West Illawarra Leagues Club HVAC, BMS & Mechanical Fire Upgrade

Building Integrity, Elevating Environments.

Clubs and venues are under growing pressure to provide clean, comfortable air for members, guests and staff. When West Illawarra Leagues Club in Unanderra needed its mechanical services brought up to date, the Club asked Axis Align to manage the whole project. That included the roofing replacement works, crane and traffic control, and the mechanical and structural engineering, alongside the HVAC, controls and fire safety work itself.

Challenges Addressed

•  Hard-to-service equipment: The existing air conditioning plant was ageing and sat in the ceiling space, which made it difficult and costly to maintain.

•  No mechanical fire system: The building needed to be brought up to the latest code, but the Club had no mechanical fire system in place.

•  Outdated controls: The existing control system no longer suited the way the Club operates day to day.

•  Kitchen and bistro changes: The bistro was being redesigned, and the new kitchen hoods needed matching ventilation equipment.

•  Multiple trades on one site: Roofing, cranage, traffic control and engineering all had to be coordinated around a working club.

Project Scope

Our aim was to engineer out the aged equipment and replace it with a design that would be easier to service for years to come. The scope included:

New rooftop plant platform: We moved the equipment out of the ceiling space and designed and built a new platform on the roof to house the new plant.

Inverter HVAC equipment: We installed the latest Temperzone Econex systems, which use inverter technology, electronic expansion valves and plug fans to reduce operating costs.

Building Management System: Our building management team replaced the outdated control system with a new Distech system, integrating and customising features to suit the Club's needs.

Kitchen ventilation: New kitchen ventilation equipment was installed to serve the hoods in the redesigned bistro.

Mechanical fire system: Working with our mechanical engineers, we completed a full installation of the mechanical fire system. This included a new essential services switchboard, a pressurisation system that uses the package units' economy cycle capabilities, and six new smoke spill fans, all commissioned on completion.

Our Holistic-Solution Methodology

We looked at the Club as one connected system rather than a list of separate trades. Bringing HVAC, BMS and mechanical fire safety under one project team meant each part was designed to work with the others. Our approach ensured:

End-to-End Delivery: One contractor managed everything from engineering and roofing coordination through to installation and commissioning.

Serviceability by Design: Relocating the plant to an accessible rooftop platform makes ongoing maintenance simpler and safer.

Optimal Energy Efficiency: Inverter-driven equipment and smarter controls were selected to bring down the cost of running the plant.

Client Impact

Improved Comfort & Air Quality: New HVAC equipment and controls give the Club better control over conditions for members and staff.

Building Safety & Compliance: A complete mechanical fire system, including smoke spill and pressurisation, brings the building in line with current code.

Easier Maintenance: Plant that was once buried in the ceiling space is now on an accessible rooftop platform.

Lower Operating Costs: Inverter technology, electronic expansion valves and plug fans were chosen to reduce running costs.

Why Axis Align

This project reflects our brand pillars:

Customer-Centric Care: Controls customised around how the Club actually runs.

Holistic-Solution Methodology: HVAC, BMS and mechanical fire delivered as one integrated project.

Optimal Energy Efficiency: Equipment selected for lower operating costs over its life.

Proactive not Reactive: Plant designed to be serviceable, so problems are easier to catch early.

‍