A desert oasis: a modular solution for remote workers
The regional or remote worker has been a hallmark of the Australian labour force, driven by the resource sector cycles. Many are attracted to FIFO work as it assumes a significant personal gain to be realised for the short-term discomfort of work in Australia’s red centre.
After decades of working in the same locations and providing buildings to these workforces, Ausco saw how building design could promote remote workers’ wellbeing and reduce the discomfort many felt. When long-term customer OZ Minerals, now BHP, came to Ausco’s Chris White in Adelaide asking how to create a CBD-standard project office at Prominent Hill, there was passion and capability to deliver.
Some history
OZ Minerals started in 2008, and it was not long after that the relationship between Ausco and the company began. OZ Minerals was growing, and Ausco’s hireable modular buildings were the ideal service to flow and ebb with the customer. Over the intervening years, the relationship only strengthened.
In 2023, BHP acquired OZ Minerals as Ausco began the Prominent Hill Mine site redevelopment.
“The key to this customer relationship has been the time Ausco has taken to genuinely understand and care for OZ Minerals’, and now BHP’s, goals. With this symbiotic relationship in place, we jumped at the challenge to redevelop their Prominent Hill project office and remote accommodation to the highest, sustainable finish with a strong emphasis on the positive experience of those who work there,” Chris White, Business Development Manager of Ausco, explains.
Redeveloping Prominent Hill: New Administration Office
The Prominent Hill Mine sits at the junction of the Simpson and Great Victoria Deserts and extracts copper for electrical vehicles, solar panels and electrical equipment. Prominent Hill is a dry, windy, red dirt environment which is hot in summer and cold in winter. The buildings needed to provide protection and comfort to the team, and withstand the, sometimes, extreme conditions.
Specifically, the project brief had several key objectives:
- Deliver 39 modules into a complex which reflected the Adelaide corporate office.
- Design, manufacture and assemble buildings which are sensitive to the environment both physically and philosophically.
- Prioritise wellness and the human experience to create better work and living spaces and increase felt wellbeing at the facility.
Built in just six months at the Adelaide manufacturing facility, the result was an integrated modular building encompassing a large open-plan office, private offices, cribs rooms, lounges, multiple muster points and a two-storey atrium.
The atrium is an eye-catching feature, more commonly associated with urban development, that distinguishes the structure in the landscape as an oasis. Under the extended ceiling, flooded with natural light, is the common user area which would be the envy of most airport lounges. Team members can collaborate or quietly work or enjoy relief from the harsh sun whilst they catch up with the family back at home.
Redeveloping Prominent Hill: New Kitchen and Diner
With the office building successfully delivered, it was time to build a new commercial kitchen and dining facility to service the remote workforce. Once again, the specifications were high and closer to the requirements of a metropolitan hotel, restaurant or café than a mine site. To attract and retain a happy and healthy workforce, you need to feed them well and for that, you need great cooking facilities to attract talented chefs.
Ausco won the commercial tender and, once again, the modules were manufactured in the Adelaide factory. The building design prioritised efficiency and comfort. Significant effort and innovation went into designing and building food delivery zones, which allowed a pallet jack to easily move between refrigerated delivery trucks and large commercial, walk-in refrigeration; just a small example of the attention to detail to improve the kitchen functionality and reduce manual lifting for the kitchen staff.
An Ausco-appointed Interior Designer conceived the final touches to the eating and recreating spaces. High ceilings, large windows and clerestory windows welcome natural light into the building and with the clever use of plants and privacy screens, the dining hall is a welcoming and attractive oasis for rest and respite.
Delivered in late 2024, the BHP team had this to say. “Enhancing the wellbeing of our people through these two very important spaces is something about which we feel strongly and hope to continue working on in the future. Seeing the plans and drawings come to life and creating these amazing spaces for our Prominent Hill workforce to use and enjoy has been a great achievement,” said Brent Smith, Superintendent.
Putting workers first
It is simple to take the time at the start of the project to understand the location and how the modular buildings can be designed and built to improve the flow, increase privacy, maximise green and outdoor features and promote wellness. It is a design philosophy that houses more than 2000 remote workers somewhere in Australia every day and drives innovation in modular building design.
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