Category: Blog

At NEXTDC S3 Sydney, KUSCH engineered the structural design of 54 prefabricated cooling towers—each nearly 9 metres tall and IL4-rated for seismic and wind loads. Delivered in modular components and lifted into place with Roborigger technology, the system accelerated installation by design. With 26 towers now operational, this project showcases how prefabrication and precise engineering keep critical infrastructure cool, efficient, and on schedule.

KUSCH brought engineering precision to pure adrenaline with Vertigo—the Southern Hemisphere’s first free-fall ride of its kind. Designed for Rotorua’s Velocity Valley Adventure Park, the 43-metre drop ride features a custom mechanical cable system and support frame, engineered to safely decelerate riders mid-fall. From FEA to fabrication drawings, we ensured strength, safety, and compliance—all while embracing the fun side of engineering.

The L29 chiller plantroom at Wynyard Place was prefabricated into 15 SUPA modules and craned into place over a single weekend—compressing the mechanical program by 12 weeks. Seismic requirements were fully integrated into the prefabricated frames via BIM, eliminating the need for on-site bracing and demonstrating how prefabrication can accelerate complex builds without compromising compliance.

When a new school needed to be built before the start of term, conventional construction methods simply couldn’t meet the timeline. Prefabricated building manufacturers were also at capacity—so the project team had to think differently. By designing the structure as prefabricated, transportable steel modules, KUSCH enabled the use of local steel fabricators and traditional trades to complete the build. This smart hybrid approach shortened the construction schedule by around 10 weeks, delivering the project on time without compromising quality or compliance.

Understanding your building’s Importance Level under AS1170.4 is critical to achieving seismic compliance without unnecessary complexity or overengineering. Each Importance Level—from IL1 to IL4—comes with its own set of design obligations that can impact everything from anchor selection to certification pathways. In this post, we break down why getting this right matters, using our work on the Lyell McEwin Hospital Expansion as a real-world example of how smart, IL4-compliant design can meet strict performance requirements while remaining efficient and buildable.