Project Background
Located in Brisbane’s western suburbs, the Toowong State School has been serving the local community for over 140 years. Since moving to its current location in 1910 (it was situated in another part of the suburb prior to that), the school has undergone regular refurbishments and upgrades to its facilities.
One of these upgrades was the construction of a brand new three-storey building in 2021. Designed by Fulton Trotter Architects and built by Kane Construction, the new edifice provides the diverse school with a state-of-the-art learning facility to boost educational outcomes for all students.
Challenge
The new development required a compliant balustrade system to keep students safe in the walkways and stairwells of the building. The balustrade would need to be of at least 1500mm height in order to provide adequate safety measures, given the height of the building itself.
In addition, the system would have to be flexibly integrated with a number of existing design features – like louvres – at different points on site, as well as being installed quickly, efficiently, and with minimal fuss.
Solution
Moddex’s CB50 and CB10 system was perfect for the job. The pre-engineered, modular system was ideal for ensuring compliance, and adapting to the flexibility that the job required.
The architect specified the Moddex system with the 1500mm height, knowing that Moddex had the capability and know-how to design a semi-custom system that would be immediately compliant with DETE requirements. The architects also knew that the pre-engineered system would come with easy-to-use files and ready documentation, cutting down on certification and engineering time during the build. The builders trusted the spec and went with the Moddex system.
Rather than custom systems which have to be welded, craned, and installed onsite, the Moddex system is modular, and arrives in a flatpack; advantageous on sites where space is often at a premium. This also allows the installation to be more flexible, and to be completed quickly – and with the ability to be segmented or slotted around other trades – which makes it a great time-saver for the project overall.
Finally, the Moddex system integrated perfectly with other design features in the building such as louvres, stopping and starting seamlessly so as to maintain full practicality and safety – while adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the design.
From specification to installation, the Moddex team were on hand, delivering significant expertise to bring the project in on time, and under budget.
Download the full case study here.
