Nundah, QLD, Australia
The Toombul Shopping Centre in North Brisbane, Queensland, underwent a $26 million expansion to provide shoppers with a new dining and entertainment precinct fusing food and entertainment within a hub of social activity. The expansion features a new outdoor public event space, live entertainment spaces, alfresco dining facilities, a children’s play area, indoor dining tenancies and an eight-screen cinema complex, all fully integrated into the existing shopping centre.
Dewick & Associates worked closely with Ascot Air to provide the Design and Construct Mechanical Engineering services for the project.
Our focus was on delivering the full suite of Design and Construct mechanical engineering services including heat loads, ductwork and pipework sizing, static calculations, value management and RPEQ design certification, for a complex precinct integrating cinema, dining and entertainment uses into an existing operational shopping centre.
By Richard Gardner
Credit: not required as a canva image
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The Toombul Dining and Entertainment Precinct expansion was a redevelopment designed to transform the existing shopping centre into a modern mixed-use destination, incorporating an eight-screen cinema, alfresco dining precinct, live entertainment spaces and a children’s play area. Delivered within an operational retail environment, the project required new mechanical services to integrate seamlessly with existing building infrastructure while supporting a diverse range of occupancy types and operating conditions.
Ascot Air was engaged to deliver the mechanical services package, including car park exhaust ventilation, outside air systems, commercial kitchen exhaust, general exhaust systems, air handling units (AHUs), chilled water system extensions and electrical heating. The project required compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC), AS 1668 The Use of Ventilation and Air Conditioning in Buildings and other applicable Australian Standards governing mechanical building services.
Ascot Air and Electrical engaged Dewick & Associates to provide the complete Design and Construct mechanical engineering services, together with RPEQ-certified engineering design and project handover documentation.
Designing mechanical services for a mixed-use entertainment precinct presented a number of complex engineering challenges. Cinema auditoriums, restaurants, commercial kitchens, public gathering areas and children’s play spaces each imposed significantly different ventilation, cooling and occupant comfort requirements, requiring careful coordination throughout the design process.
Operating within an existing shopping centre also meant that new mechanical systems needed to interface with existing services while minimising disruption to the operational facility. Air distribution, chilled water infrastructure, controls integration and fire system interfaces all required detailed coordination to ensure system performance, maintainability and regulatory compliance.
Detailed engineering calculations were required to validate equipment selections, ductwork and pipework sizing, fan and pump performance, and overall system capacity. Opportunities for value management also needed to be assessed to optimise constructability and lifecycle performance without compromising the original design intent. As the project was undertaken in Queensland, the final engineering design required certification by a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).
Dewick & Associates delivered the complete Design and Construct mechanical engineering package, providing technical support from detailed engineering design through to project completion.
Engineering services included comprehensive heat load calculations to verify system capacities and equipment selections across all occupied spaces. Detailed ductwork and pipework sizing was undertaken, supported by airside and waterside static pressure calculations for air handling units, exhaust systems, pumps and associated mechanical plant. The engineering team also developed value management proposals to refine the consultant’s original design while maintaining compliance with project performance requirements and relevant Australian Standards.
Mechanical services were carefully coordinated with the Building Management System (BMS), controls and fire protection systems to ensure reliable operation across the integrated retail and entertainment precinct. Dewick & Associates provided RPEQ Design Certification, confirming the engineering design met Queensland’s statutory requirements for professional engineering services.
As the project progressed towards completion, Dewick & Associates also prepared the project’s Mechanical Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manuals, providing comprehensive asset information, system descriptions, equipment schedules, manufacturers’ documentation and preventative maintenance requirements to support ongoing facility management.
The completed mechanical engineering solution delivered efficient, code-compliant building services for one of Brisbane’s major retail and entertainment precinct redevelopments. New ventilation systems, commercial kitchen exhaust, chilled water infrastructure, air handling units and electrical heating systems were successfully integrated within the existing shopping centre, providing reliable environmental control across the expanded development.
By combining Design and Construct mechanical engineering with RPEQ-certified design and comprehensive Mechanical O&M Manuals, Dewick & Associates supported both the successful construction phase and the long-term operation of the facility through accurate engineering documentation and structured asset information.
The content in this case study has been informed by project documentation and client communication provided to Dewick & Associates during and following the completion of the project. Where external sources have contributed to our understanding of relevant standards or industry practice, these are listed below.
Buildcorp – project manager.
Note: Some content in this case study draws on a combination of sources rather than direct quotation. Where this is the case, contributing sources are acknowledged above rather than cited inline.
Technical authoring of D&A format O&M Manuals enabling efficient plant operation and effective maintenance for equipment longevity, including:
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