Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra

Walking up or down each of the 12 levels of the new Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations building in Canberra is a visual experience you’re not likely to find in many other government offices.

The towering glass panes encapsulating the stair voids, the clean lines of the steel stairs and the glass balustrade work well together to create a sense of unencumbered naturalness.

Office Fitout Sydney Pty Ltd worked on the DEEWR building and was involved in its entire fabrication, supply and installation of the specialised architectural inter–tenancy steel stairs from Level 1 to 12 featuring and including steel stair risers, timber treads, glass balustrade and a full height glass structure surrounding each stair void.

Office Fitout Sydney specialises in corporate interior fit-outs, make goods, refurbishments, renovations and design.

The DEEWR inter–tenancy stair project has been a very exciting and challenging project. There are not many companies that can do this kind of work. It is architecturally designed and the company manufactured everything in co-ordination with the architect’s brief to deliver a product that is environmentally designed to meet Green Star accreditation.

Although there were tricky Occupational Health and Safety issues to overcome relating to working at heights and on edges, Office Fitout Sydney ensured that all of its workmen were qualified with the applicable installation certificates needed to work off heights and complete the job safely.

Each full height glass panel measured almost three metres, with approximately 1.5 tonnes of steel per level which was installed with specialised machinery. It looks very impressive when you look up or down through the inter-tenancy stair voids. Its design certainly maximises the use of natural lighting.