West Gosford based air conditioning specialist, Air Forced Air, collaborated with luxury property developer Central Real, to deliver a premium quality residential project located 100 metres from the shores of Brisbane Waters in the exclusive Central Coast suburb of Point Frederick.
A medium rise building, with six storeys above ground and split-level basement, the complex features 29 luxury units.
Given the prestigious location and sale price of each unit, the design brief was to push the boundaries with specification and finishes to create a first of its kind for the area.
All units sold off the plan within weeks of the project launch, and at the time, broke sales records for the Central Coast.The tender requirements were air conditioning in all 29 high-end units and basement mechanical services, including all the car park exhaust, lobby fresh air supply, and full mechanical package for air and services. Individual temperature control for each unit was also a requirement.
Due to the premium nature of the project, Air Forced Air specified Fujitsu General’s VRF J-IIS systems.
This specification met the premium quality expectations of the build and would provide unit owners with great operational efficiency.
Air Forced Air director, Stephen Trigg, said he specified the Fujitsu General VRF system due to its high-level performance, which met the project brief.
“The compact outdoor units of the Fujitsu General VRF J-IIS system were ideal for this multi-storey project, which had restricted space,” he said.
“The smaller units were also better visually, and the extended piping of this system was another useful feature.
“Fujitsu General also provides a five-year parts and labour warranty for residential installations, which is unique to Fujitsu and gave Central Real a significant amount of confidence.”
Installation of the HVAC system commenced in January 2018 and was completed in December 2018. The build was smooth and without issues, residents were able to move into their high-end luxury homes from January 2019.
While it was a smooth installation, Central Real CEO, Richard Ellis, said there are always some challenges, especially a project with such high-quality expectations, it’s important to ensure quality workmanship is delivered.
Fortunately, the team at Air Forced Air were up for the challenge.
While the extended piping was an advantage for this project, 29 headers were installed which the indoor units were piped from. This method was chosen over the use of separation tubes to streamline the piping installation and deliver a cleaner finish.
Each apartment required four to five indoor units; one for each bedroom and one or two in the living area. With limited space above the wardrobes, the Fujitsu slim-line bulkhead (ARXK) units were easier to install. These mini ducts feature drain pumps which made them ideal for this high-spec installation.
“We were able to connect the outdoor units with 450mm deep, slimline bulkhead units which made a big difference as there was limited space above wardrobes in the bedrooms, which was where they were to be positioned,” Trigg explained.
“In the larger apartments we bridged together two fan coil units for the living areas which were discreetly hidden behind a long linear grille.”
The final outdoor configuration featured 15 units on the roof and a further 14 units in the carpark. In the basement there was a garbage truck turntable, and the units were wall-mounted above this, which had no impact on the available floor space.
Ellis said the solution was effective and the outcome positive.
“We had a large ventilated area for the garbage truck to enter, so the units in the car park were able to be hidden,” Ellis said.
“This hasn’t presented any issues with noise, or ventilation. There has been no negative feedback and the installation was defect-free, which is evidence of the quality of the skills provided by Air Forced Air and the Fujitsu system.”
Fujitsu General’s inhouse project engineers worked with Air Forced Air to provide selection data, system design and efficiency ratings for the Marina Apartments specification. This was a project that required a system that delivered above and beyond standard performance. The Fujitsu General VRF system enabled these high expectations to be achieved.
Project at a glance
Application: apartments
Installer/contractor: Air Forced Air (NSW)
Products: J-IIS
Outdoor units: 26 x AJT040, 1 x AJT045, 2 x AJT054
Indoor units: 97 x ARXK, 3 x ARXB
Quantity of outdoor units: 29
Quantity of indoor units: 100
Quantity of UTY-RNRYZ2: 100
Quantity of Headers for piping: 29
Total capacity: 373.6KW