Adagio Apartments

The first plans for the Finbar development were drawn up in late 2010.  The builder and architect presented the plans to ABS for tender and asked us to produce an innovative balustrading that was minimalistic in design but would stand out from the surrounding buildings.  The balustrade also needed to align with their building techniques, in particular the Bubbledeck system.

The design chosen for the external balustrading was frameless glass on stainless steel spigots with a stainless steel handrail. A spigot, or a Glass Clamp, is the fitting that holds the glass and secures it to the slab.  At the time, there were no spigots available that would meet the safety requirements  for high rise balconies. Absolute Balustrades designed and developed a frameless glass spigot that could withstand the design wind loads expected on this 24 story building and satisfy the relevant BCA codes and Australian Standards.

Spigot testing was conducted in May 2012. Australian Standard 1170 requires the balustrade to be able to withstand minimum loads of 1.75 Kilo newtons (KN). The spigot designed for the Adagio building was able to withstand wind loads in excess of 2 Kilo newtons (KN). These high standards are indicative of every project that Absolute Balustrades  complete and are why ABS product quality surpasses many similar products on the market.

All of the products we supplied were designed and manufactured in our factory in Wangara, using the latest technology and the highest quality materials. The balustrade consisted of 12mm heat-soaked toughened safety glass with polished/flat ground exposed edges, secured using two holes per spigot in each glass panel. The spigots were made of 2205 Duplex Grade Stainless Steel, which combines great strength and excellent corrosion resistance with the aesthetic appeal of ordinary stainless steel. Grade 2205 Stainless Steel minimises ‘tea staining', which means the stainless steel surface will retain its visual appearance for a much longer time. The balustrade complied with and exceeded stringent BCA codes and Australian standards AS1170 (wind load, dead and live load requirement) and AS1288 (Glass in Building).

Installation of the product began in late 2012.  This huge scale project was no mean feat and there were a few on-site factors that ABS needed to consider to avoid interruption to the overall project.

The building structure-  built using Bubbledeck. As is common with a project of this scale, there were a few discrepancies with the level of the upstand wall, due to the alignment of precast panels, which the design had to allow for.  

• Time Scale- The project needed to be completed by early 2013 so time was a rare resource, leaving minimal allowance for error.
• Weather conditions-  an important factor in projects of this scale and when using glass. ABS had to allow for high winds and rain when considering employee safety and for protection of the glass. The glass was covered in black plastic during construction, to protect it from weather conditions and building spills.
• Logistics & handling- When working with glass, extra care needed to be taken with regards to storage, transportation, handling and installation.
• Installation planning and execution meant that the balustrade was in place quickly in accordance with the build program and minimised the need for temporary edge protection thereby allowing cost savings for the builder.

ABS managed to get the project done on time, to the client's specifications and with little disruption or breakages.
 

The first apartment was completed in August 2012, and was then used as a display unit.

The final project was completed on-time and to budget in March 2013. The finished project conveys style and luxury, with a unique and innovative design. Situated beside Langley Park, Adagio combines panoramic views of the swan river with all the advantages of a metropolitan lifestyle. The completed block is 24 stories high, with 112 luxury apartments plus two commercial units.