flag flyer for the city

The Viaduct Basin area may be one of the most sought-after locations for a company head office, but it's not all plain sailing for construction companies faced with the challenge of building on reclaimed land.

Martin O'Sullivan, construction project manager for Hawkins Construction, says the location of the Air New Zealand building provided difficult ground conditions due to the amount of water in the reclaimed land.

"It's a problem many construction companies have struggled with in the Viaduct Basin area," says O'Sullivan. "Our innovative methodology made it look easy. We believe we set a new standard with our stage sequencing and specialist treatment of the sub base."

O'Sullivan says the company's extensive construction experience and collaborative approach also helped overcome other challenges, including the construction of concrete shading elements.

"The design specified concrete shades at ceiling level, which meant they were cast at the bottom of the perimeter beams. This added complexity to the construction and therefore precast pricing and production was looking well outside our budget and schedule. Our solution was to split the form into two elements the first a single beam, and the second a shade element to be added later. This enabled us to get on with the main construction in the interim, which saved time and cost."

The facade was another aspect of the construction that required a lot of planning and good communication between the designer and supplier. To create visual interest, the precast concrete facade incorporates several glazing systems as well as the horizontal shade elements.

O'Sullivan says the speed of construction was helped by using a moment-resisting seismic frame and precast double-T and Hollowcore flooring. These features also eliminated a lot of noise issues and avoided the need for a shear wall, which would have adversely affected the appearance of the building and the flexibility of the fit-out design.

For further details, contact Hawkins Construction, 1 Ash Rd, Manukau City, phone (09) 918 8100, fax (09) 918 8143. Website: www.hawkins.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas