By Mark Longley
on
February 17, 2011
THERE CAN'T have been much building work going on in Auckland on the 15th February, as most people in the industry seemed to be at the annual NZIOB PlaceMakers Golf Day at Remuera Golf Club.
Almost 150 construction industry professionals teed off on what became a blisteringly hot day. The standard was varied, with some less experienced golfers struggling to get past the ladies tee. Others were hitting shots that Tiger would have proud of.
The event is as much social as a serious golf day. Local industry rivalries are put to one side in the name of a fun golf day.
There were a number of competitions, including longest drive, straightest drive and best putt. The PlaceMakers Sponsors Cup for the best score was fittingly won by PlaceMakers Cook St.
By Mark Longley
on
January 20, 2011
IN AN effort to kill two birds with one stone the London Olympic Stadium is using recycled knives and guns as a construction material. Not only does this add to the stadium's already extensive green credentials, but it also solves a problem of what to do with the some 52 tonnes of guns and knives that have been confiscated by the Metropolitan Police in just one year.
Gun and knife crime is a serious problem in London and the police regularly hold an "Amnesty" period, where the lethal weapons can be handed in without charge. Disposal of the weapons was a problem, until some bright spark thought about melting them down into scrap and using them as building material. It was a perfect fit for the stadium, which is keen to include as many eco-friendly ideas as possible.
By Mark Longley
on
December 16, 2010
THE FINAL issue of Progressive Building + Info-Link magazine for the year is out soon and it's a packed issue to take you over the Christmas break. Here is a sneak preview:
There is the latest news from the industry.
Warwick Quinn, CEO of the RMBF, Martin Fahey CEO of the NZIOB, Richard Carver from Jennian Homes and Derek Baxter from CBANZ all share their thoughts about the year ahead.
There is a short feature looking at cover pricing and the Commerce Commission's attempts to educate the industry about the dangers of manipulating tenders.
The projects featured this issue are: The new indoor sports arena being built in a particularly windy part of Wellington. The Victoria Park Tunnel. MOTAT's LVL timber exhibition hall and the renovation of a block of flats in Wellington where most of the old product is recycled.
There is also an interview with the NZIOB Young Achiever of the Year Shannon Chambers plus the latest products in the Info-Link section.
By Mark Longley
on
December 14, 2010
AUCKLAND'S Q Theater is taking shape and the refurbishment/new build project, being undertaken by Naylor Love, passed a major milestone recently. The roof of the auditorium building was completed, ensuring the project is now watertight and immune to the varying conditions Auckland's weather can throw up.
It's in one year since the first sod was turned on the project, which involves refurbishment of an 85-year old building on Queen Street and construction of a new auditorium. Q Theater general manager Susanne Ritzenhoff says they are delighted with the progress. "We can really see the auditorium taking shape and building is on schedule with the theater's first show set to run in September 2011. Naylor Love has amalgamated, brilliantly, an old building with new construction and we are thrilled that we have been able to retain some of the character of the old building to create something special for Auckland's entertainment precinct."
The new theater will include: a 350-450 seat auditorium, 120 seat studio space, cafe, bar and function area.
By Mark Longley
on
December 13, 2010
NOW I am not suggesting you stop your car and look closely at this, or do it while you are driving. However if you are walking down by Auckland's Westhaven Mariner, it's worth having a look at the retaining wall that forms part of the new motorway section of the Victoria Park Tunnel project.
The lower half of the wall is based on a Maori design sketched by Pita Turei of Ngati Paoa. Andre Raymond is the construction manager for the motorway section and he says the wall has set the standard for the rest of the project. "We are very proud of the retaining wall there. That was a success. Pita Turei, one of the iwi representatives drew some sketches of fish to symbolise life force of the sea. Boffa Miskel then developed that into a pattern that went onto the retaining wall. We simplified the design to make it a single panel, which is the barrier and the retaining wall in one. The guys who built it took great pride in getting it perfect, it looks very elegant."
The Victoria Park Tunnel project is a New Zealand Transport Agency project that is being constructed under the Alliance module. The Alliance members are Fletcher Construction, Beca Infrastructure, Boffa Miskel, Higgins and Parsons Brinkerhoff.
The tunnel section will provide three lanes of traffic going north and the current Victoria Park viaduct will provide four lanes of traffic heading north. The St Marys Bay section from Victoria Park to the Harbour Bridge will now be five lanes of traffic heading north and five heading south.
By Peta Nichols
on
November 24, 2010
A lot of architects and designers put a lot of effort into projects that for some reason or another, many times through no fault of their own, never get built. Every year, the Auckland Architecture Association Cavalier Bremworth Design Awards recognises these un-built works, and the 2010 winners were announced last Thursday night at AUT's St Paul Street Gallery.
Mike Hartley and Nick Sayes from Daniel Marshall Architects won the Open Section of the awards with their entry called The Path to Dwell on.
Other projects awarded were: Sir Keith Park Aviation Museum at MOTAT designed by Yumian Chai (winner, student section); Being in Painful Circumstances designed by Yosop Ryoo (highly commended, student); Red Line designed by Huirui Wang and Ruoyu Wang (highly commended, student); My Bro's House designed by Simon Twose (commended, open section); and Live and Work infill designed by Matt Deep (commended, student section).
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At the awards presentation at St Paul Street Gallery. From left: Paul Clarke, Nick Murcutt, Rachel Neeson, Fleur Palmer.
