Case Study from: Ilias Design Group
Learn how Ilias Design Group delivered the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct design in 3 days instead of 5, using h2x.
Name: Nicholas Ilias
Role: Director
Company: Ilias Design Group
Location: Sydney, Australia
Results at a glance:
2 days saved, plus a coordinated design model
Custom inputs tracked and automated design-fault notices
Instant pipe sizes, pressure, velocity, and flow and return sizing
See how this was done:
The Background
The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct is a priority NSW Government redevelopment that will create a public arts and cultural hub on Sydney's waterfront while preserving its heritage. On completion, it will be home to leading organisations including Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Gondwana Choirs, The Song Company, Bell Shakespeare, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Australian Theatre for Young People.
Designing building services for a precinct of this profile demands accuracy, transparency, and speed. Ilias Design Group selected h2x to support rapid iteration and provide clear, defensible hydraulic design outputs suitable for coordination and quality assurance.
The Challenge
Each venue within the precinct has distinct usage patterns and occupant profiles. Public amenities, staff wet areas, rehearsal spaces, and performance venues all drive unique fixture counts and flow requirements. The initial spreadsheet approach took 4-5 days of detailed calculations and slow back-and-forth between sheets and drawings.
Quality assurance across non-typical areas added further complexity. Tracking where custom inputs were applied (e.g., public bathroom flow rates) and checking how those custom inputs affected pressure, velocity and pipe sizes elsewhere in the system, slowing reviews and approvals.
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The Solution
Using h2x, Ilias Design Group completed the hydraulic design in 3 days (a 2-day saving versus traditional methods) and produced a coordinated design model alongside the calculations. The team worked in a one-stop solution to design and size systems, removing redundant steps between spreadsheets, mark-ups, and drawing production. As Nick Ilias put it: "h2x allowed us to quickly design and size the project in a one-stop solution."
Custom inputs enabled accurate specification of public bathroom and staff wet-area flow rates. Just as importantly, h2x tracked where custom inputs were applied, so reviewers could see at a glance which zones deviated from typical assumptions. Automatic design-fault notices and detailed results (pipe size, pressures, velocity, flow and return sizing) made QA faster and more robust than checking handwritten calcs. "This made QA far easier than reviewing handwritten calculations."
The Results
By moving from spreadsheets to h2x, Ilias Design Group reduced the effort from 5 days to 3 days, and finished with a design model ready for coordination, not just a set of numbers. The consolidated workflow eliminated transcription effort, improved auditability, and shortened the path to approval. Nick says: "We like the time-saving value versus traditional spreadsheets... the amount of information gathered from h2x is incomparable."
The team also elevated quality and team experience. Custom inputs were visible and traceable, automated warnings flagged issues early, and outputs were clearer to share with stakeholders. As Ilias Design Group summed up: "h2x provides instant pipe size, pressures, velocity, flow and return sizing, and design-fault notices... it is far more valuable and versatile than Excel."
h2x: All-In-One Tool for Calculating, Designing, Estimating, and Paperwork
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