IVY & EVE, South Brisbane

Selected Project Experience of Nathan Burden

Coordinating Two Towers Through Concurrent Construction

Although IVY and EVE were constructed at the same time, the towers were treated as separate projects, with a dedicated crew assigned to each building. This allowed work to progress concurrently while maintaining clearer responsibility for programme, coordination and completion across both towers.

The staged delivery added another layer of complexity. IVY was scheduled for completion first, which meant the shared Level 5 recreation deck connecting the buildings also needed to be ready for its opening. Nathan Burden’s role as Project Manager involved overseeing this coordinated approach while keeping the required completion dates and quality expectations in view across the broader development.

Preparing the Site and Five-Level Basement

Early works involved demolishing the existing commercial buildings before excavation could begin for the five-level underground car park. The depth of the excavation created a significant logistical challenge on a constrained inner-city site, particularly with Merivale Street remaining an important thoroughfare for the surrounding area.

Before excavation commenced, a 500-square-metre load-out slab was constructed to move machinery and equipment away from the roadway. Nathan Burden explained that the piles were drilled from above before the slab was poured, describing the excavation as one of the deepest the piling contractor had undertaken at that time.

Managing Crane Operations Across Both Towers

Each tower incorporated a steel grillage structure within its lift shaft, allowing the tower crane to move progressively upward as construction advanced. Temporary crash floors were also installed in the lift shafts to create safer working areas while the structures continued to rise.

Removing the two tower cranes created a further logistical challenge once the buildings reached their full height. A major mobile crane was used to dismantle and lower the cranes from the top of each tower, completing a substantial lifting operation within the constrained South Brisbane site.

Managing a Constrained Inner-City Site

Constructing two 30-storey towers on Merivale Street required careful planning around one of South Brisbane’s main thoroughfares. Traffic movements, neighbouring residents, surrounding businesses and access to essential utilities all needed to be considered while construction continued across the site.

Hutchinson Builders worked closely with Council to coordinate lane closures and access to services including water mains. These requirements added another layer to the project’s delivery, with site logistics, programme commitments and disruption to the surrounding precinct needing to be managed together.

Project References

Project information has been drawn from the Australian National Construction Review feature on IVY & EVE and the Hutchinson Builders project portfolio. These sources provide further detail on the development, its construction and the project team involved.