22 | Watts & Hughes Construction - Te Whare Hono O Tūwharetoa T T Richard Loader Classy new home for Taupō council The building’s ground floor includes a car park, which is accessible from multiple locations on the service lane. “The planning of the project has gone really well, and we have stuck to programme the whole way through. There are some very unique design elements in the building.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Taking pride of place in the heart of Taupō CBD, Te Whare Hono O Tūwharetoa, the four-storey commercial office building that will bring together the Taupō District Council (TDC) team, is nearing completion. Developed and owned by Te Whare Hono O Tūwharetoa Limited Partnership, the flagship building overlooks Lake Taupō and the region’s famous mountains, and will also be home to Tūwharetoa Limited, the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, the Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust, and the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Fisheries Charitable Trust. Designed by DCA Architects of Transformation, the development is being built by Watts & Hughes Construction. Other professional consultants include structural and civil engineers Strata Group, fit-out architects Chow:Hill, and services engineers Ensor Consulting. Watts & Hughes’ contracts manager Cole Weston was charged with delivering the project to the high standard it deserved, and on time, something he says has been achieved due to a great site-management team and collaborative process. “Relative to the days of Covid with supply chain and human resource disruptions, this project has flowed very well. The planning of the project has gone really well, and we have stuck to programme the whole way through. There are some very unique design elements in the building. The canopy is complex, the geometry of the atrium and slab edge is complex, but we have been able to work through those complexities with the design team, and it looks great.” The building’s ground floor includes a car park, which is accessible from multiple locations on the service lane that joins Horomātangi Street and Te Heuheu Street together. The car park will also include a bike and scooter parking area as well as EV charging stations. The ground floor also includes an atrium/ lobby that provides pedestrian access into the building to and from Horomātangi St and Service Lane, and is where the TDC will have its reception and a few meeting rooms. The first and second floors will house open-plan office space for TDC, along with meeting rooms and other spaces typical of a commercial office building, including service rooms, kitchenette, lockers/storage, and washrooms. Floor two will also house Te Whare Hono O Tūwharetoa office space and reception. The third floor is a mezzanine containing open-space offices for Tūwharetoa. Two small rooftop patios are located for Te Whare Hono O Tūwharetoa staff access, and a portion of the roof has solar panels to provide some power generation for the building. Positioned to one side of the building, a fullheight atrium opens to each floor level. Multiple stairwells and lifts are located throughout the building to provide access between the floors. “The primary structure of the building is of steel frame construction with concrete floor slabs poured in situ,’ says Cole. “Hydraulic, electrical, fire security and mechanical services span across each floor, rising vertically through the building via a central T T to page 24 service void. The building’s exterior is predominately comprised of aluminium cladding and joinery, a perforated steel screen façade, glass (windows) and Espan metal cladding. A steel and glass canopy extends along the length of the building and out over the pedestrian footpath on Horomātangi St.” Originally formed in 1984, Watts & Hughes Construction has played an active part in changing the face of New Zealand. While actively pursuing the very best modern technology and construction techniques, the company has also maintained a healthy regard and respect for the qualities of the past, and utilises those where appropriate. We’re pleased to work alongside Watts & Hughes Construction delivering scaffolding solutions that are SMART SWIFT SAFE Visit: protrade.net.nz to learn more 0800 11 22 39 All safety solutions for residential, industrial and construction requirements. Scaffolding, edge protection, safety nets and shrink wrapping.
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