Granville Diggers Club Development Origin

Bridging Design and Delivery: The Granville Diggers Redevelopment By Upscale Project Management Founder, Noel Yaxley

At Upscale Project Management, every successful project starts with one principle — clarity. For founder Noel Yaxley, clarity isn’t just about schedules and budgets; it’s about ensuring that everyone involved truly understands what’s being built, why it matters, and what it will take to make it real.

The Granville Diggers Club redevelopment in Western Sydney has become a standout example of this philosophy. Working alongside the talented design team at Garis Pine, UpscalePM has helped the club navigate one of its most ambitious transformations yet — modernising a much-loved 1960s landmark while preserving its legacy and community spirit.

Supporting Vision with Realism

When Noel joined the project, the detailed design phase was already well underway. Garis Pine had produced a strong design vision for the club — a thoughtful reimagining that celebrated the building’s history while meeting contemporary expectations for function, accessibility, and amenity.

Noel’s role was to act as the critical link between design ambition and commercial reality.

This collaborative approach is core to UpscalePM’s work. By combining deep technical understanding with commercial insight, Noel ensures that boards, managers, and design teams share the same vision — and the same expectations. It’s about empowering clients to make informed decisions at every stage of the process.

The Challenges of Working with an Existing Building

The Granville Diggers Club is a classic example of mid-century Australian design — a structure that has grown and evolved through countless small additions and renovations over the decades. As Noel puts it, “It’s a 1960s building, and over time, as clubs tend to do, they’ve added rooms, expanded portions of it, and adjusted as needs changed.”

These layers of history created one of the project’s main challenges: how to unify the building into a coherent, functional whole without erasing the story embedded in its walls.

Working with existing structures always introduces unknowns — from hidden services to structural inconsistencies — but these challenges are exactly where UpscalePM adds value. Through methodical investigation and close collaboration with the architects, engineers, and contractors, Noel helps the project team anticipate risks early and manage them proactively.

Bridging Design, Cost, and Communication

One of the key aspects of UpscalePM’s involvement in the Granville Diggers project has been cost clarity. Clubs, like many not-for-profit organisations, operate under tight financial parameters. That means every design decision must be measured against its operational and long-term impact.

UpscalePM works closely with clients to test assumptions early, align design ambitions with realistic budgets, and phase works in a way that maintains business continuity. For Granville Diggers, that has meant identifying opportunities to modernise the venue while ensuring the club could continue serving its members during construction.

This kind of financial foresight is what sets UpscalePM apart. As Noel puts it:

A Heritage of Community

Beyond the technical and financial dimensions, the Granville Diggers redevelopment is deeply rooted in its community. The club has been a social hub for generations, a place where locals come together — not just for entertainment, but for connection.

Recognising that legacy has been central to the project’s design approach. The redevelopment is about more than upgrading a building; it’s about strengthening a community asset that continues to evolve with the people it serves.

For Noel, that sense of purpose is what drives UpscalePM’s work across all sectors — whether it’s hospitality, residential, or commercial development.

From Design to Delivery

As the project moves through documentation and into delivery, UpscalePM continues to guide the client through every stage — providing oversight, coordination, and strategic advice to ensure that what was once an ambitious idea becomes a functioning, future-ready facility.

This process-driven approach — clear communication, early cost management, and structured decision-making — is what enables UpscalePM to consistently deliver complex projects with confidence and integrity.

The Granville Diggers redevelopment is more than a renovation; it’s a story of transformation. It’s about respecting history while embracing change — and demonstrating how architecture, when paired with strong project management, can shape the next chapter of a community’s story.

Partner with Upscale Project Management

UpscalePM provides client-side project management for design-led developments across New South Wales and beyond. With deep experience in hospitality, community, and commercial projects, founder Noel Yaxley brings clarity, structure, and strategic insight to every stage of delivery.

To discuss your next project, visit upscalepm.com.au or call (02) 9090 4480.

Upscale Project Management — Bridging design ambition and commercial reality.