Welcome to the UP Building and Construction Pty Ltd case study.
This case study has been developed to support students throughout their construction course learning and assessment journey. You do not need to read this case study as a module, rather it will be referenced and linked throughout the assessments across this course to provide supporting documentation and resources as needed.
The following information about the organisation and relevant policies and procedure are captured and presented to staff as though through an internal staff portal/intranet.
All information captured in the UP Building and Construction company profile, policies and procedures is fictional. This has however been developed in line with information, policies and procedures that would apply to a small to medium residential and commercial organisation in the construction industry.
UP Building and Construction Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated company who strive to deliver excellence in all that they build.
UP was built on the foundations of a hardworking ethos set in place by Joe Fredricksen. Joe showcased his passion for his family and building as he worked tirelessly to build a home for his wife and four sons. Charlie and John remember watching their father methodically pull together a pile of materials and create a grand family home that was able to safely hold his family and so many happy memories over the decades to follow. This inspired the brothers to pursue a career in construction with the goal to help others achieve their dream homes.
With plenty of determination the brothers completed their studies and embarked on the journey to build up their own company, where they could carry on their father’s legacy.
Over the years, the team at UP have honed their skills in delivering beautiful homes and expanded into construction of aesthetic and practical commercial developments with a specific focus on offering affordably sustainable solutions.
With over 50 years’ experience in the construction industry, like the name suggests, UP has grown from a modest family business with a handful of employees to a successful company now employing over 100 people. The UP head office is in Sydney NSW, however UP is well represented across all states and territories of Australia.
Building dreams from the ground UP
Whether it is building your dream home or dream office space, there is only one way and that is up.
Our company motto is based on the idea that all projects start from the ground and offer a blank slate. We look to the clients to understand their hopes and dreams for the space and build UP from there, with the goal of helping them reach ultimate heights.
What do we do?
UP focus on offering sustainable, unique and affordable design, building and construction services including (but not limited to):
- Residential building
- Full build
- Knockdown re-build
- House and land packages
- Renovations
- Extensions
- Commercial building
- Office spaces
- Warehouses
- Shop fit outs
Why use us?
UP is built on family values such as honesty and integrity with safety paramount in everything we do. These values have been instilled in our staff to ensure we offer all clients industry leading service.
Clients enjoy a personal project manager relationship that involves regular communication to ensure all parties understand the vision and the status throughout the project and delivery by a team of experienced and well-trained crew that prioritise quality and safety.
Lean construction
UP Building and Construction aims to use only resources that the organisation needs during its projects. Lean construction practice involves, among other things, removing or minimising processes that only add cost to finishing a project and retaining or improving on processes that add value to a project.
UP Building and Construction follows these principles of lean construction practice:
- The customers’ needs and wants are identified and achieve through open and direct communication with the customers.
- Our processes ensure value is identified and integrated into all of our projects through careful planning and application of known processes in construction.
- Materials and components are procured only when needed to minimise wastage.
- Continuous improvement is achieved through regular and rigorous review of processes and outcomes with learning applied to future projects.
Sustainable construction
The aim of sustainable construction is not only to reduce the organisation’s effect on the environment but also to ensure that the future projects of the organisation are secured by current practices. Sustainable practice focuses on:
- Constructing energy-efficient buildings by utilising renewable energy.
- Protecting the environment from harmful effects of construction.
- Reducing waste and pollution during construction
- Constructing buildings that provide greater satisfaction and ensure the well-being of its users.
- Treating employees of the organisation with respect and fairness, which includes taking into account health and safety factors.
Our construction staff have undertaken professional training with HIA Greensmart to ensure we provide quality and sustainable builds for our clients. We source materials of high sustainable quality.
Some of these include:
- Green thermal insulation
- Recycled metal
- Engineered wood
The insulation we install in our projects is made from polyester, sheep’s wool, cellulose and earthwool. Our team are trained specifically for these types of insulation to ensure it is at a high standard to maximise functionality.
These materials help elevate the energy ratings within a building because they trap excess heat in winter and keep it away in summer. With these materials, not only are we supporting a sustainable cause, but it benefits our clients because it reduces the need for energy-intense forms of temperature control, such as air-conditioning, which in turn keeps electricity bills down. Win! Win!
With such a dependency on metals, we have revolutionised our thoughts on steel as it is a valuable resource that can be recycled and reused while keeping its properties. Additional benefits regarding sustainability stem from the functionality and durability of the recycled metal being strong, long-lasting and water-resistant. We use recycled metal on any of the following structures where possible:
- roofing
- building facades
- framework
We have sourced quality engineered wood that has been carefully developed by fusing various wood types together to create cross-laminated timber (CLT). The benefits of using engineered wood start with efficiency and time-saving. It is also strong and stable, has sufficient fire resistance, flexible design, adequate moisture resistance, thermal and insulation all the while reducing the waste on building sites.
We prioritise the use of CLT across flooring and walls, where selected by clients.
UP Building and Construction Pty Ltd are a family owned and operated company, however many of our employee base extends beyond the family as we bring on more caring and qualified team members.
Executive Team
Project Team/Structure
For each project, there is a mix of employees, contractors and casual workers. These fall into the following team structure.
Each project will be allocated a Project Manager, who will assemble the team and provide this information to the client at startup.
REMINDER: UP Building and Construction is a fictional case study, developed to help students through their construction course learning and assessment.
UP Building and Construction Pty Ltd
ABN: 123 456 789
1 Commonwealth Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
1300 100 200
www.upbuildingandconstruction.com.au admin@upconstructionandbuilding.com.au
UP Building and Construction – The staff intranet
The UP Building and Construction employee intranet site (this module) is currently being updated as part of a continuous improvement process.
This is being coordinated by Paul Lees (Systems Management) to better manage staff access to our company policies and procedures, as well as any project files that the team may need when out on site.
This may mean that from time to time you will see new information added to this intranet, however this will not impact or change any of the information initially published, rather it represents a continuous improvement process and a bigger and better experience for our UP Building and Construction staff.
