How Calvary Aged Care saved $80,000 on Hebburn Lodge?

David Arguelles, Linear Project Management, reveals how John Carolan's team helped him find savings on this Hebburn Lodge project

When construction costs were rising, Calvary Aged Care was tasked with refurbishing their Hebburn Village site in Cessnock.

Linear Project Management’s David Arguelles was tasked by Calvary Aged Care with keeping costs down during the renovation.
 
One of the challenges David faced was the need to undertake a renovation within a live environment where one of the wings was already occupied by a large group of residents.
 
However, by utilising Skope Constructions’ services, David could complete the project saving Calvary Aged Care - $80,000.

In this interview, David shares how Skope Constructions helped him to create these savings and why he is happy to recommend John Carolan and his team.

“The Calvary Cessnock facility had one of their wings within a live environment which was vacant because Skope Constructions had previously completed an earlier stage,” said David Arguelles.
 
“The residents that were technically in Hebburn Lodge had already moved across to the Kalingo Lodge, allowing the new work to commence.”
 
"Like many projects, there are extra costs. In the case of Hebburn Lodge, there was a need for a new mechanical ventilation system and the replacement of toilets in various locations."

David, how did John Carolan and the Skope Constructions team save Calvary Aged Care on this particular project?

“In terms of the mechanical ventilation system, the air conditioning system, they managed to provide a fifty-thousand-dollar saving,” said David.
 
“The mechanical engineer designed a system that replaced all the duct work within the ceiling spaces.
 
"Refurbishing the ventilation system was very costly, and the associated time implications added to the work involved.
 
“So, there was a saving of approximately fifty thousand dollars in fixing the ventilation system, not only on the cost side of things but also on the time side.
 
“The other savings Skope were able to make concerned the toilet pans in the residence ensuites.
This was a real bonus as the team at Skope Constructions found an alternative toilet to what had been originally specified. They got a sample of the new toilets. We reviewed it and provided that sample to Calvary. They checked it and accepted it would be a good and compliant toilet.
 
“That was another saving in the order of thirty thousand dollars for the project.”

David also spoke highly of Skope Construction’s approach to communication and problem-solving as the project evolved.
 
“Given this facility was in the Hunter Valley region, it’s not somewhere you can just drive to in an hour, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive each way, and we would conduct weekly or fortnightly site meetings with Calvary and Skope Constructions,” said David.
 
“The way Skope operates is that they are very open and transparent with everything.
“So, we’re on the phone every couple of days or daily, talking to the site manager and looking ahead at any potential issues that might arise.
 
“They are always willing to work with us to find a solution to any issues that arise, making my job easier.”

Thanks to David’s leadership and expertise, Calvary Aged Care was able to refurbish their Hebburn Village site in Cessnock successfully, saving in total eighty thousand dollars in the process.
 
Having worked on many projects with Skope Constructions, David was more than happy to recommend the Skope Constructions team to others.

As we concluded our interview with David, he commented, “With Skope Constructions helping you, many other organisations would also be able to save costs on their renovation projects.
 
“I know from first-hand experience that John and his team work hard to ensure their clients are successful by saving them from
unnecessary expense.”

Are you looking at refurbishing your Aged Care centre, then talk to John Carolan from Skope Constructions on 02 9659 8461.