Strategic refurbishment of 40-year-old Defence accommodation

The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is an institution for developing future military leaders. Central to its campus, located in Canberra, is the officers' mess - a two-storey building built in the 1980s. Since that time, it has provided accommodation and dining facilities for over 1,000 military personnel. After 40 years, the facility was no longer meeting Defence’s live-in accommodation standards. To support Defence’s ambitions for the future, it required a comprehensive upgrade.

JLL has a proven track record on projects of this calibre and a longstanding partnership in project and development services with Defence under its Estate Works Program. On that basis, we were appointed to project manage the redevelopment of the mess.

The Defence academy provides undergraduate education and training for people pursuing a career in the Australian military. The students learn directly from the experience of senior military officers, many of whom live on site, including in the officers’ mess, home to 51 residents at a time.

The mess contained a 124-seat dining room, which in its prime had hosted politicians, international delegates and officers. It had a bar, commercial-scale kitchen, outdoor areas and multiple common rooms alongside bedrooms, kitchenettes, laundries, and storerooms. All of this needed to be brought up to the present standards of both residential experience and modern construction codes. The catch was that the officers mess was to remain operational throughout the renovation.

With personnel residing in the building for the duration of the project, the priority was to minimise disruption and project delay. We took a staged approach to the construction, which enabled residents to continue to access essential utilities and amenities without interruption. This approach also allowed us to identify and resolve issues in earlier phases before moving on to the next. As well as mitigating risk we could undertake the renovation in a more refined and systematic way.

Of the communal areas, the original timber ceiling in the core mess area was meticulously restored. Each panel was carefully removed, sanded and re-sealed, reviving the ceiling’s former glory. Deteriorating and stained carpet in this area was replaced to match new carpeting already laid in recently refurbished areas. The visual appeal of the building's most prominent and frequently used spaces was vastly improved, including the foyer, dining hall, bar and central corridors.

With the goal of improving energy efficiency and consumption, solar heat gain and enhancing the building’s aesthetic appeal, we managed the installation of double-glazed windows and doors along with new window furnishings – improvements that would also address the extremes of Canberra’s seasons.

Staging the project allowed us respond immediately to unforeseen challenges rather than at the completion of the whole project. Rooms were inspected during the works, and feedback from these inspections could be implemented in real time. Alongside regular meetings, this proactive approach ensured all involved parties were across the progress, were accountable for its delivery and that the occupant experience was enhanced, well before the final inspection.

Throughout the year-and-a-half construction period we project managed all external parties, including the contracted architecture firm, engineering consultants, and construction contractor, to deliver a successful renovation.

The result is a more comfortable, energy-efficient and attractive environment for occupants and visitors alike.

Upon completion in October 2024, the refurbished accommodation within the officers’ mess became the highest-quality Defence accommodation in Canberra.

Each room now boasts its own ensuite and air conditioning, increased storage, dual curtains – one for privacy and one for darkness – and modern furnishings that were previously lacking. We are confident the refurbishment will have a significant impact on the experience of ADFA's most senior officers and will support the attraction and retention of personnel, supporting Defence’s ambitions for the future.

This project sets a new standard for Defence accommodation and has established a benchmark for future renovations. By prioritising comfort, functionality and modern amenities, the overhaul demonstrates the potential for enhancing living conditions and operational effectiveness required in Defence facilities.