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A Path To Dwell On, designed by Nick Sayes and Mike Hartley. Winner of the AAA Cavalier Bremworth Awards 2010.
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The Path To Dwell On by Nick Sayes and Mike Hartley.
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The Path To Dwell On by Nick Sayes and Mike Hartley.
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The Path To Dwell On by Nick Sayes and Mike Hartley.
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Sir Keith Park Aviation Museum at MOTAT by Yumian (Dino) Chai.
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Sir Keith Park Aviation Museum at MOTAT by Yumian (Dino) Chai.
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Sir Keith Park Aviation Museum at MOTAT by Yumian (Dino) Chai.
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Being in Painful Circumstances by Yosop Ryoo.
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Red Line by Huirui Wang and Ruoyu Wang.
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Being in Painful Circumstances by Yosop Ryoo.
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My Bro’s House by Simon Twose.
Every year the AAA manages to lure some great Australia architects across the ditch to help judge the awards, and this year the international judges were Nick Murcutt and Rachel Nesson of Neeson Murcutt Architects. They are a small practice based in Sydney who do some really interesting work. John Walsh will be featuring an interview with both Rachel and Nick in the January issue of Architecture NZ.
Rachel and Nick were supported by New Zealand judges Richard Naish of RTA Studio and Jon Craig, one of the founders of Craig Craig Moller Architects, now CCM Architects in Wellington.
For more information about the awards programme visit here, and here.
By Mark Longley
on
November 17, 2010
CTMA WORLD launched its fourth annual customer experience study of consent and inspection services.
It means that people who underwent Resource Consent, Building Consent or Building Inspections services have the opportunity to post feedback on how well their council served them. Paul Linnell, the managing director of CTMA World says, "This is very much focused on getting customer feedback and it's about customer dissatisfaction as well as satisfaction. It asks did something go wrong and what was it? As a result of that how well did the council resolve it for you?"
The online questionnaire is comprehensive and really gives the opportunity to outline any issues you may have had. This information is presented to councils and those who wish to participate are able to use the information. Linnell says. "The study has proved so successful over the past three years that last year we noted customer satisfaction at participating councils had improved at nearly twice the rate of other councils.. There is still work to be done, but this valuable feedback from customers helped these councils learn from their customers about specific issues that cause concern. From this information they have been able to focus on the improvements that will bring the biggest benefit to their customers."
The industry is awash with complaints about Building and Resource Consent so this is an opportunity to get those complaints heard.
To complete the online form go to http://www.feedback-direct.com/nzconsents/
By Mark Longley
on
November 4, 2010
THE OCTOBER / November issue of Progressive Building + Info-Link magazine has a new addition to its unique enquiry service.
In order to make the enquiry system easier and quicker we have added a text service. So you can now text your enquiry.
Just follow the easy steps above, which are also published in the issue, and its done.
It couldn't be easier.
By Mark Longley
on
October 14, 2010
YOU CAN tell when you hit a residential suburb in Canterbury that has been affected by the earthquake - the streets are lined with portaloos. There are also more telling signs, in many areas the road surface becomes uneven, or at worst bowed and impassable. The areas I saw - Kaiapoi, Avonside and Brooklands - that were worst affected all bordered the river. The tranquil River Avon is now, in parts, up to two metres narrower than it was pre-quake as the land has fallen into the water. Footbridges that cross it are twisted out of shape, like a spine with scoliosis, and in parts there are visible splits in the footpaths that border the river.
It is the houses and what to do with them that poses the biggest question. Much of the focus post-quake has been on the heritage buildings in the CBD, but it is the residential areas that could prove to be the real problem. Early estimates reckoned up to 100,000 homes could be affected and the real number is still not known. From the street the only visible sign a house has suffered damage is it has a portaloo outside, but look closely and you can see they are not right. Window sills run at angles, or the house looks twisted, as if someone has picked it up to have a look and not put it back properly. Many residential areas are still without sewerage, and you can understand why residents are becoming frustrated.
Repairing the heritage buildings in the city might get more of the headlines, but fixing the suburbs and getting people back into their homes is the real story.
By Mark Longley
on
October 11, 2010
STANDING OUTSIDE a seven story building that could collapse at any minute is disconcerting to say the least. The area around the Manchester Courts building on Christchurch's Manchester Street had been cordoned off, however the photographer Simon Devitt and myself had blagged our way in and were now standing talking to the building's owner, Richard Peebles. Earlier that morning the brick building had been approved for demolition, so badly had the earthquake damaged her. Peebles was explaining the extent of the damage, pointing out where the brick walls were bowing and cracking. The next big aftershock could well send this grand old structure tumbling to the ground he said.
I thought maybe we should move the conversation back a few feet, but he asked if we wanted to look at the damage inside. We politely declined, I figured I might regret not getting the story, but not as much as I would regret going inside should the building collapse.
The Manchester Courts building is one of the higher profile buildings in Christchurch that won't survive the quake. What was once Christchurch's tallest building will be demolished and something else will be rebuilt in her place. It is one of the few damaged buildings to know their fate, the city is littered with other structures being propped up and awaiting theirs. Funding will be a major issue in restoring the buildings that are not earmarked for demolition. They are supposed to be repaired to 67 percent of the seismic requirements in the Building Code, but that is unlikely to be covered by insurance alone.
The city is largely safe now, which is great testament to the engineers and builders who went into the damaged buildings, unsure how unsafe they were, and shored them up. All that remains is to decide what to do with the broken buildings.
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