2021 – Current

In early 2020, the former Bruce Rock Supermarket and Hardware store were destroyed in a fire. This meant that the local community of approximately 1200 would be forced to travel to nearby towns to complete their shopping, an outcome that the community believed would sound the death-nell for the local economy. The Shire of Bruce Rock recognised that importance of a local shop for its community and, following a competitive tender, awarded the Office of Regional Architecture the contract for full Architectural Services in early 2021.

The project is currently in Design Development. Understandably, the Local Council had no experience in developing commercial projects of this kind. We have become an essential project partner, assisting them in the design and documentation of the project, and helping them navigate the volatile construction environment that the sector is currently experiencing. ORA are also assisting the Shire with an effective strategy of community engagement, essential for the future success of the Supermarket and the project’s place in the community.

ORA has expertly and calmly directed and maintained the course for the project, providing the needed degree of certainty for decision-making by the Shire’s elected members, despite a climate of rising construction costs, and the novelty of embarking upon a commercial undertaking in the retail sector. We are working with a diverse mix of consultants, including a business broker and a supermarket fitout designer to ensure that the project is progressing toward construction, expected in early 2022.