Heritage and Restoration Project Awards Results

H T M L Code
National Category Winner: Heritage/Restoration

Project: St Faith's Church

Entrant

HRS Construction

Project Partners

Aurecon (Structural Engineers), HRS Construction (Construction Company), Tony Ussher (Heritage Architect)

Owned By

Anglican Parish of East Christchurch

St. Faith's Church is an 1886 heritage building that suffered damage during the Christchurch Earthquakes. With a clear focus on preserving the heritage values of the building while ensuring structural safety during the works, the church underwent a seismic strengthening and refurbishment project. The key to the project's success was the significant collaboration between the designers and builders. The project involved a meticulous and time-consuming process of removing a layer of Oamaru stone from the top of the inner wall, and then replacing it with reinforced concrete. In other areas of the church, such as the chancel arch, the stone was replaced over a larger area with reinforced concrete and later plastered and painted to resemble Oamaru stone. The difference is only noticeable by close inspection. Despite such extensive modifications, the final outcome was commendable with the project being completed to an exceptional level of quality.

Judges comments

This project involved the restoration of a heritage building, left unusable for over a decade following the Christchurch earthquakes. The seismic strengthening of the building presented challenges throughout the project, with the structural engineers having to focus on preserving the building’s heritage while also creating a safe space for the Church’s congregation. Excellent work by the projects stonemasons helped in preserving this building’s heritage and aesthetic with some of the more serious strengthening work being painted to resemble the Oamaru stone used on the inner walls. Collaboration between all teams on this project was excellent and essential to the success of restoring St Faith’s Church to the highest of standards.

 

Project: Thomas Edmonds Band Rotunda

Entrant

Dominion Constructors

Project Partners

Dominion (Project Manager), Dominion Constructors Ltd (Construction Company), Ruamoko Solutions (Engineer), Tony Ussher (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

Christchurch City Council

The Thomas Edmonds Band Rotunda is in central Christchurch on the banks of the Avon River. The building was presented to the Christchurch City Council as a philanthropic gift to mark 50 years of business in Christchurch, by Thomas Edmonds, the man behind the Edmonds Cookbook and Sure to Rise Baking Powder. The Band Rotunda construction started and was completed in 1929, however, it was significantly damaged by the Christchurch earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The project involved significant work to reinstate and repair the heritage structure. This was a challenge due to the location and the team had to factor in environmental factors. For example, the mature trees on site required protection and had to be carefully worked around during construction. This project had good collaboration between all stakeholders, with the key tool being regular communication and a “no-surprises” approach. The Christchurch City Council team, project consultants and the Dominion Constructors team were all actively engaged in the success of this project.

 

Project: Stewart Dawson's Corner Heritage & Restoration

Entrant

McKee Fehl Constructors

Project Partners

335 (Architect/Designer), Architecture Plus Ltd (Architect/Designer), Beca (Engineer), Heritage Architect (Architect/Designer), McKee Fehl Constructors (Construction Company)

Owned By

Argosy Property (No.1) Limited

Stewart Dawson's Corner is a well-known Wellington landmark, standing on the corner of Lambton Quay and Willis Street for over 100 years. The Category 2 building underwent a complex restoration project, requiring extensive technical expertise to meet both the 130% NBS (new building standard) and the heritage requirements of preserving the building's historical appearance. The restoration project involved a small group of skilled suppliers and subcontractors, who were called upon to complete the challenging build. The old timber shopfronts, for instance, had to be replicated while meeting the 130% NBS. To achieve this, hidden steelwork was concealed within the timber frames. The 120-year-old roof structure was another challenging feature that had to be reassembled or rebuilt to meet modern standards. Despite the technical difficulties, the restoration was completed with great success and is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and the team’s dedication to preserving the city's rich architectural heritage.

 

Project: St James Theatre Seismic and Condition Upgrade

Entrant

Maycroft Construction

Project Partners

AECOM (Quantity Surveyor), Beca (Engineer), Holmes Fire (Engineer), Ian Bowman Architect and Conservator (Architect/Designer), Maycroft Construction (Construction Company), RJHA Limited (Project Manager), Shand Shelton Architects (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

Venues Wellington
Wellington City Council

The St James Theatre has been an integral part of Wellington for over a century. This remediation and restoration project sought to strengthen and refurbish the building to continue to contribute to the Capital’s arts scene for the next 100 years. Being a Category 1 heritage building, it was challenging to maintain the iconic look of the theatre while bringing it up to a high New Building Standard (NBS). The project team also faced workmanship issues from previous eras, heavy metal and asbestos contaminated soil, and a lack of seismic gap from neighbouring buildings. There were also significant site constraints, being surrounded by a hotel, shared laneway, and one of the busiest nightlife streets in Wellington. This project is a testament to collaboration. With each major task feedback was gathered from all teams and subcontractors before determining how to proceed.

