FROM EARTH TO SKY

Despite extreme weather conditions at the start of the project, Te Puia was completed ahead of schedule and below budget. It's an achievement that Kevin Mackie, manager of Hawkins Construction, attributes to teamwork and flexible problem solving.

"We had to change our approach to meet the very wet conditions. Normally, we would have stripped the site back to a building platform level. Instead, we retained the existing sealed and metallic surfaces. It was a cheaper option that avoided churning the soil unnecessarily," he says.

Among the construction challenges were the formal entrance and the visitors' interpretive gallery, described by Mackie as a non-traditional, geometrically complex building. For the entrance structure, a new working method was devised by the Hawkins team.

"Finding the best way to erect the glulam columns was a team approach. Our solution saved the project time and was cost-effective," he says.

Other works included constructing the new retail centre, gallery and weaving school, refurbishing 40-year-old buildings and upgrading lighting for the park's walkways and Pohutu geyser. Stormwater pipes were thrusted underground to the discharge point to protect rare fauna on the site.

Luck also played its part in the project's success. The pre-construct archaeological dig found old hangi pits just outside the construction area, rather than in it. And despite working on a geothermal site, the team managed to avoid steam vents, which would have presented a hazardous obstacle to works.

For details, contact Hawkins Construction, 1 Ash Road, Manukau City, Auckland 1006, phone (07) 843 6089. Website: www.hawkins.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas