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Over the past 15 years, Ben Folkard, General Manager – Refurbishment and Live Environments, has played an integral part in Taylor’s journey and success. An exceptional leader, Ben’s knowledge and trusted relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors and his team are second to none. 

Ben continually delivers high-quality outcomes, and has been responsible for the delivery of several iconic projects such as the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Lindfield Learning Village Stage 1, and the heritage-listed art-deco building at 66 King Street in Sydney’s CBD. 

Over the past 15 years, Ben has worked hard to support community and engagement initiatives championed by Taylor. His exceptional fundraising efforts have positively impacted the lives of countless young people through his support for The Property Industry Foundation and Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation. From providing in-kind services for projects such as refurbishing the Boys and Girls Brigade charity at Surry Hill, to playing a pivotal role raising $95,000 through Taylor’s annual Charity Golf Day and other fundraising initiatives for Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation in 2022, Ben proactively helps transform local communities. 

On behalf of Team Taylor, we would like to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to Ben. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with you!  

Congratulations to our client, The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW), for being recognised in Urban Taskforce Australia’s 2022 Development Excellence Awards, winning the Seniors Living Development category.

This accolade acknowledges a development that achieved the best outcomes for all stakeholders in terms of client requirements, environment, business and community considerations; as well as time, cost and quality.

Uniting Bowden Brae is the newest independent living village positioned in the leafy suburb of Normanhurst on the upper north shore. The site is in close proximity to the entrance to the M1 and adjacent to beautiful park and bushland. Now completed, the facility provides an easy-living, contemporary retirement village and community for the growing population of seniors, both local and around the state.

Learn more about this impressive project here.

The iconic Concert Hall reopened to the public on Wednesday, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra marking its return alongside new chief conductor, Simone Young.

This once-in-a-generation renewal combines respect for heritage with cutting-edge staging and theatre systems, improved acoustics for artists and audiences and enhanced access for people with mobility needs.

To realise the new designs, the Taylor team installed 174 tonnes of new structural steel (equal to more than 100 cars), placed 720 tonnes of new reinforced concrete and laid 300 kilometres of cable. This included 44 tonnes of hot pink steel to mark the difference between primary and secondary steel.

“We feel quite honoured that we’ve been selected to work on this project and contribute to the history of it,” said Adam Vassallo Project Manager.

Taylor is thrilled to have played a part in the delivery of this treasured performance space – many thanks to Team Taylor and our subcontractors for the care and attention taken to protect this architectural icon.

For more information on the Concert Hall opening, please visit this website.

The sandstone archway entrance to the library is an intricate component of the build, with the keystone – the top stone in the archway – the largest and most complex stone Gosford Quarries has manufactured in 20 years. An imperative component of the keystone’s installation was perfect alignment, an impressive achievement that took close to 8 hours to complete!

In keeping with the Scots Baronial design, the College’s rich history and traditions will be reinforced through the use of traditional materials, styles and techniques of the period. The Taylor team worked closely with the architect on pre-construction design to meet the vision of the project whilst maintaining the functionality and value of the building.

Taylor is excited to share that our Major Projects division has been chosen by Scape Australia to deliver the new Scape Kingsford student accommodation building, located on Anzac Parade and Bunnerong Road.

Forming part of the Randwick City Council’s K2K Strategy, the development comprises the construction of an 18-storey building, with retail and commercial tenancies within the precinct. The significant build will include 354 modern rooms, communal and shared spaces, three retail spaces and basement parking for 16 cars, 100 motorcycles and 96 bicycles.

Landscaping has been integrated into portions of the design, with external works including the landscaping of communal and public areas in the retail precinct. On completion, the retail precinct will greatly improve amenities in this part of Kingsford, in line with the Council’s revitalisation of the neighbourhood.

A key component of Scape Kingsford is to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating. Taylor’s highly experienced ESD personnel will be heavily involved throughout the duration of this project to ensure this Green Star rating is achieved. You can learn more about our sustainability commitment here.

Project work commenced in May this year and is due for completion in February 2024.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings of the 20^th century, with the Concert Hall – affectionately known as the heart of the Opera House – attracting a diverse range of contemporary performers and events. Adam Vassallo joined Construction Management and Property Program students to discuss the transformational works that will bring the world-famous development into the 21^st century.

Managing the monumental Concert Hall Renewal Project is no small feat, especially when balancing the update of theatre systems and building fabric with heritage responsibilities. Overseeing the installation of new stage machinery and winch cable systems capable of lifting four times the weight of previous installations, Adam explained how the Taylor team installed 174 tonnes of new structural steel, placed 720 tonnes of concrete and laid 300 kilometres of cable to bring the design to life.

Students received unique insights into the role of an award-winning Project Manager, with Adam sharing a detailed ‘Day in the Life’ that outlined his day-to-day responsibilities and movements. Following this, Adam led a review of the Concert Hall Renewal Project’s delivery timeline and technical installations – most of which include meticulous architectural detailing.

By Ben Folkard, General Manager Refurbishments & Live Environments

At Taylor, we understand that by designing infrastructure that protects Australia’s biodiversity and endangered species, we amplify our positive impact on the environment. Construction delivery, protecting nature, and ensuring a sustainable future are intrinsically linked.

It’s not often that an entire development is factored around the protection of a single flower. In Taylor’s case, this happened recently, with a small, native, yellow-flowering plant – Hibbertia Fumana.

This species, native to New South Wales, was thought to be extinct in 2012. After being rediscovered in Moorebank in 2016, it made its way onto the critically endangered plant species list. In turn, this unique little plant changed key aspects of the build for a major development at Bankstown Airport for our client PolAir, NSW’s Police Force Aviation Command.

The facility – created to unite all of PolAir’s current resources under one roof – is comprised of a two-storey office building, hangar and maintenance facility.

Joining Estia Health St Ives’ project team, UTS student Angelique was given behind-the-scenes access to the $32 million project that will transform six local residential blocks into a 118 resident place aged care development.

Diarmuid O’Flaherty, Project Manager, David Tran, Project Engineer, Jack Geale, Design Manager and Glenn Harris, Senior Site Manager shared first-hand insights into the career paths made available by pursuing STEM degrees, exploring the complementary relationship between site experience and theoretical studies.

Connection to place and connection to people are fundamental drivers for Taylor. So too, Diversity is one of our four guiding Principles; Listen, Create, Diversity and Excel. Leading through equality, we make our business stronger through our official partnership with KARI Foundation to increase cultural awareness, connection and opportunity. Together, we can make a more just, equitable and reconciled Australia.

NAIDOC Week, 3 – 10 July, is a time to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! for systemic change. This year’s theme is a challenge to all Australians to support and secure institutional collaborative and cooperative reforms. It’s also time to celebrate the many who have driven and led change in our communities over generations – they have been the heroes and champions of change, or equal rights and even basic human rights.

Taylor is proud to support The Property Council of Australia’s commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a call by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for real and practical change in Australia through the establishment of a Makarrata Commission, to undertake processes of treaty-making and truth-telling. Giving the Voice a constitutional guarantee through a referendum will create a shared, unifying moment in our nation’s history that we can all understand.

We look forward to working closely with Reconciliation Australia, our people and partners as we continue our important reconciliation journey. To learn more about our Reflect RAP, download our commitment here.

Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!