Mobile Mill Takes Steel on the Road

Fielders commercial, industry and architectural division focuses heavily on the role we play in construction, whether that be through our steel solutions, structural recommendations or ways to innovate the construction process.

It is important for us to be on the forefront of steel construction and look for methods to streamline construction procedures and costs, while at the same time maintaining and offering paramount quality in our industry collaborations. 

The Fielders Mobile Mill is one of our innovative mechanical construction solutions that is transported across projects to rollout our steel roofing solutions for a diverse range of project specifications.

The Mobile Mill has incredible ability to roll sheets over 100 metres long and provides unparalleled finishes that are rarely seen among other steel specialists. Our mobile Crank Curver and Smooth Curver are both available to create precision curves on-site, giving the roof profile a distinctive finish.

Incorporating the Fielders Mobile Mill eliminates the need for excessive travel required to transport large sheeting, and offers an efficient production method. Traditionally, the steel would be rolled off-site and transported to construction for use. The Mobile Mill has been paramount in transforming the way steel construction is now operating though the projects we are involved with.

Growth in the interest and popularity of the Mobile Mill is increasing, with its production value extending to our most sought after solutions such as KingKlip® and our ARAMAX FreeSpan™ as well as tapered and straight Freeform steel roofing solutions.

To date, our Mobile Mill has been involved in numerous reputable projects across Australia, and in the past few months, has travelled more than 35,000kms around Australia.

With builders quickly catching on to the advancement it brings to the construction process, the Mobile Mill has been used in projects such as the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground, Westfield Warringah Mall, Blackwater Aquatic Centre, Netball Central in Sydney’s Olympic Park, Onslow Airport Terminal in Western Australia and the Puckapunyal Military Base in Victoria.

For more information on Fielders Mobile Mill, visit http://fielders.com.au/roofing-walling/services/mobile-mill/

2016 South Australian Architecture Awards Wrap Up

The South Australian Architects Awards have wrapped up for another year, and what an awards night it was! Fielders would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to all the inspirational award winners and commendations from the evening. Taking place at the Adelaide Oval, the night was full of architectural brilliance, showcasing South Australia’s most innovative and ground breaking projects.  

As the proud major state sponsor of the SA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, Fielders was honoured to be part of the night’s proceedings, with Fielders Business Development Manager, James Harrison, on hand as a key note speaker and to present the award for Educational Architecture, which was won by HASSELL for their work on the Flinders at Tonsley project.

Flinders at Tonsley, HASSELL. Image: Sam Noonan

Thomson Rossi Architects took out two awards on the night, the Award for Commercial Architecture and the COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture, for their remarkable work on The South Australian Drill Core Reference Library. Fielders are proud to have been involved with this project, which features 2,500m² of our Shadowline 305 profile in Colorbond® Monument.

The South Australian Drill Core Reference Library, Thomson Rossi. Image: David Sievers

During the course of the night, four projects from the Tonsley redevelopment in Adelaide’s south took home seven awards across education, heritage, commercial, sustainability and urban design.

Other big winners on the night included Troppo Architects, Grieve Gillett Anderson, Williams Burton Leopardi, Woods Bagot, and HASSELL for their respective projects and contribution to South Australian architecture.

Base 64, Williams Burton Leopardi. Image: Christopher

Morrison Stretton Centre, HASSELL. Image: Peter Bennetts

Having worked with Tectvs previously on the Adelaide Showgrounds Train Station project, Fielders was pleased to see Tectvs Director, Francesco Bonato, presented with the Sir James Irwin President’s Medal. State Chapter president David Homburg presented the award, noting that Fran “exemplifies the idea of advocating for and delivering great design" and went on to say: "If the things that we are trying to achieve as a Chapter could be captured in one person, that person would be Fran Bonato." 

During the course of the night Fielders also ran an iPad giveaway, which was won by Sarah Swincer thanks to her superior knowledge of the Fielders’ product range. We hope you’re enjoying the iPad and putting it to good use!

