The Central Coast Sports College approached us to assist them with a shortage in classrooms.
They were faced with the dire need for classrooms to cater for a dramatic increase in enrolments.
The task at hand was to locate nine prefabricated buildings on-site and incorporate some creative planning in order to utilise the spaces efficiently for their very specialised pedagogical needs.
The site has a few unique complications. Firstly, the school is located on a heritage site with mostly heritage-listed buildings and view corridors to Brisbane Waters which must be maintained. Secondly, the sites eastern boundary has a vast expanse of bushland with bush fire management implications. Add to this the time-sensitivity implication of a school and the coming year's enrolments. You'll begin to understand the unique situation that required concise project management and collaboration with all parties involved to meet the client's approval.
The project was handed over on time, on budget, and surpassed all of the client's expectations.
“Timing is critical for us. If the work’s not done in time, we can’t operate. It’s reassuring to know that when Vince gives you a deadline, you can pretty much guarantee that he will deliver by that day which is awesome.”
The project was to design and manage the construction of nine classrooms and the interior renovation and fit-out of some existing classrooms at our school. We put out an expression of interest to our parent community for anyone with a construction business interested in doing some ongoing work with the college. A community member contacted RZK Group as they had worked with them before and suggested they apply.
Each applicant was required to complete a detailed application form with references explaining how they operate. RZK was by far the best applicant of around five firms. They nailed that process. Their application made it evident that they knew what they were doing, and the reference checks we did were very positive. Their attention to detail in this process and the fact that they answered the exact questions being asked, unlike others, indicated that they were good operators.
While we weren’t looking for an architect initially, Claudia’s expertise has proven to be a blessing in disguise. I hadn’t anticipated the scope of services that RZK could provide. It’s ended up working out well because when they’ve come through to assess the works on-site, including some heritage constraints, Claudia’s expertise in preparing DAs and ensuring all heritage constraints are addressed has saved us an enormous amount of time.
The delivery process was fantastic, even better than my initial expectations. Vince has done an amazing job at managing the project as he’s had multiple contractors working under him, and his ability to ensure the project is completed within the timeframe we needed was spot on. There were quite a few stressful moments beyond everyone’s control, but Vince was still able to deliver on time, which was great. For example, given the heritage constraints, we didn’t receive the approval until the day before work was due to commence. Vince was able to manage the suppliers well so that they were ready to start.
Having a one-stop-shop, from design to construction and management, where I can tell them what we want to do and know that they can do the whole kit and kaboodle is a massive load off my mind. With RZK, the quality of service outweighs the price you pay.
In terms of the design, RZK were good at listening to what we needed. Given the constraints and challenges, our project is far from straightforward. For instance, when working out how to install some internal walls in a 120-year-old building, they came up with some original ideas that would solve our problems.
The benefit of having a team that can do it all is a massive benefit. My impression of Vince is that he’s also happy to work with other suppliers. But having a one-stop-shop, from design to construction and management, where I can tell them what we want to do and know that they can do the whole kit and kaboodle is a massive load off my mind. I also found that Vince’s pricing is fair and within the market rates. It’s a fair price for what you get. With RZK, the quality of service outweighs the price you pay.
I would absolutely choose to work with RZK Group again. Going forward, they will be our preferred building supplier and construction management firm, even if it’s just for Vince to project manage a construction project being completed by someone else. The benefit for us is that I don’t need to have an expert on staff that understands the building game because, from experience, I’ve seen other schools waste an enormous amount of time and money by trying to save costs in not hiring a project manager thinking they can do that themselves. I would rate RZK 10/10. I’ve dealt with many people in the construction world, and Vince is one of the best I’ve dealt with.
Paul Chapman, Principal
