Despite a global pandemic, the MGAC team has remained busy advising on more than 40 projects across Australia in the last quarter. Here’s a preview of just a few. To see more, please visit our projects page.
Barangaroo
The development of Barangaroo is a prominent collaboration between the NSW Government, Lendlease, architects, and external consultants including MGAC. From a disused container terminal on the edge of Sydney’s CBD, it has been transformed into a spectacular 22 hectare, $6+ billion waterfront precinct.
The project spans three areas:
1. Barangaroo South – three commercial towers, residential apartments, retail outlets and public spaces
2. Barangaroo Central – a casino tower, residential apartments, retail outlets and public spaces
3. Barangaroo Reserve – a 6-hectare park at the northern end of Barangaroo.
The process
We partnered with Lendlease and pre-eminent architects to ensure spatial constructs and continuous seamless accessible paths of travel were factored in during concept and development application stages.
While the International Towers T1, T2, T3 at Barangaroo South were designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, MGAC ensured the build was fully accessible and adhered to Universal Design and Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) principles. This work led to further consultancy with anchor tenants such as Westpac and KPMG to provide an inclusive workplace for people with accessibility issues. We also worked with Aspect Studios to ensure accessibility was accounted for in the design and construction of all outdoor spaces within Barangaroo South.
We followed the same process for Barangaroo Reserve, formerly known as Headland Park. We were engaged during concept stage, DA, design development, documentation and construction working with JPW Architect PWP Landscape Architecture (USA).
Now, we are working with Lendlease, Renzo Piano residential buildings and Aspect Studios at Barangaroo Central, consulting on public areas around the new casino and retail precinct.
The results
Today, the Barangaroo precinct is a fully accessible and inclusive environment. People with accessibility issues can confidently have an independent, dignified and equitable experience with regards to staff accessibility of commercial buildings and public patronage at cultural areas, retail outlets, dining and outdoor facilities.
Of particular note is Barangaroo Reserve, which has internal lift access from the foreshore boardwalk up to the top of the park. This installment has provided best-practice accessibility for people wishing to access the 30-metre high views across the Barangaroo Precinct and Sydney Harbour from above.
Melbourne Park redevelopment
The MGAC team is proud to have contributed to Melbourne Park’s Masterplan Stage 3 redevelopment. Work included Rod Laver Arena – in particular, accessibility from the outer concourse to the seating bowl without reliance on lift access. There was also a revamp of Margaret Court Arena and the Media and Function Centre, along with updates to suit three applications: grounds for the Australian Open, everyday precinct use, and individual venue event mode.
Notable accessibility upgrades for functional compliance
• Precinct linkages and landscape
• Facility entrances (i.e. automated doors)
• Vertical access via lift or stair
• Enhanced spectator seating
• Amenities for changing, parents, and players
• Hearing augmentation with Wi-Fi and IR systems
• An accessibility-specific emergency evacuation plan
• Colour and contrast on corridors and pathways.
Arts Centre Melbourne
We were engaged to provide design assistance for the redevelopment of one of Melbourne’s most iconic heritage buildings – the Arts Centre. Our goal was to create a clear and visible connection from street level down to various levels of the theatre, while also providing enhanced movement from St Kilda Road to the rear landscape and links or the Arts Precinct as a whole.
Universal design and accessibility outcomes
• Enhanced vertical access to all levels of the building for patrons, staff and performers
• Upgrades of accessible and enhanced amenity seating across the three theatres
• Accessibility hubs where people could meet, wait, or transit across various areas of the Arts Centre with ease of movement
• Amenities for changing, parents, and performers
• An accessibility-specific emergency evacuation plan.
Keeping up our great work
While the world has been presented with many complex and unforeseen challenges this year, we all continue to do the best we can with what we’ve got. For us a MGAC, that means powering through adversity to provide technical and functional based advice for built environment projects that are still being developed across the country.
We believe in the provision of Accessibility and Inclusion, Human Movement, Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), National Construction Code (NCC) and Universal Design principles (UD) – and offering unrivalled expertise in this field is what we’ve been doing for over 20 years.
Whether you’re a developer, architect, builder, or consultant working on a project due to launch soon or in 2021, get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.