The Metro 21 Apartment complex in the Brisbane CBD was a victim of degradation, with its external facades presenting a range of remedial issues.

After providing the body corporate with a dilapidation report of the building, our Brisbane team were engaged to tackle this rejuvenation project. We proposed a full external repaint utilising our qualified abseil experts as the sole access method.

The challenge

The Metro 21 Apartments had long suffered from a range of remedial issues addressed on an ad-hoc basis. Given the size and position of the building, any repairs are complicated and require a significant investment of time and finance. The neighbouring buildings adjacent to Metro 21 prevented the use of specific access equipment.

These issues culminated in the body corporate’s decision to take a more permanent approach that aimed to satisfy the tenants and owners.

Solution

Our operations team was privy to the widespread remedial issues plaguing this high-rise building after conducting the dilapidation report. The most prominent issue was the building’s render that needed immediate repair. Our operations team determined that full rope access was required for this project to accommodate the limited access. As can be seen in the video above, our abseil painters scaled the building from the top floor right down to ground level.

Before any paint was applied to the external facades, we engaged the colour consultancy company Colour Wheels, who provided us with an overlay. We presented to the committee who approved the suggested changes. The new colour scheme featured a combination of Dulux Narrow Neck, Western Myall and Oolong. Our painting partner Dulux provided the necessary specifications for the substrates, which included Acratex, Aquanamel, Weathermax and Weathershield products.

Beyond the challenge of accessing a building entirely via ropes, we needed to ensure that the residents were kept safe from our operations. Our project manager held weekly site meetings with a body corporate committee member and provided an update on the project's progress and upcoming works schedule. We created hoarding zones and utilised traffic management at ground level to ensure the public's safety and our people. Routine letter drops and emails were distributed to the residents to ensure they were up to date with all happenings on-site.

Results

The project spanned four months, with over 4,400 operational hours completed and over 4,600 litres of paint applied. Our rope access experts masterfully restored the building's facades, with the body corporate committee noting how thrilled they were with the outcome.