Leighs Construction
Chow:Hill (Architect/Designer), Leighs Construction (Project Manager), Proj-X Solutions (Client Project Manager)
Te Whatu Ora, Waitaha Canterbury
Collaboration and speed were critical in addressing the urgent need to increase ICU bed capacity at Christchurch Hospital. A high-trust culture underpinned the client, main contractor and designer relationship when building Waipapa, the ICU Pod. Subcontractors worked as one entity, rather than individually, resulting in design and construction being completed within 24 weeks, versus the 42 weeks specified in the Business Case. Clear communication of project objectives and prompt responses to RFIs and queries were essential to the success of this build. The City Council used an exemption in the Building Act to expedite the Certificate of Acceptance process. Clinical users were involved early to provide valuable insights on adjacent ICU areas, and requested changes were accommodated to minimise response time. The programme was a significant challenge, with completion originally planned for August 2022. However, the team accepted the challenge to complete the project by April 2022, despite market challenges and supply chain disruptions. The decision to proceed with briefing, design, documentation and procurement in advance of approval allowed for timely delivery of products. The team also addressed challenges related to construction activity taking place adjacent to the operational ICU, staff contracting COVID-19 and disruptions in the supply chain. Overall, the project was completed safely, with minimal disruption, and well within the completion date.
As COVID lockdowns were easing, there was an anticipated surge in acute cases and an urgent need to increase ICU bed capacity at Christchurch Hospital. Utilising an empty shell adjacent to the existing ICU facility, this project required a highly experienced design and construction team who were able to work collaboratively with each other from the start. Clinical users were involved early to provide valuable insights on adjacent ICU areas, and requested changes were accommodated to minimise response time. The DHB was highly proactive, immediately ordering long-lead items before the contractor was even engaged. Clear communication of project objectives and prompt responses to RFIs and queries were essential to the success of this project. As a result, the build was completed safely, with minimal disruption, and well within the completion date.
McKee Fehl Constructors
Aurecon (Architect/Designer), Fire HQ (Architect/Designer), Local Landscape Architecture Collective (Architect/Designer), McKee Fehl Constructors (Construction Company/Project Manager), New Zealand Consulting Engineers (Architect/Designer), Silvester Clark (Architect/Designer), Studio Design and Architecture (Architect/Designer)
Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ
A chance conversation with Wellington property developer, Mark Dunjatschik, led to his commitment to both build and donate a new hospital building for paediatric care. Philanthropy of this scale in New Zealand has never before been seen. Replacing the deficient existing facility, this IL-4 base-isolated building, with a link bridge and services annexe, has over 50 individual bedrooms and combines all child health services into one fit-for-purpose modern facility. This project featured a number of considered building decisions to minimise disruption to the rest of the hospital campus and ensure the building is strong enough to withstand seismic and extreme weather events. It has also been designed in a manner to be as functional as a hospital should be, but in a child friendly manner that distracts from the harsh clinical environment.
Savory Construction
Beca (Engineer), Cosgroves (Engineer), Klein (Architect/Designer), RCP (Project Manager), Savory Construction (Construction Company)
This project aimed to expand the local catheter theatre and dialysis unit to accommodate the increasing population. As the project took place within an operational hospital, the team encountered various challenges. A key priority for the team was minimising disruptions to patients and staff which they accomplished this through effective planning and collaboration between all parties involved. The safety and well-being of the project team were of utmost importance, and despite the project's small size, a full-time health and safety contractor was employed. Additionally, a mandatory daily clean-up between 6am and 7am was enforced. Through collective efforts, the team successfully delivered a much-needed new, high-quality health facility.
Gibbons Naylor
Arthouse Architecture (Architect/Designer), CGW (Engineer), Gibbons Naylor / Naylor Love Canterbury (Construction Company), Qsquared (Quantity Surveyor)
LQS Holdings Ltd
This two-storey medical centre contains a day-stay theatre, a dietitian centre, and offices. It has been designed to have a modern professional image to set the tone for patients’ expectations of service within. The structure is a 1.2-metre-deep concrete raft foundation, with precast panels and rib and infill suspended slab floors on a structural steel skeleton. The exterior has a Sto plaster cladding system, weatherboard, and seismically rated aluminium windows. The project required connecting the old adjacent building to the new one. The team took great care to incorporate the old elements of the existing building into the new one with a modern twist. This was achieved by seamlessly retaining the original façade while blending with the existing streetscape.
Contract Construction
Contract Construction (Construction Company), Ikon Architects (Architect/Designer), Powell Fenwick (Engineer)
Contract Construction was engaged as Main Contractor by The Canterbury DHB (now Te Whatu Ora) to fit out their 1,200m2 leased area of the newly constructed Selwyn Health Hub (Toko Hapai) in Rolleston. The building provides integrated health services, including a primary birthing unit, community dental, mental health, older persons' health, and public health nurse services. Coordinating the contracted works and construction programme with the base build and other on-site fitout contractors was hugely important. Some areas of the ground floor were operating, including MRI services meaning there was a need for careful coordination of any work that involved noise or vibration. Managing and mitigating COVID caused delays, and supply of long lead items from the USA, Europe and Australia were also challenging factors of the build. Contract Construction's cooperative attitude, good communication and organisational skills were crucial to the successful delivery of this project in Canterbury's fastest-growing district.
Canterbury Builders
Renco Architectural Design (Architect/Designer), Steve Barrow (Engineer)
Carlton Dental
This build is a dental health practice, which includes reception, laboratory, and sanitizing areas. Cedar was utilized in various parts of the build, including the cladding and entrance door. The sourcing of ply flooring was a challenge, as the initial supplier was unable to fulfil the demand for the material. However, through collaboration between the architect and client, an alternative ungraded ply was found. This helped to prevent any delays in the build schedule. Collaboration tools such as Tradify and Clickup were also used by the team.
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