 

Project: Sir Howard Morrison Centre

Entrant

Hawkins

Project Partners

Hawkins (Construction Company), Shand Shelton Architects (Architect/Designer)

The Sir Howard Morrison Centre has been home to some of Rotorua's most exciting, diverse, and cultural art performances. Originally built in 1938, it is listed as a Category 1 heritage structure. Since the completion of the project, the Centre now has a chain-driven orchestra lift platform and an increased capacity across all theatres. Following a seismic assessment where the Centre received an New Building Standard (NBS) of 10%, it was shut down and fenced off. It now has an NBS rating of 70%. The biggest challenge was the ground conditions due to the geothermal environment and the risk of hydrogen sulphide, along with the construction sequence. This was planned meticulously, with 40% of the building being dismantled, while at the same time, strengthening work was being done on the remainder of the building. The Sir Howard Morrison Centre will continue to be used for performing arts and other significant regional events, it is expected to help generate $50 million annually for the Rotorua local economy.

 

Project: Generator

Entrant

L T McGuinness

Project Partners

Dunning Thornton (Engineer), E-Cubed (Engineer), Precinct Properties (Project Manager), RCP (Project Manager), Rider Levett Bucknall (Quantity Surveyor), Warren & Mahoney (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

LT McGuinness

This project saw the restoration, seismic upgrade, and interior fitout of the nearly 100-year-old 30 Waring Taylor Street. The traditional character building now contains spaces for co-working and meetings, private offices, managed suites, event suites, breakout zones, and even a fully licensed bar. Transforming a 1920s building into one fit for modern work patterns was no mean feat. Numerous technical elements, such as air conditioning systems and spiral staircases, needed to be replaced throughout the building. New five-storey shear walls and a full-height structural steel K frame were included in the seismic strengthening. The challenges, typical of old buildings, came early with the unexpected find of asbestos. As internal linings were removed, historical roof leaks were exposed, leading to the roof, and supporting structures being replaced. The building sits hard up against neighbouring properties on a busy pedestrian route, so logistics were always a challenge and involved traffic management, public safety, and good liaison with neighbours, the council, and suppliers.

 

Project: Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre

Entrant

Leighs Construction

Project Partners

Holmes NZ (Engineer), Leighs Construction (Project Manager), Resource Co-ordination Partnership Ltd (RCP) (Project Manager)

Owned By

The Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Board

This project saw the structural strengthening and refurbishment of three adjoining heritage buildings, converting them into a 32-room hotel. It also included the reconstruction of the Observatory Tower, including the reinstatement of the 1891 telescope at the top. A complex structural sequence was developed to strengthen the building. As part of the first stage, two outer sides of the building were completed, then the building was deconstructed at the centre from the basement to the roof, before being rebuilt. A temporary roof that could slide open was put on over all of the buildings, allowing builders to strip all slate, use the roof space to slide the steel frame of the lift shaft in from the roof, then construct a new roof. The restoration of this historical building will now provide an ongoing vital source of passive income for The Arts Centre.

 

Project: Stevenson Building

Entrant

Shane Stone Builders

Project Partners

Drawing Room (Architect/Designer), EQ Struc (Engineer), Shane Stone Builders (Construction Company), Shane Stone Builders Limited (Construction Company)

Owned By

Hadleigh Reid Family Trust

Originally built in 1921, the Stevenson Building has undergone an impressive transformation from an old commercial building to a modern apartment complex featuring six bespoke and architecturally designed apartments. The building has four apartments on the bottom and two on the top, with the design team successfully revitalising the 100-year-old heritage building while integrating some of its original features. Given its heritage status, the project had limitations on what could be altered, making the transformation all the more challenging. During the build process, the team also had to pivot due to unforeseen changes in earthquake strengthening requirements. Despite these challenges, the project was completed with great success. The Stevenson Building now stands as a testament to the team's ability to transform a heritage building into a modern living space while maintaining its original character. The apartments offer a unique and sophisticated living experience in the heart of the city, blending history with contemporary design.

 

Project: Embassy Theatre Entrance Restoration

Entrant

A Sparks Builders

Project Partners

A Sparks Builders Ltd (Construction Company), Inside Design (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

Embassy Theatre Trust 2020

This project saw the entranceway of the Embassy Theatre restored to its incredible original state. Quality was paramount, with the entranceway oozing a premium, high-class feeling. The most special feature of this build was the collaboration of several artisan skills, mostly by older and very experienced tradespeople. Joinery, steel, glazing, and marble specialists worked together in very close proximity to create exquisite results. These were skills most people thought were lost. Undertaking construction in a working theatre was a challenge for the project team. To minimise disruption, they manufactured much as they could off-site, then finished the installation on-site in a short time period.