Andrew Oxley takes the reins as Managing Director of Umow Lai
A change of leadership has officially taken place at the helm of Umow Lai. After 27 years as Managing Director, founder Dominic Lai, has moved from the day to day operations to assume the role [...]
Message from the Managing Director
As we approach the end of 2018, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the year and the evolutions which have occurred in our company, as well as the wider built environment. [...]
Meet our National Marketing Manager, Caroline Miller
What are some of your career highlights? One of my greatest career highlights was bringing Woods Bagot’s Developers Conference to life in 2015. A first for the industry across Australia, it took six months [...]
Caloundra Health Service Redevelopment
The recent refurbishment at the Caloundra Health Service (CHS) has generated a transformation into the reputable primary care network of facilities for the Sunshine Coast Community. The Caloundra Health Service (CHS) contributes to this network [...]
477 Pitt Street, New South Wales
With 13 floors on the client brief and a 2 month deadline, Umow Lai were commissioned by Eastview Australia, John Wardle Architects, and ISPT, to deliver building services to the selected floors of existing 477 [...]
Newmarket Randwick: a new urban hub and residential neighbourhood
Established in 1860, Newmarket Randwick located in New South Wales is a community that has always celebrated diversity. Rich with iconic horse auctioneering history, the Newmarket development features distinct architecture from the existing stables on [...]
The Stables, University of Melbourne: Trading in the reins for paintbrushes
What was once the Victoria Police Mounted Branch stables, has been transformed into a world-class teaching and learning facility for students of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, following an $18 [...]
Art and Technology join forces for the Waltzing Matilda Centre
The newly rebuilt Waltzing Matilda Centre was unveiled in an official opening ceremony earlier this year, situated in the Western Queensland town of Winton. The event, which was marked with the ‘Way Out West’ Festival, [...]
Keeping it “Limestone” Green
Passive House buildings are changing the status quo for Australian architecture, following its wide uptake in Europe over recent times. Often the primary house design drivers are conceptual however, these German derived “monopoly houses” are [...]
Interview with Hoare Lea Partner, Ian Durbin on Higher Education
This year we undertook an exciting collaboration with Hoare Lea, an award-winning global engineering consultancy. As education is a key sector for Umow Lai in Australia, Hoare Lea Partner Ian Durbin took the time to provide [...]
RACV’s new-look Cape Schanck Resort redevelopment project now complete
After two years of designing and construction, RACV’s newly redeveloped Cape Schanck Resort is now open to guests and members. Cape Schanck is located on the southern-most point of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and [...]
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Project Combines Sustainability with Design
The newly revamped Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre in Maleny is officially open to the public, welcoming visitors to submerge themselves in an educational experience over 55 hectares of subtropical rainforest, located over [...]
Victorian College of the Arts Stables Project on Winning Streak
The Australian Institute of Architects have announced the winners of its particularly prestigious Victorian Architecture Awards for 2018, with many congratulations and achievements to be noted for the award victors amongst Umow Lai’s valued project [...]
Our People – Introducing Associate Hydraulic and Fire Services Engineer, Lama Khalifa
We would like to welcome one of our newest additions to the team, Lama Khalifa. Lama has recently joined the Brisbane office as an Associate Hydraulic and Fire Services Engineer, and we are excited to [...]
Umow Lai announces international collaboration with Hoare Lea
We are pleased to announce a technical collaboration with Hoare Lea, an award-winning global engineering consultancy. This partnership comes at an exciting time, as – in addition to our offices operating in Melbourne, Sydney and [...]
Our People – Introducing Senior ICT Consultant, Craig Pratt
Umow Lai would like to welcome one of our newest team members, Craig Pratt. Craig has recently joined the Brisbane office as a Senior ICT Consultant and we are proud to have him on the [...]
2018 Queensland Architecture Awards: Sustainable Architecture Winner
The 2018 Queensland Architecture Awards have been announced by the Australian Institute of Architects. Umow Lai would like to congratulate their project team partner, Guymer Bailey Architects for their design for the Mary Cairncross Scenic [...]
You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda with Winton
The new Waltzing Matilda Centre was revealed in an official opening last month. The outback town of Winton is home to Queensland’s iconic Waltzing Matilda Centre, inspired by Banjo Paterson’s Australian anthem, “Waltzing Matilda”. After [...]
Joint Venture officially opened by New Zealand’s Prime Minister
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern officially opened the new Ernest Rutherford building at the University of Canterbury (UC) last week. An event to be remembered, the ceremony was attended by hundreds of invited guests [...]
