Green light

THERE HAS been much speculation surrounding the strengthening trend towards environmentally pro-active buildings and the impact this will have on the construction industry. Particularly believed to be at risk are the smaller contractors who may not have the wherewithal to meet the ecological requirements such buildings demand. The fact of the matter is that for most of the works associated with construction, it's business as usual.

The logistics of sustainability, energy-efficiency and the like were all worked out long before Cortech Interiors was contracted to the job, says owner Cory Young.

"Aside from the amount of MDF that has gone into this job, which was of a much larger scale than usual, our role was stock-standard carpentry as far as we were concerned."

With energy-efficiency one of the key fundamental principles of the refurbishment, careful consideration of the materials used was paramount. This resulted in the utilisation of a number of products new to the New Zealand marketplace, the low volatile organic compound-emitting MDF being one of them.

"As I said, the amount of MDF used throughout this job was the only factor that distinguished it from any other job we've worked on. The impact of this was that I imported some specialist straight-edge tools from Europe to ensure the same level of finish that we pride ourselves on," says Young.

Contracted by McKee Fehl as one of the main interior carpentry companies responsible for the fitting of walls, doors, eco panelling and battening, Cortech Interiors spent five months on the project, with an onsite workforce of 17.

Established in 2003 and already with working relationships with McKee Fehl Construction, Hale Manufacturing and others, Cortech Interiors has a proven track record as a progressive sub-contractor.

For more details, contact Cortech Interiors, mobile 021 383 235, phone (04) 473 0295, fax (04) 473 0297.

Story by: Trendsideas