Project Completion | Southern Cross Care Marian

Last week, Total Construction proudly celebrated the official opening of the newly renovated Southern Cross Care Marian in North Parramatta. The achievement was marked with a special celebration held in the new communal space, featuring a traditional Indigenous ceremony to warmly welcome residents into their refreshed home.

Total Construction was contracted to deliver a major $11.9 million upgrade and extension of the existing aged care facility. The redevelopment includes four single-storey cottages, offering a total of 60 residential rooms. This significant project involved transforming the facility from an outdated 1980s care model into a modern, community-centred environment focused on individualised and dementia-specific care.

Total Construction’s in-house design team, working in close collaboration with IDG Architects, have brought together specialist knowledge in modern aged care design to ensure the highest standards of comfort, accessibility, safety and security were achieved. The result is a welcoming, future-focused environment where residents can enjoy an enhanced quality of life in a space designed to support their individual care needs.

A key challenge of the project was ensuring the continuity of care for the 20 residents who remained living onsite during construction. To accommodate this, the project was delivered in two carefully planned stages, allowing residents to remain comfortably and safely housed while works were completed.

Stage 1 involved the redevelopment of the main administrative areas including a new commercial kitchen and laundry, two cottages comprising 15 bedrooms and two landscaped communal courtyards.

Stage 2 focused on the completion of the remaining two cottages, which include 30 bedrooms and two additional communal courtyards.

By completing the works in this staged sequence, Total Construction successfully maintained a live aged care environment. This was achieved through close consultation with the facility manager and the implementation of tailored management plans to minimise disruption. Such planning is essential in aged care redevelopments, where residents rely on continuous care and ongoing access to specialised resources.

Throughout construction, the team successfully navigated a number of unexpected challenges. Following demolition, several existing structural elements were revealed which were unforeseen in the design phase. These structural elements required swift collaboration between Total Construction and the project engineers to address and resolve, ensuring the integrity of the structure remained uncompromised.

In addition, adverse weather conditions presented complications during the roof replacement works. The team responded proactively by deploying protective tarps over the roof structure, allowing internal construction works to continue safety and without delay.

A huge thanks and congratulations to the dedicated team at Total Construction – Project Manager Anthony Chidiac, Contract Administrator George Joukhador, Site Manager Gareth Goronwy, and leading hand Niall McMullen.