Client: LK Group in conjunction with the Department of State Growth
Year: 2019-2022
When the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers were granted a licence into the National Basketball League for season 2021-22 they needed a home venue in a hurry. The Derwent Entertainment Centre needed a serious modernisation upgrade to meet NBL and FIBA match play and television and broadcast standards – totally new power supply/reticulation, audio-visual and data communication systems, flexible show court lighting, and compliant fire-safety systems were all immutable requirements and new HVAC mechanical systems to provide comfort, air quality and fire/smoke safety for 8,500 patrons, corporates, players and staff were also non-negotiable upgrades to complete the new expanded facility.
For JMG it was like a much needed facelift for an old friend – we were engineers for the original DEC development in 1989 and have been continuously involved in the facility since its original construction.
Despite the ‘impossible’ timeframe for design and construction, courtesy of Covid 19 delays, and fixed handover date to host the first game of the 2021-22 NBL season, JMG were able to mobilise a full design team across all engineering disciplines and deliver in a timely way.
Close collaboration with Philp Lighton Architects in the fast-track design phase, and with PLA + Vos Construction in the overlapping construction phase, were necessary service features to ensure successful coordination and project completion in time for Game 1.