for the project.The
company assisted in redesigning
the precast curved balustrades
allowing cost reductions.
Photography:
courtesy Pradella Developments