Umow Lai shaping next generation of female engineers
Umow Lai was pleased to welcome an all-female group of students from Presentation College Windsor to our Engineering Students @Work Program. During the week-long placement, students undertook a brief to design a school eLearning and [...]
Umow Lai continues winning streak
Umow Lai is proud to once again be part of the team on award winning projects 171 Collins Street and the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre. Awarded 2017 Victorian Development of the Year and Tenderfield People’s [...]
Two major hospitals under PPP delivered successfully
Umow Lai’s capacity to deliver a range of engineering services for highly specialised hospital projects with distinctive and complex requirements is nowhere more evident than in the health sector. Queensland’s $1.87B Sunshine Coast University Hospital [...]
Royal Adelaide Hospital setting benchmarks across healthcare
Australia’s largest and most complex hospital, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) has set benchmarks across the healthcare industry. It will become a ‘super-site’ for major emergencies in South Australia, such as heart attacks and stroke, [...]
Herston Quarter: Brisbane’s new large-scale precinct
Umow Lai is delighted to be part of the team working with Australian Unity as the master developer of the $1.1B Herston Quarter redevelopment. Destined to become a major health, aged care, residential, recreation and [...]
Umow Lai congratulates Simon Umow and Sam Adams
We congratulate Senior Associate Simon Umow and Associate Sam Adams on their recent promotion. For more than 15 years, Simon Umow has applied his expert knowledge of the many facets of ICT design to provide [...]
Passive House – The Basics
Based around the principles of the International Thermal Comfort Standard ISO 7730, Passive House aims to provide year-round optimal thermal comfort and minimum energy consumption. Compared to buildings of “standard” construction, a Passive House building [...]
Anthony Dorinko and James Gungl take on key State roles
In late 2016, Anthony Dorinko, Associate Director and Mechanical Engineer, was appointed to the Society of Building Services Engineers, a Technical Society of the peak professional body, Engineers Australia. “The Society promotes, for the benefit of the [...]
Collins Square breaks new ground in Melbourne
For Collins Square, the new Events and Business Centre is designed to cater to small and large scale meetings and presentations for up to 200 people, including public events such as weddings. Located on the [...]
Building Physics
“Building Engineering Design is often looked upon as a form of Applied Engineering whereby a design is developed based on the application of industry established codes, standards and systems to suit the particular requirements of [...]
Making art out of a university building
A new building at Melbourne University shows how architecture can deliver joy and functionality. Cameras are already pointed at Arts West, a new building for the faculty of the arts at the University of Melbourne. [...]
Happiness is a Library
Stereotyped as the dusty, musty boltholes of the quiet crowd, libraries have evolved with the changing world to keep doing what they do best: informing and connecting the community. Read more about Geelong Library & [...]
Our People
Newly appointed Umow Lai Associate Director Hugh Wilson has a particular interest in the design and coordination of projects that include a strong HVAC – Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning component. “I like providing solutions [...]
Our Future Leaders Network discuss industry trends
The Future Leaders event, to be held at 6.00pm on 1st March will launch the 2017 Program. Taking advantage of the warmer weather, the event will be held on the outdoor terrace at Umow Lai’s [...]
Major Breakfast Seminar focus on the Paris Agreement
For the first Major Breakfast Seminar to be held on 16 March and titled ‘The Paris Agreement, renewable’s and buildings’, Shane Esmore, Umow Lai Director and Head of Sustainability, will focus on the Agreement and [...]
2016 – A remarkable year
25th anniversary We work hard and we know how to celebrate! During September, we hosted several successful events to commemorate our 25th anniversary. Around 300 people, a veritable ‘who’s who’ of people associated with the [...]
Umow Lai helps rebuild the famous Waltzing Matilda Centre
Umow Lai is delighted to have the opportunity to provide a range of services for Winton’s famous Waltzing Matilda Centre that is being rebuilt following a devastating fire in 2015.“We are working with Cox Architecture [...]
Umow Lai projects win highly acclaimed industry awards
At the AIA’s 2016 National Awards the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre won the prestigious Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture for ARM Architecture. It also was named National Commercial Master Builder of the [...]
AIRAH 2016 Winner – Excellence in Sustainability
Providing the highest level of sustainable design and Green Star services for the new School of Design building at The University of Melbourne has led to the project being selected as a finalist in the [...]
Risk Management
Effective Risk Management can help a business identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a project. By identifying the potential risks, it is then possible to plan how to mitigate them, possibly even removing [...]
Umow Lai welcomes a new NSW State Manager and announces key appointments
NSW State Manager Patrick Elliott Patrick has particular interest in the integration of pragmatic sustainable design into buildings. A mechanical engineer, he has led many multi discipline projects across a range of building sectors and [...]