IBIS Styles

Project Brief

Structural and civil engineering services provided to X Squared Architects prior to novation to Hutchinson Builders.

Key Challenges

The Ibis Styles Hotel consists of 11 floors and contains 296 guest rooms, ground level retail/foyer/restaurant and a 3rd floor fitness centre and swimming pool. Above the first floor, the building splits into three separate towers and whilst the change of use from floor to floor at the lower levels made a consistent column grid impossible, a regular structure was able to be imposed at the upper levels. The complexity of the lower levels was challenging from both a design and construction point of view, however once these were out of the way, the upper levels proceeded swiftly.

The site itself is underlain by extremely weathered low strength sandstone and higher strength dolerite. The building straddles a contact between these two geologies, and resulted in highly variable foundation materials. Although initially favouring a piled foundation solution, spread footings were eventually adopted after settlement modelling was undertaken by the geotechnical consultant (Scherzic Pty Ltd) on the basis of cost.

Result

The building was completed on time and is now open for business.