A huge congratulations must also go to the team at the SA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects for putting on yet another amazing night of awards -  the evening was a huge success and enjoyed by all attendees. We also like to wish all the award winners the very best of luck in the National Architecture Awards this coming November.

On a final note, Fielders would also like to highlight the award winning and commended projects from WA and NSW that we had the pleasure of being involved with:

NSW

Sustainable Architecture Award & Public Architecture Commendation:

Scott Carver Architects – Netball Central.

Fielders supplied 6,500m² of ARAMAX FreeSpan to the exterior, and 5,500m² of ARAMAX FreeSpan to the interior of the project.

Netball Central, Scott Carver Architects

WA

Public Architecture Commendation:

Peter Hunt Architects – The National Anzac Centre.

Fielders supplied 180 m² of Finesse Nailstrip roofing and wall panels.

Hillson Beasley Award for Educational Architecture:

Parry and Rosenthal Architects – Mother Teresa Catholic College.

Fielders supplied the projects S-Rib™ roofing solution.

The National Anzac Centre, Peter Hunt Architects

Guest Post Featuring Ed Stambulic from Insite Architects

Ed Stambulic from Insite Architects joins us to share the process of breathing new life into a local sports pavilion in need of an upgrade.

I had previously worked on a number of local sports pavilions when InsiteArchitects were briefed of designing a new extension to a cricket and football pavilion located in the new residential estate of Laurimar, Doreen, an expanding suburb in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne. These jobs can be very satisfying because sporting clubs are so entwined with the local community, however they are often limited by shoe-string budgets, and require re-use of dilapidated and under-performing buildings.

When I arrived at the first site inspection I was completely caught by surprise to find an intriguing building using pre-cast concrete roof and floor structure, natural timber and bespoke design elements that immediately had my mind whirring toward an equally bold and striking addition.

It really was a fish out of water. On further investigation we tracked its history to a Sydney based architect who’d been experimenting with demountable buildings. This one had found its way from originally serving as a house, to then an estate sales office, and finally disassembled again, to take on a new life as a sports pavilion. Despite its obvious flexibility and merit, it was struggling to meet the demands of the growing sports clubs, and the local council required the addition of four change-rooms and ancillary spaces that could be easily constructed and had multi-functional capabilities.

In this way the existing building came to inform the new design. The choice of Aramax as a roofing system worked perfectly as a light-weight counterpoint to the heavy individual upturned concrete roof trays of the old pavilion.  Likewise, the large Aramax profile provided a fittingly bold statement, and referenced the zig-zagging walls and strong elemental forms already present.

I have always enjoyed using products and materials in ways other than their intended use. In this case the use of Aramax on a relatively small building created a nice play on scale – as did the contrast with the mini-orb profile found on the upper walls.  I also experimented with other materials, such as roller door sheeting, which I used as a wall cladding above the roller doors.  This was all composed within an expressed structural steel framework, offset with patches of natural timber cladding.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Aramax freed us from the limitations of conventional materials. It made possible a columnless viewing area, negated the need for ceiling structure and contributed to construction efficiencies. The challenge of working with a new product was met with enthusiasm from the builder, Shultz Building Group, whose collaboration and attention to detail on this project was outstanding.

Not having used Aramax before, this project was something of a leap of faith.  We have been very pleased with the result, and we’ve been happy to see the sports clubs adopt their new home with plenty of enthusiasm.

About Insite Architects
InsiteArchitects has 25 years experience in a broad range of sectors including, childcare/education, community, health, housing, commercial office space and mixed use development. We are a client focused, commercial practice committed to providing successful and innovative outcomes that are creative, sustainable and commercially viable.  

Fielders Roofing and Walling Manual

With over 115 years’ experience in the building construction industry, we take pride in delivering strong customer service in line with the continual development of innovative roofing and walling products to both the commercial and residential markets.

