Griffith and Grocon, helping build careers

9 tower cranes. 17 man hoists. 5000 tonnes of scaffolding surrounding 18 residential  towers. Add in more than half a million hours of labour and one can begin to imagine Grocon’s latest residential development site, Parklands Project, located across from Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus.

With the 21st Commonwealth Games opening in the Gold Coast in 2018, the popular tourist city has become a hotspot for ambitious engineering projects.

Crocon Com Games site visit_IMG_7516Students from Griffith University’s School of Engineering have been quick to take advantage of these opportunities, with Grocon offering internships and in-depth site tours to undergraduate students. The visits have a number of benefits for both students and the company.

For the students, the ‘concrete’ aspects of a site visit are the most beneficial. Civil Engineering student Vanessa Milos says that the tours give her the opportunity to “see civil engineering in action”. Pedro Dapaz, also a Civil Engineering student, says that the tour offered him the opportunity to see how “everything is structured, like the physical differences between bricklaying and precasting.”

At its completion in late 2017, the $550 million dollar site will host over 6,600 athletes over the two week Games before transitioning into a combined residential precinct featuring 1,252 dwellings and a 5,840m2 retail precinct.Crocon Com Games site visit_IMG_7509

Envisioning a project that will have two separate lives – as an Athletes Village and a residential and retail hub – is one of the key challenges of the project.  All 1252 dwellings will be available for the public to rent from early 2019.

Grocon’s Assistant Development Manager, Matt McCabe, mentions  community legacy is at the forefront of the project goals, and working with higher education institutions like Griffith strengthens that legacy. “We have identified Griffith as an education partner. Griffith aligns with our community values and we want to leverage our involvement with the university to provide education to tomorrow’s engineers and future leaders”.

Grocon has already sourced 5 interns from Griffith University, with more opportunities being offered as the project develops.

Read More: Griffith’s School of Engineering

For more information on Parklands Project visit ParklandsProject.com.au

Author: Jack Hayes an intern with Griffith Sciences currently studying a Bachelor of Communication with Griffith University