SHAPE has taken home top honours at the 2024 Master Builders Association of NSW Excellence in Construction Awards for the Salesforce Tower Sydney Project, winning Best Interior Fitout $50 Million and over.
The annual awards are the premier event for the commercial, industrial, and civil engineering sectors, and celebrate remarkable accomplishments within NSW’s building and construction industry.
SHAPE was engaged by Salesforce in 2021 when the tech giant expanded their APAC footprint with the construction of the Salesforce Tower, the centrepiece of Sydney Place, and the heart of the modern regeneration of Sydney’s Circular Quay precinct. The top 13 floors of the 54-storey building would become home to Salesforce’s Australian headquarters and more than 1,500 employees, requiring a state-of-the-art fitout that celebrated the panoramic views of Sydney’s fabulous harbour and city skyline.
The winning project included unparalleled complexity in terms of the sheer amount of both human and material resources managed over a 40-week, single stage of construction.
Ultimately, the success of the fitout boiled down to three primary factors; experienced design management, the ability to work with a myriad of stakeholders on an international scale, and a relentless focus on the project ESD target to achieve a LEED Platinum rating. The LEED rating provides a framework for the evaluation of building and project environmental performance and measurement of sustainability and is a first of its kind for a commercial office in Australia.
Working closely with Salesforce, Group GSA, ARUP, Turner & Townsend and Reddy Project Management and wider consultant teams, SHAPE played a pivotal role in overcoming various design challenges, both in Australia and abroad.
With Salesforce being headquartered in the US, large components of the design involved materials and equipment that were made locally in the US to meet their global design standards. Salesforce’s design team has developed this stringent set of design standards and principles the ensure success on all global projects. As a result, long lead times for specified materials, like tiling, ceilings, FF&E, wall panelling, living columns, , floor finishes, and AV required diligent management by the SHAPE project team.
Ultimately, the success of the fitout boiled down to three primary factors; experienced design management, the ability to work with a myriad of stakeholders on an international scale, and a relentless focus on the project ESD target to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
To overcome these challenges, SHAPE and Salesforce programmed an 8-month pre-construction lead-in period for early procurement and design alignment to Australian Standards. This involved having SHAPE and consultants based in Australia complete a one-week immersion tour and inspection of Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Salesforce’s US-based design team and internal stakeholders also completed numerous progressive site visits in Sydney to make sure everything was up to their exacting standards.
During this time, SHAPE was able to secure orders within supply chains for bespoke finishes made specifically for this project and further refine the design to suit the new Sydney Tower building.
In the end, SHAPE was able to ensure success in all project aspects and exceed
Salesforce expectations. It’s what sets this impressive project apart from the pack.
Speaking about the team’s win, General Manager, James Fitzgerald said: “We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised by the MBA for our team’s work on the Salesforce Tower Sydney project. The complexity of the fitout, combined with the stakeholder collaboration required, truly showcased our team’s commitment to delivering a great project experience for all involved. Achieving a project of this scale, while maintaining our focus on sustainability and high-quality outcomes, wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our outstanding client team, consultants and subcontractors. A big thank you to everyone involved.”
Find out more about the Salesforce Tower project here. Salesforce Tower Sydney Fitout (shape.com.au)
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