Crowning glory

MODERN CONSTRUCTION projects often involve a number of parties. However, in the museum's case, the number of consultants and interested parties was significant and all needed to be aligned in a way that allowed each party the freedom to best fulfil its role.

In 2002, RDT Pacific was engaged as project manager, and the client's representative, for the Grand Atrium project. Its primary goal: establish the overall performance and operational brief, then enlist all other consultants and manage the design and construction. A collaborative working environment was created from the outset, with lead contractor Hawkins Construction brought in early to assist in the compilation of a target price, says RDT project director Eric Schluter.

"Once the brief and the outline plan were established, we pulled together the three key stakeholders the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the design team and the lead contractor to balance the integrity of the brief with the design and the budget," he says.

"Adopting this approach meant we started construction well in advance of the overall design's completion aiding funding and allowing completion earlier than we would have achieved if the full design had to be completed."

All aspects of the design concept and details were processed through a Value Engineering process managed by RDT Pacific, allowing the stakeholders as a team to evaluate materials, resources and techniques that were most cost effective, and available when needed avoiding inflated prices and allowing economical alternatives.

"The challenges centred on the size and nature of the building and the complexity of the design. All issues were unique, so there was no ability to adopt standardisation or repetition in details. The material and engineering boundaries were constantly being pushed to achieve outcomes that didn't exceed the budget. We were also mindful of heritage aspects, the building's iconic status, and the necessity of keeping it operational during construction."

For more details, contact RDT Pacific, phone (09) 379 6600. Email: enquiry@rdtpacific.co.nz. Website: www.rdtpacific.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas