Finding opportunities - Rork Projects forges ahead in Victoria

If there was ever a way to test a team, six months of remote work and isolation would be it.

But for Rork Projects’ Melbourne team the extra challenge has only driven the team even more, inspiring creativity, collaboration and connection.

“I’ve been incredibly proud of my team’s resilience and determination as we navigate through each week, constantly reviewing and evaluating where and how we’ll be operating based on the latest government advice,” said Steve Raymond, Rork Projects’ Melbourne General Manager.

“It is an unusual feeling to be running our projects and looking to the future, with the knowledge that our restrictions could tighten or ease at any time. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the restrictions have made our teams busier than ever as the level of planning and coordination with our contractors has increased exponentially.”

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Altona Civic Centre

Part of Victoria’s Stage Four restrictions include a cap of 25% workforce at Rork Projects’ sites. Projects like the refurbishment and upgrade at Altona Civic Centre in Melbourne’s south-west are continuing with a flexible programme that is under constant review.

“The flexible programme allows us to be responsive to the changing conditions and requirements of our contractors and our client,” said Steve.

“Ultimately we want to reduce the amount of delay and the impact from Stage Four restrictions for our client, so we’ve made revisions to allow us to scale up some aspects like the number of days and Rork staff we have working on the project, whilst working within the restrictions on-site.”

Site progress photos show the  installation of cladding around each of the unique office "pods" that make up the interior of the building.

Office pod challenge

Under lockdown, Steve has continued to challenge his team to think creatively and find the fun in their circumstance by creating the “Office Pod Challenge” 2020.

Working in teams of 3-4, teams had to design a practical and cost-effective solution for an external office pod. The designs have been finalised and released for public voting, with the winning pod going into detailed design and development for sample manufacture.

Votes are currently being collated so stay tuned to find out the winner!