Fresh Air Louvre Design, Supply and Install

The brief.

Konstruct was engaged to design, supply, and install two fresh air louvre systems into the existing curtain wall facade of a twenty-five level commercial tower in the Brisbane CBD. The louvres replaced existing glazing panels at Level 13 to provide outside air intake for new fan coil units serving a refurbished conference and training floor. Konstruct delivered the complete package: design development with a consulting facade engineer, supply of the louvre system and sub-framing, and installation by rope access.

The challenge.

Cutting new air intakes into a sealed curtain wall on a live commercial building leaves no room for error. The two glazing panels, each opening approximately 1.6 by 1.0 metres, had to be removed at Level 13 and lowered under full control, and the retrofitted penetrations had to perform as well as the curtain wall around them, achieving Class A rain defence in a facade never designed to take them. The building remained fully occupied throughout, so all facade works ran out of hours with no scaffold, no crane, and no disruption to the tenants below.

How we delivered.

The louvre system was developed with the consulting engineer as a Class A rain defence louvre on a custom aluminium sub-frame, with a vertical air barrier, waterproof sill build-up, and stainless steel vermin mesh. The works ran across three planned mobilisations. Before any external work began, protective safety film was applied to the internal face of each glazing panel. Two IRATA technicians then descended on individual powered winches, with a third operator on the roof running a dedicated materials haul line from anchors Konstruct had installed under an earlier engagement. The existing panels were released and lowered, the sub-frames built up and sealed, and the louvres fitted and weathered in. A final mobilisation carried out AAMA 501.2 water testing to prove the installation before handover.

The outcome.

Both louvres were installed, water tested, and handed over on programme with the building trading as normal throughout. The project demonstrates Konstruct's ability to deliver a full design, supply, and install package on a live curtain wall, combining engineering coordination, specialist glazing, and rope access delivery in a single scope.