Clarence Valley Council Office Refurbishment

SHAC were engaged by Clarence Valley Council to produce a masterplan and concept design to upgrade their existing 50-year-old administration building in central Grafton. 

By engaging directly with relevant council staff and stakeholders SHAC were able to establish a clear workplace strategy. The outcome was an open plan arrangement that facilitates staff interaction and teamwork while maintaining options for private meetings and quiet working spaces where required. 

The existing building presented many challenges, requiring careful consideration throughout. This included structural and services upgrades, universal accessibility, provision of natural light and changes to meet current building codes. SHAC were able to adopt innovative approaches to address these issues such as utilising the adjacent library building as the new Council chambers to free up valuable space for customer service and staff areas. SHAC also incorporated energy efficient design features to reduce the running costs and bring it into the modern era of building design. 

The refurbished Council offices officially opened in November 2021 and have been described by Clarence Valley Council Mayor, Jim Simmons, as a new space that reflected the organisation's growth and values.