BIM Award

H T M L Code
BIM Award

Project: Ngāi Tahu Ōtepoti

Entrant

Naylor Love Dunedin Limited

Project Partners

Naylor Love Dunedin (Project Manager), Naylor Love Dunedin Limited (Construction Company), RCP (Project Manager), Warren and Mahoney (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

Dowling Street Limited Partnership

Across a 3.5-metre level change in central Dunedin, Ngai Tahu Otepoti took shape within centimetres of neighbouring heritage buildings. Establishing the structure required deep beams and extensive piling to stabilise poor ground conditions before vertical construction could progress. More than 100 precast panels were then craned into position with minimal boundary clearance, each lift sequenced precisely to suit the confined urban setting. Overhead, restricted ceiling cavities and long service runs called for disciplined coordination to prevent clashes and protect programme. Engagement with more than 30 neighbouring properties ensured disruption was managed transparently throughout delivery. Electric crane use, material reuse, and daylight-harvesting systems support operational efficiency, resulting in a carefully integrated addition to a sensitive city block.

Judges comments

Ngai Tahu Otepoti is a standout Building Information Modelling (BIM) Award winner, with the team choosing to use building information modelling not because they had to, but because they knew it would make the project better. This significant four-storey office development was delivered on a complex site in Dunedin’s historical precinct, and in this context the decision to use BIM proved invaluable. The judges valued the trust between Naylor Love Dunedin and Warren and Mahoney, which allowed the wider team to work from one shared model. With strong input from consultants and subcontractors, it became a practical tool that helped solve issues quickly and improve the way the work was planned. This is a powerful example of BIM being used to genuinely lift project delivery.

 
BIM Award

Project: Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand

Entrant

LT McGuinness

Project Partners

Aurecon (Engineer), Warren and Mahoney (Architect/Designer)

Owned By

Dexus

Te Rua Mahara is a project of national significance; culturally, architecturally, and technically. Purpose-built to safeguard Aotearoa’s most precious records, the facility combines seismic innovation with cultural expression and engineering precision. It features New Zealand’s largest triple-pendulum base isolators, 55-metre-deep foundations, and an airtight, high-performance outer skin embossed with bespoke Maori patterning. Despite protest disruptions and highly complex sequencing, LT McGuinness delivered the project safely, on time, and within budget. The result is one of New Zealand’s most resilient and airtight public buildings: a legacy project that embodies collaboration, strength, and the enduring protection of national taonga.

Judges comments

This award recognises a project where digital thinking was central from the very start. Building information modelling (BIM) was not treated as a technical extra, but as a key driver of design, coordination, and construction outcomes. With strong buy-in across the team and a dedicated BIM Manager, a shared model became the single source of truth for everyone involved. More than 40,000 issues were identified and resolved in the model before installation, helping avoid rework on site. The judges also highlighted the contractor’s model-first, build-second approach, supported by point cloud scanning and augmented reality to check work as it was delivered. The outcome is a highly efficient digital twin and a project that has helped lift digital capability within LT McGuinness more broadly.