WINNER: RIBA BUILDING SERVICES - HOUSE WALTON
There were originally two phases to the project, the building of a new gymnasium and extensive internal alterations; lounge, dining area, kitchen and scullery. Part way through the contract, the client requested a price to renovate the remainder of the house i.e. the bedrooms and bathrooms.
For the duration of the contract the client and his family remained living in the house. This obviously meant all services had to be maintained at all times and the entire work force had to be sympathetic to the fact that although to them it was a building site and place of work, for the client it was still home.
The foundations for the new gymnasium are "pad and lintel type", the walls are face brick to the outside, plastered on the inside. Ceilings are all fully skimmed with cornices from Ornamental Mouldings. Many of the internal walls were removed to enable the structure of a flat ceiling throughout the kitchen dining and lounge area. A steel I beam to support the end of the roof trusses was also installed. The truss end was trimmed inside the roof area and the beam manoeuvred into position. Riba also worked closely with the pool contractor during the course of the external and garden alterations. The small facebrick wall was rebuilt. A substantial area was excavated to the rear of the new gymnasium and a new retaining wall was built in that area.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: BASILELE TRADING ENTERPRISE - HOUSE CONNOR ROAD
The scope included the construction of a face brick retaining wall, a house extension for a sun room, face brick gate posts and entrance, a standalone motor vehicle workshop on the property and concrete walkways. A unique feature of the project included the construction of a 1½ meter retaining wall to support the structures on the upper level of the site. The back garage wall was a retaining wall that was constructed by means of a cavity wall that was filled with reinforced concrete. One of the biggest challenges in completing this structure was the client's desire for an exceedingly smooth plaster finish including the desired quality around the reveals of doorways and windows.
