Construction and Engineering Awards 2020

BUILD Construction & Engineering Awards 2020 Construction & Engineering Awards 2020 BUILD 6 7 Aug20334 Best Rope Access & High-Rise Construction Company 2020 – Australia & Best Complex Maintenance Project 2020 (Australia): South Brisbane Helicopter Glass Lift ince 2017, Apex Façades has been a mainstay of Australia’s construction and maintenance scene. Operated in partnership by Mitchell Haskard and Andrew Gennings, the firm has become renowned for their efforts in the fields of rope access, rigging and specialist construction. While new technical processes have come onto the market in the last few years, the flexibility of rope access is one that simply cannot be ignored. The team has maintained three core values since its inception. These values are the baseline from which the business operates, for the security of employees and clients alike. First is safety, to ensure that there is as little risk possible in any project, and where there is too much risk to stop and make the site safer. The second is efficiency, for the benefit of clients who do not want the team to waste their time, and for the team to ensure that they do not put themselves unnecessarily at risk. The third and final core value is quality. This is a promise that all of the work undertaken by the team will be of the highest standard, guaranteed. This vision of how Apex Façades will function has not changed since those first days of operation three years ago. They are integral to the safety of employees and the value and quality provided to clients. Since opening their doors, the team have been invited to take part in numerous complicated projects, working in partnership with some of Australia’s largest building companies and investment management firms. Often, this work has involved not only pitching themselves as the ideal solution, but working to often challenging deadlines to get the job done successfully. In the last three years, the team have undertaken projects for clients that include Lend Lease, Multiplex, Hutchinsons Builders, Investa, GPT and JLL. These have been difficult and demanding in many different ways, often requiring pinpoint accuracy at every stage, as well as the ability to fulfil the demands of project management. The work has involved glazing, construction and maintenance in difficult and otherwise impossible to reach situations. No circumstance is identical to any other, and the team employ a range of techniques to ensure that their projects are always completed efficiently and safely. Sometimes, the most complex work requires the simplest answers. Rope access is a historic trade that offers a great deal of flexibility for those who use it. Now this skill is the domain of experts, with the team at Apex Façades offering some of the most impressive results in the field. We dig a little deeper not only into the firm but into some of its most impressive projects following their incredible success in BUILD’s Construction and Engineering Awards. S Ensuring that clients are always satisfied with the work as it is delivered is not easy. It involves a comprehensive exploration of the options, and careful consideration of what will be available to clients. As such, the planning and preparation that the team undertakes before going up on the ropes is always the first concern. When up on the ropes, the unexpected can happen. It’s why clients turn to Apex Façades, because their considerable experience has prepared them for any eventuality, but the team are prepared because they have planned ahead. Complex problems that take eventualities into account can be more easily fixed beforehand than on the job. The team works on a variety of different projects, drawing on their skills in the area of rope access to deliver many vital services. During natural disasters or criminal incidents, for example, glass is one of the worst affected, requiring rapid glass board ups and replacements. The experience of Apex Façades makes them the ideal choice amongst providers. One of the most common demands for the team at Apex Façades is to assist with weatherproofing buildings. Often the team take on work that has been performed by inexperienced contractors. Because the team has long background in glass, glazing and aluminium, they know exactly how to resolve leaking issues in a way that will last. The team are at the forefront of the movement away from vinyl glazing wedge and rubber and towards structural sealing. The result that the team delivers is one that will stand the test of time for decades. Often, the cost of annual inspections is prohibitive for many companies, but the rope access techniques that Apex Façades use help to identify challenging areas before they become more expensive. Working alongside independent façade engineers, the team are able to provide a full detailed audit on a client’s façade. From this information, they are able to formulate strategies that mitigate more damage and lower the potential costs to the client. Working with rope access technology allows the team to have minimal impact on the public and tenants while also offering an effective way of working.