Dairy Road is a commercial redevelopment located in Fyshwick, ACT. This large-scale project incorporates several residential buildings that feature innovative approaches to carbon neutrality and biophilicdesign. Indesco has played a pivotal role in advancing research and development—conducted in collaboration with UNSW—into the use of rammed earth, a key architectural element of the residential components on the site. The commercial buildings will feature a combination of concrete and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures.

We have been engaged to deliver both civil and structural engineering services for this development, including early development planning (EDP), master planning, and detailed design for the estate and its new residential buildings.

Spanning 14 hectares, the site was formerly used as a landfill for spoil generated during the construction of Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia. What was once considered a constraint—builders’ rubble—has been reimagined as a valuable resource.

In partnership with UNSW and Capital Precast, we are prototyping rammed earth walls and columns for residential buildings up to six storeys — a world-first. These panels will be produced using soil sourced directly from the Dairy Road site, with an emphasis on sustainability through minimal use of cement and lime stabilisers.

Testing has identified a shortfall in clay content within the site-sourced soil. As a result, the team is exploring alternative stabilisers, including geopolymers and recycled by-products from steel mills, to enhance the structural performance of the panels. A commitment to sustainability has remained central throughout the design development process.

SCOPE OF WORKS:

Early Development Planning

Master Planning

Structural Engineering

Post Tension Design

Shoring Design

Foundation Design

Value Engineering