Our growing range of roofing and wall cladding products have been used on many of Australia’s most iconic buildings from the SCG, Adelaide Oval, Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal, the domed roof of the Tamworth Equine Centre and Adelaide’s award winning SAHMRI building. The multiple applications available across the extensive roofing and wall cladding range allow architects and builders the flexibility to create truly amazing and inspirational projects, which combine function and design to achieve amazing results.

To aid in these results, we have created a Roofing and Walling manual reference document to help guide architects, engineers, contractors and builders in the design and installation for the entire Fielders roofing and wall cladding range. Featuring information on product selection, installation guides, material specifications, design spans and limits, maintenance and care, as well as the associated fasteners and accessories, the Fielders Roofing and Walling Manual is a one stop guide for your complete roofing and wall cladding needs.

Click here to discover the Fielders Roofing and Walling Manual now

Kingsway Baseball/Softball Club Rooms

Last year our team partnered with Skyward Roof Plumbing to provide 720m2 of ARAMAX FreeSpan Colorbond® steel in a Windspray finish for the roof of the new Kingsway Baseball/Softball Club Rooms located in Madeley, 25 minutes outside of Perth.

The product features as a main design focal point, giving the stunning spectator terrace its wave like appearance. 

Architect, Mike Movaffaghi chose ARAMAX FreeSpan not only because the profile’s V-shaped design serves as a visually stunning and structural component of the build, but also because the material allows for large roofing spans of up to 20 meters with no purlins or girts, producing a modern and bold finish to fit the building’s purpose and function.

McCorkell Construction commenced work on the $2.2 million Kingsway Baseball/Softball Club Rooms in January 2015 and was completed in December of the same year. The now complete modern sporting complex features a hall, kitchen and canteen facilities, a spectator terrace, court yard, male and female change rooms, toilet facilities and storage rooms.

Fielders ARAMAX FreeSpan structural cladding system is a unique V-shaped roofing profile that is bigger, bolder and deeper than conventional steel cladding profiles available on the market. The product can be manufactured between cover widths of 700mm to 900mm, depending on individual project requirements. For this project, the cover widths of Aramax were varied transversely along the curved roof beam in order to form the ‘architectural wave curve’.   

ARAMAX FreeSpan is produced on a mobile roll-former and has the unique ability to be rolled onsite anywhere in the world, reducing construction time and improving project efficiencies. Project applications include commercial buildings, residential houses, shade structures and commercial shelters.

THE CONTINUAL EVOLUTION OF STEEL

Steel is one of Australia’s go to building products. While it has always been an integral building component for our countries high rises and apartment developments, there has been a shifting trend towards using steel for the domestic building industry, replacing traditional wooden frames. In addition, architects today have pushed the boundaries of steel to create eye-catching external features that help to distinguish their projects.

Gone are the days where steel is hidden away as a rarely seen skeleton of a building, as it becomes the hero finish that gives a building its inimitable exterior finish and striking presence. At Fielders, we have a long tradition of creating innovative products and profiles that have the ability to create unique shapes that deliver on distinct specifications provided in the design briefs. One such example is our ARAMAX FreeSpan roof sheeting which allows designers to eliminate the cost and complexity of a buildings secondary structure thanks to its 20 metre span. The ARAMAX FreeSpan serves as a visually stunning and structural component of the structure, reducing cost without compromising performance.

Image: The Hangar

The Finesse range of interlocking panels is also a popular product that provides projects with a sleek stylish look while still offering the durability and flexibility offered by steel cladding. And then there’s the curving capacity of our Millennium profile, that allows architects to do some truly amazing things when it comes to the design of a building or property. Highlighted perfectly by this contemporary home inspired by the Lord’s Cricket Ground Press Box (see below).

With all these stunning applications available to home owners, architects and builders alike the possibilities for steel construction, finishes and roofing truly are endless.

Image: Finess Interlocking Panels