Spacious, sturdy and relocatable: steel site office ticks all the boxes

When looking for a tough yet movable office design, Australian sustainable steel manufacturer InfraBuild enlisted the services of Modulate Group — a business specialising in customisable modular building solutions.

InfraBuild operates 26 recycling centres in Australia, as well as in Poland and the US, with global scrap metal traders working in locations across the globe. Steel can be recycled, melted down and turned into new steel products, driving its material circularity. In Australia, InfraBuild uses high-quality scrap steel to make new steel products in its electric arc furnaces, helping to divert the scrap from landfill.

Modulate designed a spacious, light-filled, 225 m² multipurpose office development to provide a durable and practical workspace for InfraBuild’s recycling staff. The relocatable, two-storey, container-based office complex was installed at InfraBuild’s 1 million m² facility in Mayfield, Newcastle.

The National Project Operations Manager at InfraBuild Recycling, David Bowden, said the Mayfield building provided both good design and an expected lifespan of up to 25 years before it would need to be recycled.

“We believe the very tough but very comfortable relocatable steel building we refined and customised shows what can be achieved within the scope of well-designed container-based steel buildings,” he said.

Modulate’s designs are built to withstand heavy use with low maintenance. Its buildings, including stackable and double-width 4.5 m-wide types, can be engineered to meet the repeat-use needs of sectors such as mining, energy, infrastructure, construction, government projects, defence, and water and power utilities.

“When we were looking around for a better building to replace our old and less durable and less easily relocatable offices, we liked the idea of container-based buildings that could stand up to at least 20 years or more in service for a tough industry like ours,” Bowden said.

The entire structure incorporates eight 6 x 3.5 m shipping containers and two 12 x 2.4 m shipping containers customised to meet the design brief for a functional, robust and aesthetically pleasing two-storey office complex with a practical design that maximises space, comfort and convenience, with all insulation and services built in.

The spacious top floor houses a large boardroom and manager’s office, while the functional ground floor office space includes a foyer and seven offices, each approximately 3 x 3.5 m. There is a well-equipped kitchen and two bathrooms.

In addition to layout flexibility, key sustainability requirements included efficient water management and climate control systems and the ability for the entire structure to be able to be disassembled and relocated swiftly and safely as needs change in the future.

Durable roof structure, efficient water management, and climate control systems support a comfortable and practical working environment. “This new structure is far more versatile, comfortable and stronger than the old portable it replaces,” Bowden said.

“The strength is built into it, so it can comfortably accommodate hard-working crews with all their gear, without having to worry too much about damage. Even if the exterior of the building got a bump from site machinery, it is built to take the knocks without spilling insulation or fracturing services.

“Because we worked closely in partnership on the design and build, the end result is working very well for us in service,” he said.

Top image caption: InfraBuild’s 12 m-long and 9.5 m-wide two-storey office complex is made from eight 6 x 3.5 m shipping containers and two 12 x 2.4 m shipping containers customised to meet the design brief. All images courtesy of Modulate Group.