AU Retirement Complex Finished with Dulux
A retirement complex in the riverside suburb of Indooroopilly in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, was recently completed after coatings work was executed by project manager Woollam Constructions and its contract partners.
For the project, officials specified global coatings company PPG’s Dulux Paints.
Somerset Indooroopilly
Designed by Cox Architecture for developer Aura Holdings, the luxurious, low maintenance retirement living complex offers 168 residential offerings throughout four, five-story buildings within the historic Indooroopilly Golf Club. The residential spaces offer two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and penthouses with private balconies.
Somerset Indooroopily also features multiple rooftop terraces, a communal dining room, library, pool, gymnasium, billiard room, craft room, cellar, cinema and cafe, in addition to an underground parking garage for 260 cars.
After experiencing devastating floods in the area roughly a decade ago, the complex was strategically designed to meet strict flooding and traffic requirements and features a podium that supports the entire structure.
Given the concerns about the weather and the lifespan and durability of the complex, developers looked to coating products that would offer high-quality performance and minimize repair and maintenance requirements. According to reports, Aura Holdings also wanted something that would provide an aesthetically pleasing space for residents to live and that would meet green star ratings.
“Residents moving into this building will have a maintenance-free lifestyle. All maintenance on the building is undertaken by the client, Aura Holdings. Aura values low maintenance, hardwearing, quality products that can stand the test of time,” said Carolyn Cox, Project Manager at Woollam Constructions.
Prior to specifying its products, Dulux teams were reported to have researched the project to create a package of best-practice solutions for interior and exterior applications. Additionally, because the project ended up calling for many different types of finishes, Dulux product experts were onsite to ensure correct and effective product use throughout stage one of the coatings work completed at the retirement complex.
“Dulux products complement this requirement perfectly and have been specified throughout the building because of this. Woollam and our Contract Partners are provided continual support from the Dulux technical team who play an active role in all aspects of coatings, paint, protective systems and render throughout the building,” Cox added.
For the project, more than three dozen of Dulux’s products were specified. For the company’s Dulux Paint brand, it specified the following for various interior and exterior surfaces:
The project also required the application of various powder coatings. For the list of surfaces, Dulux experts specified the following products:
For surfaces requiring high build performance, the Dulux Acratex was specified. The following are different surfaces and coatings indicated by professionals:
For other, more high-traffic areas, the company also specified a number of Dulux Protective Coatings. The surfaces and recommendations are as follows:
“The specification and high quality of Dulux coatings and systems give Aura as an operator the confidence that there will be no short- or long- term failures to interrupt the lifestyle of our residents,” said Jon Dicks, Senior Development Manager, Aura Holdings. “The creation of an architecturally meritorious building, with expansive balconies and podium planters, and the use of various textured coating systems to form the desired aesthetic finish, place a huge demand on coatings and waterproofing systems.
“It became very apparent to the design teams that Dulux was the preferred choice for its quality coating systems and taking into consideration its product research, development and strong warranties. Aura’s decision was based on our need to ensure the long-lasting quality of finish for our building and for Aura and our residents.”
The multi-million residential project fast-tracked stage two of the project in July 2021. In December, the project was reportedly completed and officially opened in January of this year. Prices for the various apartments range from $750,000 to $1.6 million, with prices on application for penthouses.
Throughout the project, Dulux followed its recently launched initiative to help construction customers reduce waste to landfill. Throughout the course of the coatings work, plastic paint pails were removed from the worksite and recycled into a raw material used to create paint pots and paint trays.
The initiative is supported by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as an 18-month trial and is slated to reduce both disposal costs and waste to landfill.