West Beach Apartments

The development consists of a multi-storey residential apartment complex comprising multiple dwellings with undercroft car parking, designed to maximize site efficiency on a constrained suburban allotment (~1,077 m² site area).

Key components of the project include:

• Ground-level undercroft car parking system integrated within the building footprint
• Concrete suspended floor slabs supporting upper residential levels
• Balconies, terraces, and courtyard spaces
• Retaining walls and boundary structures
• Steel framing for floor, wall, and roof systems
• Footing system

The architectural drawings show a tightly coordinated layout with vehicle access, landscaping, and boundary constraints, highlighting the need for precise structural integration within limited site conditions.

This project presented several engineering and planning challenges:

• Limited site area with boundary-to-boundary construction required efficient structural layouts and minimal structural footprint.
• Designing a structurally efficient system to support residential loads above while maintaining open parking spaces below.
• Council raised concerns regarding setbacks, building height, retaining walls, stormwater, and access arrangements, requiring design responsiveness and coordination.
• Site levels and surrounding conditions necessitated retaining walls and careful coordination with civil and architectural layouts.
• Complex layouts including lift voids, balconies, and internal load paths required precise coordination to avoid clashes and ensure constructibility.

We developed a practical and efficient structural design tailored to the project constraints:

• Adopted a raft footing system to distribute loads efficiently and minimise excavation complexity.
• Designed reinforced concrete suspended slabs over the undercroft parking to achieve structural efficiency while maintaining clear spans for vehicle movement.
• Combined concrete and steel framing systems to support architectural requirements, including balconies, terraces, and roof structures.
• Engineered retaining systems integrated with site levels and boundary conditions, ensuring stability and compliance with planning requirements.
• Ensured alignment of structural elements with architectural features such as lift shafts, drainage provisions, and service penetrations, improving build-ability and reducing on-site conflicts.

• Efficient structural system enabling open undercroft parking
• Cost-effective foundation solution minimising construction complexity
• High level of coordination with architectural and planning constraints
• Buildable, compliant design aligned with council requirements
• Optimised structural layout for residential functionality and durability