Bon Marche is one of the oldest and tallest heritage structures in Perth. Hera Engineering has been involved in the feasibility study of converting the existing structure into an A-grade office building. We have also provided full planning of the construction methodology to undertake the refurbishment.
One of the major challenges was to undertake a detailed seismic analysis of the existing masonry structure to assess compliance with current earthquake codes. When performing seismic upgrades of existing structures, it is common practice in Australia to introduce completely new concrete shear walls in order to resist seismic loads. For this project, however, Hera saw an opportunity to utilise the existing masonry and avoid such a large degree of new construction.
Although this approach is not common in Western Australia, it is quite prevalent in Europe. Our design team is uniquely placed with a great deal of European experience which proved extremely valuable on this project. With an innovative strategy and exclusive expertise Hera were able to deliver a highly practical and cost-effective solution.
