Adelaide Women’s Prison

Chappell Builders were engaged by DIT to deliver the new Entry Building and Visitor’s Centre for the Department for Correctional Services (DCS) at the Adelaide Women’s Prison. This project aimed to provide a modernised approach for DCS and the public to access the prison and interact with the inmates. This project first required Chappell to construct a new temporary secure perimeter incorporating high-security fencing, razor wire, security cameras, and detection equipment to establish a construction site outside the prison’s secure area. Once established, complete demolition of the site was required to enable the civil works and substructure works.

The site was located on an existing hill and required considerable effort and coordination from the Chappell team and subcontractors to ensure the complex civil works could be completed. There were considerable changes to the civil and security design throughout the process and a multitude of latent conditions the Chappell team had to overcome to ensure the works could progress. The buildings were constructed of structural steel and a brick veneer façade. The fit-out incorporated a high end of finishes including high-end joinery and feature ceilings. As the façade and fit-out progressed, landscaping and fencing works became the priority. A new, permanent secure perimeter and sally port was required to be constructed to enable the final stage of works to be completed. During this period concrete paths, ramps, balustrading, handrails, stormwater upgrades,  soft landscaping, and even a playground had to be integrated with the works. In conjunction with the main works, Chappell were also engaged to deliver a new Wellness Centre which included the strip out of an existing administration building and fitting it to become a gym and break out space. In order to hand over the project, Chappell had to commission the building with DCS on site to ensure a smooth operation and project handover.