Working Inside a Decommissioned Hull 

Most of our mechanical electrical work goes into buildings designed with services in mind. Risers, ceiling voids and wall cavities are usually built to take cable trays and switchboards, but Ovens had none of that. Every cable run and enclosure had to work around original bulkheads, pipework and equipment that couldn’t be touched or moved. 

The result is an installation that sits inside the original hull without disturbing it. Access panels, existing fittings and the vessel’s layout are still as visitors see them today. 

BMS Integration for a Museum Environment 

A submarine wasn’t built to sit still on a slipway for decades. The building management system had to do a different job here than it would in a typical commercial fit-out. 

We integrated the BMS with the site’s existing infrastructure. That way, the museum’s team can monitor conditions inside the hull without needing specialist naval knowledge to read the system. 

Electrical Infrastructure and Visitor Safety 

HMAS Ovens runs guided tours through its compartments most days of the week. The electrical scope had to support daily visitor use as well as the vessel’s role as a display piece. Reliable lighting, ventilation and life safety systems were needed throughout the internal spaces. 

We installed the new electrical infrastructure with both needs in mind. It keeps the vessel safe to walk through while protecting the fittings that make it worth visiting. 

Coordinating with Icon Logic 

A job like this doesn’t sit with one trade alone. We worked closely with Icon Logic Pty Ltd throughout the program. That coordination kept mechanical, electrical and other trades from competing for the same cramped spaces at the same time. 

Regular communication between our team and theirs kept the program moving, even when access to a particular compartment depended on someone else finishing first. 

Project Challenges and Solutions 

Fitting Modern Services Into Original Compartments 

The compartments aboard Ovens were built for a 1960s submarine crew and never sized for a modern install team. Some spaces barely fit one person working at a time. Standard installation methods didn’t suit the space. 

We adapted our approach on site, using smaller runs and modified fixing methods to get services in without forcing changes to the original structure. That meant planning each compartment individually before work started, instead of using a standard install sequence. 

Working Around a Protected Heritage Asset 

HMAS Ovens is a heritage listed vessel, so no part of the hull could be treated as expendable. Every fixing point and cable route needed sign off to confirm it wouldn’t affect the vessel’s historic fabric. 

We built extra time into our process for that approval step, checking locations with the museum before committing to any permanent work. It added a layer most commercial jobs don’t have. 

Staging Work Around Museum Operations 

HMAS Ovens is one of the WA Maritime Museum’s key exhibits. Our program had to work within the museum’s operating requirements, without assuming the site would be fully closed for the works. 

We staged the works in sequence with the museum, scheduling the more disruptive tasks to suit their operating needs. 

Client Feedback 

The installation keeps HMAS Ovens safe and functional in its role as a heritage exhibit at the WA Maritime Museum. It was one of the more unusual sites our team has worked on, and it still supports the tours that run through it.