Builders: Enablers of collaboration

During recent years, the pace of evolution in shopping centres has escalated, as owners and landlords re-imagine their spaces to encompass new, different, and elevated roles in the communities they serve. 

As Australia’s leading retail builder, this evolution is apparent in the increasingly creative and ambitious briefs we get from our clients. Shopping centre owners envision new in-centre uses to complement the anchor tenant and speciality mix, from childcare centres to community function rooms, interactive play spaces, eat streets and more.

This means more tenants with non-traditional retail needs. More stakeholders with an interest in how centres operate. Architects and designers are tasked with bringing uniformity and connection to new concepts within precincts. Perhaps even new construction techniques require new specialist trades.

As shopping centres evolve to encompass a wider range of uses and offerings, so must the role of the builder of these spaces evolve as well. Part of this is the need for builders to establish the appropriate collaborative environment from the outset.

With more stakeholders than ever before, it’s important for everyone to be on the same page from day one. Builders need to do more than just build, they need to balance each stakeholder’s needs because ultimately, they are responsible for handing over a project that satisfies everyone. Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) can be a key advantage for owners looking to integrate new concepts in their centres.

Mainbrace recently delivered an Australian-first automotive precinct within a Brisbane shopping centre, setting a new benchmark for the sector. 

The project consolidated a number of smaller tenancies into one mini-major tenancy totalling 2400sqm, becoming an auto-themed mall encompassing nine vehicle-branded showrooms supporting the already operational express service centre and workshop on level 5/6. Guests access the precinct through the existing internal escalators as well as off the main mall and enjoy a brand immersion experience from initial browsing, through to purchase, delivery and servicing of their new or used car, all within the shopping centre. It also features a children’s play park, a tree-lined avenue and a refreshment bar.

The challenges of the level 3 retail zone from a project perspective were many and varied, with the delivery of the precinct demanding strong collaboration from all key stakeholders. 

Each showroom had its own specific design, feel and theme to match the manufacturer’s brand guidelines and intent. Each had a unique layout and finish selection to provide a brand-specific retail guest experience. In addition, the common spaces needed to coordinate all the different elements into a cohesive, connected space. 

The project demanded over 25 different floor finishes within the 2400sqm tenancy. Many materials could only be sourced overseas from the manufacturer’s core suppliers in Germany, the United States, Poland, Ukraine and China. With minimal storage available and the centre remaining open and trading around the tenancy, there needed to be an intense focus on the coordination of materials and contractors, which often meant small, frequent deliveries prior to the centre’s opening, to be used immediately. 

Despite some of these core project challenges, the successful finished product can be attributed to an environment of collaboration Mainbrace formed from the outset with all stakeholders. 

With the pace of shopping centre evolution set to intensify, with new concepts, themes and experiences, the need for builders to be the enablers of collaboration among an increasing number of stakeholders will only grow.

About the author: Rob Doust is MD at Mainbrace.