The Magazine | Australian National Construction Review | 98-100 St Hilliers Road Auburn
A New Benchmark for Co-Living
The 98–100 St Hilliers Road development in Auburn showcases the growing demand for high-quality Class 3 co-living accommodation across Sydney’s western suburbs, with EY United delivering the 6-storey project as principal builder from demolition through to construction completion.
The development comprises 88 co-living rooms, six communal spaces, a basement parking level, and a duplex lift configuration, creating a modern residential environment designed to support evolving urban housing needs.
The project required careful coordination from the earliest stages due to the site’s challenging location on a major arterial road.
“Being on a main road with limited to no access for concrete pours and deliveries, we had to work closely with Transport for NSW and sequence all incoming materials to mitigate disruption to St Hilliers Road,” explained Hang Ye, Director at EY United.
The constrained urban site required detailed planning around scaffolding, deliveries, traffic management, and construction staging to ensure all activities remained within site boundaries while maintaining program efficiency.
“Setout of scaffolding and construction sequencing utilised the St Hilliers Road façade setback so all construction activity could fit within the site boundaries,” Hang said. “Traffic plans were put in place to have wait areas away from St Hilliers Road with strict timing for smooth entry and egress.”
One particularly complex challenge involved the installation and dismantling of the tower crane. “We utilised the McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme carpark to install and dismantle the tower crane, working with both stakeholders to gain approval to close off sections of the carpark because there was no chance of doing this directly from St Hilliers Road,” Hang explained.
Additional infrastructure works, including stormwater and power connections as well as road reconstruction works, were completed overnight to minimise disruption to surrounding traffic and businesses.
EY United maintained direct involvement throughout both design and construction phases, coordinating subcontractor integration, material selections, procurement, and installation detailing across the project.
“We believe in a holistic project team approach to construction,” Hang said.
Quality assurance also remained a major focus throughout delivery, with dedicated site personnel overseeing workmanship standards and compliance processes.
“We have a site team purely checking workmanship,” Tony explained. “We utilise Procore to assist in document control and notifications, and we run weekly project control meetings with both office and site teams to ensure quality is maintained to the highest standard.”
The project also featured a technically challenging façade incorporating three separate cladding systems. “We love how the front façade turned out,” Hang said. “It was extremely tricky to install because all three cladding systems transitioned constantly at different points along the façade.”
Beyond the façade, EY United is particularly proud of the quality delivered internally throughout the co-living accommodation. “Our level of finish is high on this project, which is not always the case with co-living or student accommodation,” Hang said. “We believe we have set a standard of higher-quality rental spaces.”
Completed within an impressive 14-month construction programme, the St Hilliers Road development highlights EY United’s ability to manage complex urban construction logistics while maintaining strong quality outcomes, program efficiency, and detailed project coordination from start to finish.
“The construction flow across the project was extremely efficient,” Hang added “With the right team and strong design coordination in place, we were able to successfully deliver the development within a short timeframe.”
For more information contact EY United, phone 02 8677 8899, email info@eyunited.com.au, website www.eyunited.com.au
Factbox
Developer/Builder: EY United
Architect: Texco
Structural Engineer: Stronghold Engineering
Coordinating Facade and Internal Finishes in Urban Construction Projects
Case StudiesCY Building Group delivered integrated façade and internal finishing works, reducing interface risk and improving coordination at 98-100 St Hilliers Road.
With shrinking site footprints, limited access, and construction occurring closer to neighbouring properties, builders are placing greater value on contractors who can coordinate multiple scopes while reducing trade interfaces. CY Building Group addresses this challenge through integrated delivery of both façade and internal finishes, improving coordination, accountability, and quality outcomes.
At St Hilliers Road, CY Building Group’s scope extended from the installation of the external façade and cladding systems through to the delivery of internal finishing works, providing continuity across key stages of the project. Both packages demanded precision, rigorous quality control, and seamless coordination with the broader project team.
“The cladding system required careful sequencing and planning throughout,” said Jingwei Chen of CY Building Group. “The complexity of the façade, combined with the need to maintain safety and construction efficiency at all times, meant we had to be across every detail from the start.”
Working within a dense urban environment like St Hilliers Road Auburn added further layers of challenge. Restricted site access, limited material storage, and the need to coordinate multiple trades within a confined footprint required detailed construction programming and proactive communication at every stage.
“In an environment like this, coordination is everything,” Jingwei noted. “We ran regular meetings with the builder, consultants, and subcontractors to stay ahead of any issues, keep momentum going, and make sure nothing fell through the cracks.”
