Case studyBlinco St Townhouse DevelopmentMay 2020
Smartsteel Frames and Kre8 ConstructionsWorking together to deliver a difficult curved front façade on a tight timeline has resulted in a strong partnership between these two Perth-based companies.
Summary:Kre8 Constructions is a residential builder owned and operated by a father and son team. Alan and Luke Mason established the company in 2013 and have seen quick success due to their commitment to constantly exceeding their client’s expectations regardless of the size of the project.
The Blinco Street Townhouse Development is located in Fremantle and consists of four stand-alone townhouses. Local firm Dalecki Design came up with an edgy, industrial concept to suit the Fremantle location. The front façade of each townhouse features a stunning curved wall, and initially both upper and lower levels were set to be constructed using bricks. However, Luke Mason, Director and Operations Manager at Kre8 Constructions quickly realised that achieving this curved façade using bricks on the upper level was going to be time consuming, and expensive. He started looking for ways to reduce the build timeline and was informed about the option of steel framing. Says Mr Mason, “I realised brickwork was going to take too long [on the upper level]. I was looking at timber framing and made some phone calls when someone mentioned steel to me.” He was put in touch with Dene Figliomeni from Smartsteel Frames, and from there a strong partnership has formed.
Each of the four Blinco Street townhouses consists of a concrete slab on the ground floor that is clad in brickwork. The upper level and 2-degree pitch roof trusses are all constructed using Smartsteel Frames made from TRUECORE® steel. The upper level for each residence is clad in COLORBOND® steel Matt in the colour Monument®.
Sources:– Luke Mason, Director and Operations
Manager, Kre8 Constructions (LM)– Georgette Nicoski, Client Relations
and Business Development Executive, Smartsteel Frames
Project Goal:– To deliver a fast framing solution that
could achieve the curved front façade.
Key Benefits Delivered (LM): Efficiency: – Prefabricated frames resulted in less waste
onsite when compared to their previous projects that used brick and timber framing.
Time savings: – The initial building program for the
development was shortened by two months by using Smartsteel Frames made from TRUECORE® steel for the upper level and roof trusses.
Design flexibility: – Smartsteel Frames framing made
from TRUECORE® steel allowed Kre8 Constructions to deliver the difficult curved façade. Says Mr Mason, “It’s a very versatile product because there are not a lot of limitations.”
Support from trades: – The trades who worked on the project had
a positive reaction to using Smartsteel Frames made from TRUECORE® steel. Says Mr Mason, “Overall it’s a better system than anything else [we’ve worked with] – that’s the sort of feedback I got from my trades.”
Outcomes:The Blinco Street Townhouse Development is now complete, and the project has picked up
multiple awards including winning the “Best Multi-Residential Design – Up to Six Dwellings” category at the 2019 National Association of Building Designers Awards.
Kre8 Constructions has used Smartsteel Frames made from TRUECORE® steel in almost all projects since Blinco Street – both in new builds and renovations. Says Mr Mason, “We renovate a lot and renovations are often difficult in the fact that what’s there is not actually what is in the plan. So being able to utilise steel framing has sped up most of my projects. I like it [steel] most for the efficiency and time savings.”
These two benefits are key for the future of Kre8 Constructions, Mr Mason reveals, “I’m trying to be at the forefront of changing times, and I think that systems made from BlueScope’s TRUECORE® steel are going to be at the forefront of that as well. I’m trying to find ways to improve efficiencies, improve on time and make sure that designs are still impactful.”
Georgette Nicoski, Client Relations and Business Development Executive at Smartsteel Frames agrees that it’s these efficiencies that are key, as well as the support they receive from BlueScope.
“The educating and transition of clients to light gauge steel builds is made so much easier because of the comprehensive support that BlueScope provides to back its product. We have a [BlueScope] contact who is available to assist us onsite with the installation process and provide support for trades. We also receive back-end help including information and marketing materials which allows us to assist our clients to make a simple and stress-free transition from traditional building materials to building with framing made from TRUECORE® steel.”
The content of this case study is based on statements made by the source/s listed above and is a reflection of their views and experience. Same/similar results are not guaranteed for each user and outcomes may vary across projects. TRUECORE®, COLORBOND®, MONUMENT®, BlueScope and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited. © 2021 BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved.
truecore.com.auTo learn more about TRUECORE® steel
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Project Details:
Project: Blinco Street Townhouse Development
Location: Fremantle, WA
Developer: MGP Property
Designer: Dalecki Design
Principal Steel Products: TRUECORE® steel and COLORBOND® steel Monument® Matt
Builder: Kre8 Constructions WA www.kre8wa.com.au
Steel Fabricator: Smartsteel Frames www.smartsteelframes.com.au
Engineer: Prompt Engineering
Drafting: Vantage Drafting and Design
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