Faith Community Church

• The sheer size of the suspended slab, and the volume of concrete needed to complete it, required a rigid and relentless pouring schedule to ensure it was properly cast and formed. 100m³ of concrete an hour was maintained throughout the entire pour of the suspended slab to allow works to proceed as required in the program.
• The 134 precast concrete seating plats that formed the structure of the raked auditorium seating required a long and complex erection sequence that had to fit in with surrounding works. To allow structural works on the rest of the building to continue, a space was created in the auditorium roof structure by delaying the installation of purlins overhead. The plats were then lifted into place through this void in the roof. Working alongside our rigging subcontractor, we were able to safely lift all plats into place and stay on program.
• As the site was within the Jandakot Airport Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS), we were required to apply for approval to operate the crane ahead of time with the airport. Approvals for crane use within the OLS are required to be submitted to the airport at least 28 days prior to proposed activities, a process which was managed proactively, avoiding any delays as a result of late submissions. The permit also required the Site Manager to verbally notify the airport before and after crane operations.
• The 1400 auditorium seats were sourced from China and shipped over for installation. Given the amount of time needed for installation of such a large number of seats, procurement of the seats was crucial to ensuring the project remained on program.

• The support structure for the suspended slab consisted of 112 insitu concrete columns, with 17 steel columns serving as additional supports. The entire slab was suspended over undercroft parking and 50m² of offices.
• The foyer areas included 54 bespoke feature skylights. The angled ceiling skylights were formed from plasterboard ceiling panels, with additional supports running to the roof. Reflective aluminium light tubes were then connected to the translucent panels at roof level to channel the light down to ceiling level.
• The detailed audiovisual systems and multiple use spaces resulted in a complex services layout throughout the building.

This community project saw the existing site subdivided into one super-lot dedicated to the church facility, as well as 41 residential lots and two public open space lots. The main building is situated under 6,120m² of roof space, all built on a suspended slab to allow for undercover parking and a lower ground administration area.

An extensive amount of CFC cladding covers the external walls. 2,600m² of 9mm panelling was applied to the concrete walls on all sides in total.

Powder coated sunshades were installed to the north and west elevations of the building. This occurred close to the end of the program, while artwork was still being completed on the other wall.