FKG quest for excellence draws state design award

Toowoomba’s Quest Apartments have earned a top Queensland building design award, giving the FKG team behind the project a shot at the national title. Industry body the Building Designers Association Queensland (BDAQ) this week named FKG Group’s design and construct (D&C) team winners in two categories for the apartment building incorporating a century-old church located at 133 Margaret St, Toowoomba: 2016 BDAQ Best Commercial Building Over $5 Million 2016 BDAQ Building Design Premier Award. FKG Group executive chairman Gary Gardner said the awards were a tribute to the quality of building design available in Toowoomba and the D&C team’s dedication in preserving the historic church for the city. “Winning the Premier Award for this Toowoomba project testifies to the excellence of our local team of designers and their commitment in achieving outstanding results for their clients,” Mr Gardner said. FKG Group executive chairman Gary Gardner. “Notably, this is the first time since 2005 a commercial building has won this highly competitive industry award and the first time it has been won by a South West BDAQ branch member or Toowoomba designer, making it an historic occasion for FKG Group and our region.” The building’s design incorporated the Church of Christ with an eight-storey hotel apartment building, including two car-parking levels, which required careful consideration to preserve the church’s heritage façade. Design challenges included the church’s status as a significant heritage building, the narrow site and its proximity to ground water. This required careful management and innovation by the D&C team to ensure the structure remained functional and capable of supporting an adjacent multi-residential apartment tower with 72 apartments. Restoration of the original church was a high priority for FKG Group, with heritage experts employed to help ensure the success of the project in preserving the historic building’s exterior and interior. Opened in 1904, the last congregational service at the church was held in December 1919, after which a hall built across the rear of the main building served as commercial offices and recently a gym until work commenced in 2014 for the current hotel development. Among FKG Group’s current D&C projects in Queensland are the landmark Cairns Aquarium, the Redbank Plains Shopping Centre, Sigma Pharmaceuticals’ new distribution centre and Pimpama Secondary College Stage 3. Success in the Queensland awards has given FKG Group entry into the National Building Design Awards, planned for the Gold Coast on October 1.

FKG quest for excellence draws state design award

Industry Queensland

Related News

Austral Resources falls into receivership

Aeon tenement review yields new exploration targets

Quick fire – industry news briefs

Get access to breaking mining news, now.