Tenancy Co-ordination

At Essence, we excel in managing the intricate processes of tenancy coordination. Our role involves overseeing the design, approval, and construction phases to ensure seamless transitions for tenants into their new spaces. Leveraging our extensive property and construction expertise, we navigate the complexities of concurrent fit-outs and stakeholder management.

We coordinate between key parties, including developers, facilities managers, contractors, tenants, and their project managers, ensuring all aspects are aligned and progressing smoothly. Our proactive approach identifies potential issues early and implements corrective actions to maintain project timelines and compliance.

Our comprehensive tenancy coordination services are crucial in delivering successful, high-quality outcomes for all parties involved, facilitating efficient and effective project execution.

Project Management

We specialise in the delivery of projects in challenging environments. We apply a management style that initiates, plans, executes & controls all processes to achieve a client’s vision, that meets time, cost, scope & quality expectations.

We offer project management services throughout the project lifecycle from inception, project definition, approvals, design development, procurement, & construction delivery, through to commissioning, handover, & opérations.

Our expertise includes defining the brief, engaging with stakeholders, developing project controls, managing risk, consultant & contractor procurement, & managing the construction delivery & handover process.

With more than 55 project managers operating nationwide, we are equipped to service our clients on a national scale.

Our services include:

• Project definition & planning
• Establishment of the project strategy
• Tender management & appointment of project consultants
• Authority & utility requirements including permits & approvals
• Management of head contract assessment, negotiations & award
• Project budget & cost management
• Construction management
• Tenancy fitout coordination
• Value management process & services
• Contract administration & project reporting
• Defect management & coordination

Project Direction

Our project direction advisory service focuses on providing strategic direction to steer the project’s vision, mission, and strategy.

We can advise on project governance, master planning, concept development, feasibility studies, quality assurance, and improvement programs.

Project direction is undertaken by senior directors, with leadership and interpersonal skills and significant expertise in project management, development management and construction. They will assist in minimising the risks involved in complex developments, and maximise opportunities in acquisition, development, or tenancy integration.

Our extensive experience enables us to analyse the project scope and ensure that all risks & opportunities are captured to enable the implementation of effective management plans & strategies.

Our strategic advisory services can be tailored to integrate with our other service offerings or provided as a standalone service.

Our services include:

• Strategic direction
• Project objectives
• Performance standards
• Steering committee attendance
• Project governance
• Board reporting

Superintendency

We have extensive experience administering contracts and establishing whether contractual obligations have been performed.

We play a pivotal role in the financial outcome of a project, through our expertise in anticipating potential risks and issues on construction projects and mitigating the risk of contractual disputes between parties.

As part of our superintendent services, we confirm compliance with requirements of the contract, certify payment claims and extensions of time, as well as variations to the project.

When we undertake both the role of project manager and superintendent, we have appropriate frameworks in place to ensure that any potential conflict is removed so that it is clear which obligations we are performing as agents of the principal and which we are performing impartially as an independent party.

The role of the superintendent can vary depending on the nature of the project and the contracting parties’ requirements.

Our services include:

• Act as the superintendent under the head contract
• Certification a& determination of EOTs, variations & payment claims
• Attendance & chairing of PCG meetings
• Preparation of PCG reports
• Administration of the head contract
• Coordination & attendance at regular site inspections
• Site progress reporting
• Monitoring project progress & compliance
• Determination on practical completion
• Management of documentation issues

Independent Certification

Given the risks inherent in large-scale, multi-stakeholder, long-term development projects it is critical for stakeholders to have an independent, rigorous reporting & independent assessment structure, and certification regime in place.

In the role of an independent certifier, our core function is to provide assurance that the works have been delivered in a compliant manner in accordance with the project brief.

This includes certification of key milestone achievements and the determination of various variations, extension of time and delay cost matters.

We perform the role of an independent certifier under both development or facility agreements, construction contracts, and agreements for lease. Our scope of services can be tailored to suit the project framework.

Our Managing Director, and Founder of Essence, David Nicholas, heads up our Independent Certification team. David has a 25-year track record of Independent Certification roles on some of Australia’s most significant developments.

Design Management

Balancing cost, constructability, innovation, assurance, safety, materials, methods, regulations, standards, and client requirements, while maintaining the initial vision for a project is a balancing act that requires specialist knowledge, and a broad range of skills.

Our extensive expertise in design management, complemented by a team with expertise in interior design, architecture, construction, and engineering, enables us to lead high-performing teams that deliver design outcomes exceeding time, cost, and quality expectations.

