HomeCo Cairns

Converting an existing industrial building brought a series of design and engineering challenges that shaped the project. A central client objective was to move the building away from its industrial shed origins and align it with Services Australia’s goal of a welcoming, accessible facility. Working with the architect, the team designed a front-facing façade that echoes the shapes of the mountains and tropical rainforest visible on the horizon behind the building.

The client also required a column-free front-of-house and foyer to create a more functional retail space. To achieve this, Tomkins coordinated with the architect and structural engineer to design a two-metre-deep truss spanning more than 30 metres. The existing piled foundations were strengthened and a complex foundation modification was completed to allow for the column-free entrance.

The Cairns location made cyclone protection essential. As external cyclone shutters could not be installed, the design team used internal cyclone shutters to protect the facility from changing internal air pressure and glass failure caused by wind-borne debris. A secondary barrier of Crimsafe screens was installed as part of the glazing system, designed to withstand the rainfall intensities and wind pressures of a Category 5 cyclone.

Delivery also required managing multiple tenancies within a live environment, coordinating lessor works and individual tenancy fit-outs against tight timeframes so that lessor obligations were met at each stage of the project.

Sustainability was managed with a Green Star consultant to ensure modifications to the existing structure aligned with the environmental targets. The facility includes solar panel installations outputting up to 200kW and the capacity to collect and fully reuse all rainwater collected on site. More than 10,000sqm of ceiling grid was installed across the building as part of the fit-out.