The Switch is a purpose-built student accommodation development by Taylor Construction Group, located at 23-25 Lachlan Avenue, Macquarie Park NSW, within close walking distance of Macquarie University Metro Station and Macquarie Centre. Developed by Nuveen Real Estate and designed by Rothelowman, the 15-storey building delivers 491 apartments across a mix of studio and multi-bedroom configurations, requiring a compliant and acoustically considered waste management solution suited to a high-density student accommodation environment.
Elephants Foot Chute Solutions supplied and installed a dual waste and recycling chute system across 34 chute pipe levels, with 15 fire-rated self-closing waste intake doors and 15 recycling intake doors installed across all operational levels. All 30 intake doors received medium temperature smoke seal upgrades. Four bypass configurations were incorporated at basement 1 mezzanine and ground mezzanine levels, with a major mid-level offset and a medium mid-level offset also incorporated at basement 1 mezzanine level to route both chutes to the discharge room at basement 1.
The discharge room is fitted with minor offset discharge configurations for both waste and recycling streams, an integrated single bin compactor to suit a 1,100L waste MGB, and a linear system to suit a 660L recycling MGB. The acoustic specification required Embelton NRD isolation mounts to ceiling-mounted equipment in the discharge room to manage structure-borne noise transmission within the building. The scope also included the removal of an existing linear track system to suit 2x 660L recycling bins and its replacement with an upgraded linear track system to suit 2x 1,100L recycling bins, ensuring the discharge room infrastructure was aligned with updated operational requirements.
Odour relief vent and flushing spray systems were installed at the top of both chute shafts, discharging through to open air at a maximum of 3,000mm above the head of each chute to support airflow management, odour control, and internal chute hygiene throughout the full height of the building.
1x Dual Waste and Recycling Chute System (34 Chute Pipe Levels, 510mm Galvanised Steel); 30x Fire-Rated Self-Closing Intake Doors with Smoke Seal Upgrades; 4x Bypass Configurations and 2x Mid-Level Offsets; 1x Integrated Single Bin Compactor (1,100L Waste) and 1x Linear System (660L Recycling); Embelton NRD Isolation Mounts; 2x Odour Relief Vent and Flushing Spray Systems; Basement 1 Discharge Configuration.