Our strong focus on collaboration between clients, design teams, sustainability raters, and construction teams serves to bring about the highest quality project outputs, both aesthetically and functionally.

We’re equipped to tackle the most challenging design problems to achieve high-quality, client-focused outcomes.

Our services include:

• Preparing or reviewing project briefs & specifications
• Engagement & management of designers, consultants, & advisors
• Ensuring safety, innovation & sustainability objectives are met
• Developing & implementing processes to manage compliance, stakeholder reviews & approvals
• Achieving optimum lifecycle costs with analysis of capital and operational costs
• Reporting to clients on design matters & ensuring field engineering is supported with design advice

Project Programming

With a deep knowledge of construction techniques, and experience working for investors, developers, and contractors, we can ensure projects are completed on schedule and on budget.

Our vast amount of experience across construction and infrastructure projects ensures practical, real-world planning advice and the preparation of robust and comprehensive programs. Our team comes from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds including project management and engineering and is conversant in all commonly used forms of scheduling software.

We strive to understand the individual program needs, assist in program development and in the creation and execution of the implementation plan to achieve both the individual and overall project goals. We can assist at every stage of a project including the preparation of development, tender, construction, commissioning, and as-built programs.

Our program management services can be tailored to integrate with our other service offerings, such as project management, superintendency, or as a standalone service.

Our services include:

• Preparing constructability reports to support feasibility studies
• Produce development or master programs at the preliminary design stage
• Design & construction programs to determine construction timeframes & staging
• Produce pre-tender & tender construction programs
• Prepare staging plans & construction method statements
• Review contractors’ tender programs & construction methodology

Development Management

In the role of development manager, we provide an integrated project development process that facilitates effective control of the total project enabling optimum project performance.

Our team has specialist skills and knowledge across each phase of a project from acquisition and planning to delivery to handover.

We have been engaged to direct master planning teams, commercial feasibility & land use considerations, through managing the design, documentation, approvals, delivery, commissioning & defects, and the coordination of sales, marketing leasing and finance teams.

Our services include:

• Due diligence reports for site acquisitions
• Feasibility studies & analysis
• Support with development budgeting & programming
• Management of planning applications & approvals
• Support in the structuring & procurement of finance
• Managing joint venture relationships & agreements
• Establishment of project brief
• Consultant & contractor procurement
• Management of the project design team
• Statutory approvals
• Construction management
• Commissioning & defect management
• Coordination of settlements
• Coordination of sales, leasing & marketing activities

FF&E Management

Our dedicated FF&E team, work side by side with our clients to develop project requirements, and budgets, and oversee the effective procurement and installation of furniture, fitting, and equipment on site.

We manage the entire journey, from brief development, design, budgets, selection, and procurement, right through to delivery and asset registry.

Our services cover each phase of the supply chain to ensure our clients receive furniture, fittings, and equipment delivered efficiently and professionally.

Our services include:

• The development of the client’s FF&E requirements brief & budget
• Management of the installation process & logistics
• Tendering & procurement of FF&E items
• Provision of suitable supplier options
• Value engineering
• Cost & gap analysis
• Management of approval process & quality control
• Master Item list & detailed specifications
• Whole-of-life assessments & asset registers

Client Representation

In the role of the client representative, we act as an extension of the client to safeguard their interests by monitoring and directing the project throughout all stages of the project’s duration.

Free from any potential conflicts, we perform an independent coordination role to ensure that all members of the project team are working towards a common goal and that stakeholders’ concerns are met.

As client representative, we manage the activities of all members of the same project team, ensuring team members discharge their responsibilities in a manner that serves the client’s overall interest, the right people have input where required, and the right information is communicated, preventing costly mistakes and delays.

We carefully analyse project and stakeholder requirements to anticipate the various complexities and possible risks for stakeholders. We can also manage any consultants and contractors that have been appointed by the client.

Our services include:

• Project planning
• Progress reviews
• Quality audits
• Stakeholder management
• Management of project activities
• Representation & negotiation

Lenders Representation

We bridge the gap between senior debt & mezzanine finance providers and their projects. Drawing upon our property & construction expertise, we provide them with the information they need to protect their investments.

We identify any key issues that have the potential to impact timely and compliant project outcomes and outline the corrective action for the relevant project party to take.

The role of a lenders representative is often integrated with that of an ‘independent certifier’ on large, complex, multi-stakeholder projects where a single independent party is beneficial in determining and reporting on key commercial and compliance milestones throughout the transaction documentation.