Building with Bowens | Penguin Parade Boardwalk Phillip Island

Описание: Building with Bowens case study - Penguin Parade Boardwalk Phillip Island with Lloyd Group and Bayswood Timber. For more information please visit http://bowens.com.au

The following excerpt is from an article was published in the March 2016 edition of the Bowens magazine, The Builders Bulletin.

This month we take a look at the recently completed boardwalk extension and viewing area at Victoria’s iconic Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Dustin Lloyd, Director of Lloyd Group, describes the project as a once in a lifetime opportunity and is extremely proud to be associated with it.

With a number of constructions at Melbourne Zoo already completed, Lloyd Group started the Penguin Parade project in March 2015 after successfully winning the tender. It was essential that the project be completed by November before the Penguin breading season started. With restricted access and a 12-week kiln drying process for the ironbark timber that had been specified, everyone involved was working to very tight timelines.

Dustin contacted his Account Manager, Chris Brogan, Sales Manager at Bentleigh East store and asked him to start the process of sourcing the specialty timbers required for the new boardwalk and viewing area. Dustin says that he trusted Chris to deliver on time for this critical part of the project and was confidant that Bowens where the best people to get this done.

As Chris Brogan says, “one of the biggest challenges of this job, from a supply point of view, was the sheer volume of board walk timber involved. It was very hard to quantify the exact amount needed because the design required 5 different sizes and finishes to be used.”

Andrew Sale, Senior Project Manager at Lloyd Group, says “because some of the boards where tapered and there was a lot of detail in the design, it was always risky in terms of quantifying the exact amount of timber we were going to need.”

Chris worked with Wayne Hawker, General Manager at Bayswood Timber to source a mix of grey and red iron bark timber from Maryborough, Queensland. They actually ordered an extra 2000 lineal meters of timber as a safety net in case it was needed as part of a contingency plan.

Wayne says that Bayswood Timber is “not afraid to source the hard to do things that are not mainstream.” They where certainly up to the challenge of the short turnaround, the large volume of timber required as well as the special machining and factory coating that was specified to protect the timber from the harsh coastal environment.

Chris Drew, Timber Supplier at Bayswood Timbers explains that communication is the key to a successful outcome, particularly with large projects when things can quickly change. “As long as everyone is informed as soon as possible, Bayswood Timber can stop, change or modify the order to suit and get the job done” says Chris. As daunting as a large job may seem at the start, working collaboratively is the best way to make sure there are no surprises at the end of the project.

Bayswood Timber has been a supplier to Bowens for over thirty years and as Wayne says; “Bowens understands the builders requirements and therefore it’s easy for us to communicate with them and get the job right for the builder.”

With the non-negotiable competition date just a few weeks away, there was a last minute emergency. With the 2000 lineal meters of reserve timber already used, some design tweaks meant that additional timber was needed to complete the job. The team at Bayswood Timber was able to source the extra timber from Northern NSW and then work overtime to mill and coat the timber. In the end, 9000 lineal meters was used on the project.

Everyone involved was working 7 days a week at this point in order to meet the opening to the public date in November. Those involved were putting in an extra effort, including Bowens who delivered timber on Melbourne Cup Day to make sure the carpenters could keep working.

Chris Brogan says; “It was a really tight push towards the end just to make sure the job got done. It was a really good team effort and the end result was fantastic.” As you can see, in order for a large complex project such as this one to be successful, everyone needs to work closely together and stay focused on achieving the common goal of completing the project.

Dustin Lloyd also says that he is “very appreciative of everyone that was involved, including Bowens with the supply of the timber.”

When asked to comment on the relationship between Lloyd Group and Bowens, Andrew Sale had this to say; “Certainly from my point of view, they are the Builders Choice. They are a supplier you can go to and get specialty service. You don’t just go and join the cue with the other consumers organising their weekend renovations. You’ve got a supplier who is there to service our needs.”