The result is a project that reflects both the technical capability and collaborative approach that CY Building Group has built its reputation on. From façade installation tolerances to the quality of internal finishes, the standard of delivery across St Hilliers Road speaks to a team that takes workmanship seriously in every phase of the build.
As urban developments continue to be delivered on tighter sites with greater coordination demands, the ability to manage multiple interconnected scopes is becoming increasingly valuable. St Hilliers Road demonstrates how CY Building Group’s integrated façade and finishing capability can help builders reduce interface risk while maintaining quality and program outcomes.
For more information contact CY Building Group, phone 0404 779 088, email cybuildinggroup@gmail.com
First Impressions Backed by Lasting Quality and Performance
Case StudiesFinal Touch Painting delivered high-quality finishes that enhanced durability, consistency, and presentation throughout development.
In multi-residential construction, the final quality of a building is often judged long before a resident experiences how it performs. Finishes define first impressions, amplify architectural intent, and reveal the discipline behind delivery.
At the St Hilliers Road co-living development in Auburn, Final Touch Painting & Decorating Services Sydney delivered a painting package that reinforced the project’s broader commitment to quality.
The Final Touch team worked across every level of the development, including internal and external works, apartments, common areas, corridors, amenities, architectural feature finishes, protective coatings, and final defect rectification prior to handover.
“For us, quality starts long before the paint goes on,” said Haisam Georges, Director of Final Touch Painting & Decorating. “Surface preparation is everything. We carried out detailed inspections, repairs, sanding, patching, and sealing before any coating commenced, because the finish is only as good as what’s underneath.”
Managing workflow across multiple levels in a live construction environment, while coordinating access, material movement, and staging with other trades, required meticulous planning and strong site communication. Dedicated supervisors, ongoing inspections, sample approvals, and consistent application methods were central to how the team maintained quality across a large number of apartments and handover stages.
“The key to a project like this is consistency,” Haisam said. “Every apartment, every corridor, every common area needs to meet the same standard. That takes experienced people, proper supervision, and genuine attention to detail.”
Product selection was closely aligned to durability, performance, and project specification, with Final Touch working alongside suppliers and project consultants to ensure all coating systems met long-term performance expectations.
The St Hilliers Road project stands as a strong example of what Final Touch Painting brings to high-density residential construction. They are reliable, programme-focused delivery without compromise on finish.
For more information contact Final Touch Painting, phone 0424 724 279, email Hais@finaltouchpainting.com.au, website www.finaltouchpainting.com.au
Supporting Sydney’s High-density Residential Growth
Case StudiesIntegrated post-tensioning expertise enabled Tension Reinforced Developments (TRD) to deliver efficient structural solutions while supporting construction programme objectives.
The 6-storey co-living development at 98–100 St Hilliers Road, Auburn, relied on an integrated post-tensioning solution to achieve its structural design and construction objectives. Australian-owned specialist Tension Reinforced Developments (TRD) Group was engaged to deliver the complete post-tensioning package, completing its scope ahead of schedule.
TRD’s scope on the project was comprehensive: post-tensioning design, supply, and installation across the entire structure, encompassing inspections, stressing, grouting, patching, and pan filling. By integrating these services under one roof alongside their formwork and steel fixing capabilities, the team maintained the kind of programme control that sets them apart in the Sydney construction market.
“The biggest challenge was the construction programme,” says Charly Nassif, Co-Founder and Managing Director of TRD Group. “But with our expertise and experience, we made it as smooth as possible for the client and all the other consultants involved. We were able to deliver on time, sometimes ahead of schedule, which was really appreciated by the client, the head contractor, and the owner. Time is money in construction, and this is what we’re known for.”
The project’s standout technical achievement was the efficiency of the post-tensioning design itself. By optimising tendon profiling and load paths, TRD ensured the client was not carrying any unnecessary material or cost, directly reducing concrete use, steel placement, and additional reinforcement without compromising structural performance.
“Quality isn’t something to pull out of the bag every now and then; it is an essential work habit infusing every single aspect of our engineering,” explained Fahad Principle Engineer and Director of TRD Group. “We pride ourselves on an ethical culture and a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve exceptional results.”
While Auburn represents one of TRD’s smaller projects, it reflects the same rigour the group applies to 50-storey towers and multi-building developments across New South Wales. TRD’s sister company, TRD Remedial, extends the group’s offering further still, covering concrete repair, concrete cutting, steel jacketing, structural remediation, carbon fibre strengthening, concrete care and slab scanning, making TRD a genuinely versatile trade partner across the full construction lifecycle.
For more information contact Tension Reinforced Developments, 0404 404 422, info@thetrdgroup.com.au, www.thetrdgroup.com.au