Beachcomber Building Solutions PL is a building design and structural engineering consultancy. The team works from concept through to certified working drawings for building approval and construction. The winning formula is devoting multiple disciplines to client’s projects from start to finish.
The team is lead by George Thirkell, a registered practicing Structural Engineer with over 15 years experience and Tony Hogan, an Architectural Technician with over 25 years of experience. Emma Thirkell, a Chartered Surveyor with over 20 years experience in the property industry assists in specifying, co-ordinating and documenting projects for development and building approval.
Major projects has included Cyclone Larry recovery including insurance and renovation work for the Local Authorities involved; public buildings; commercial and industrial; unit developments; new homes and residential and commercial alterations and additions. A list of services and work can be found on the projects page by clicking here.
Below is some background information on our team.
George Thirkell
Bachelor of Engineering (Structural) University of Queensland.
Registered practicing Engineer Queensland (RPEQ) 7279
George has over 15 years of engineering and design experience in a wide range of projects providing services in scheme and detailed design, documentation, inspection and survey of construction. Projects include residential, shopping centres, offices and multi-use medium/ high rise buildings, building refurbishments, recreational and leisure facilities, industrial buildings, soil and water retaining structures, mining infrastructure, marine structures, temporary works, cyclone recovery and insurance reports and general building design.
George has completed training with the Green Building Council Green Star Rating programme and as a practicing Engineering and building designer is involved with the Tropical Green Building Network based in Cairns.
Graduating in 1993, George was employed by Colefax Clayton Smith of Cairns, now known as Cardno CCS undertaking a broad range of civil and structural engineering projects. Projects of interest include Skyrail, Yorkeys Knob Marina, House on the Hill Apartments and Port Village Shopping Centre and site works at the Royal Harbour and Cairns Convention Centre. The company provided a sound basis for design in all typical materials such as reinforced concrete and masonry, hot and cold formed steel and timber. George carried out the design of commercial premises in steel portals and tilt-up panels. George has also designed for National Heritage buildings employing traditional materials and construction methods and super modern glass structures.
Five and a half years was spent in London where George engineered a variety of work. This included civil works for McLarens European Head Quarters (F1 car manufacturer) for Research and Development; design of deep basements for Harrods; a suspended piled diving pool for Dulwich College; commercial and office buildings such as the basement areas of the iconic Swiss-Re building in the City of London and the Sir John Gielgud theatre extension and refurbishment. Other experience includes design for Grade II listed (National Heritage) buildings and design of glass super structures. During this time, George also privately contracted house refurbishments which included design, drafting, engineering design, planning approval processes and project management in South West London.
The last four years has been spent as director of Beachcomber Building Solutions PL based in Cairns. His experience is now culminating in a practice that involves a collection of skills in design, drafting, structural engineering design, project management and planning approval processes. Main clients include builders, other designers, other engineering firms and clients with difficult land sites or refurbishment that requires detailed engineering knowledge to evolve excellent design within a budget.
A comprehensive list of services provided and projects undertaken can be found on our website here.
Emma Thirkell
B Bus (Property Studies) University of Queensland MRICS 1114355
MRICS 1114355
Nearly 20 years experience in the property industry, Emma has skills in property valuation, development, agency and management in all sectors. Competencies have been gained in the development, planning, financial, legal, economic and building aspects invaluably adding to very practical real estate experience. Consultancy, valuation and agency work has included shopping centres, factory outlets, retail shops, restaurants and hotels; commercial office buildings; industrial units and estates, motels, tourist resorts, tourist accommodation, residential homes and units in the United Kingdom and Australia.
The last four years as a director of Beachcomber Building Solutions PL based in Cairns has included developing the websites: www.greenbuild.com.au and www.nqbuild.com.au to promote the adoption of sustainable building materials and practices and the recycling of building materials in the construction industry.
Emma is an accredited HIA Greensmart Professional and is the facilitator of the Tropical Green Building Network based in Cairns.
Emma is Chartered with the internationally recognised Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors. Emma worked as a property valuer from 1999 for 5 years with Knight Frank’s London Head Office in Mayfair doing commercial asset valuation for the UK’s leading property companies and bank lending valuations for a pan European company – ATIS Real Weatheralls, based in the City of London. Clients included Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Citibank, Eurohupo, Credit Lyonnais with asset valuations for British Land, Royal & Sun Alliance, City Corporation, Henderson’s, Scottish Mutual, Land Securities, Merrill Lynch, Hermes Property Unit Trust, National Mutual and Hanover Property Unit Trust. Valuations included asset valuations, residual land valuations, development appraisals and property development consultancy.
Emma finished her business degree in 1988 prior to this, worked with Knight Frank in Cairns as an assistant valuer. The majority of work was for property developers of commercial, industrial, residential high-rise and subdivisions.
Prior to valuation work, Emma was selling and leasing commercial shops, offices and land; light industrial sheds and land; motels, hotels and resort land. From 1992 she worked for Penridge Real Estate in Cairns also project marketing residential medium and high density, unit land, subdivision land, expensive homes and apartments. Emma secured her Real Estate Licence and at the time was the youngest person in Cairns to hold a licence. Emma started her earliest work from 1989 in real estate residential sales and rentals for the Rose Bay and Elizabeth Bay Professionals and Nationwide Real Estate in Double Bay, Sydney. Emma started in residential property management in Kings Cross Sydney and this led on to sales in Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, some of the most expensive real estate in Australia at the time of an economic downturn. During this time, she had exposure to some of Australia’s leading real estate trainers and gained her first technical qualifications for a NSW Real Estate licence from Randwick TA
Chris Thirkell
Design Draftsman Certificate 3 in Engineering
Mechancial Trade
Chris has been using Autocad for the past 5 years drafting Beachcomber designs. Chris can produce a full range of working drawings including site and services plans.
His skills include site inspections and dimensional surveys. He is a specialist in renovation, alteration and addition projects for residential, commercial and industrial buildings. His work during the Cyclone Larry recovery period provided experience in building reinstatement for insurance purposes. This included a good working knowledge of old building structures and the preparation of working drawings for insurance costing by builders and construction drawings for their repair.
Before drafting Chris was a fully qualified chef and he enjoys designing kitchens including commercial kitchens and food and beverage areas. Chris also assists in researching and specifying building materials, finishes and fixtures, administrating drawing files and control of document issue registers.
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