| 57 Lab-works Architecture ARCHITECTURE T T Kelly Deeks Award winning project unique in NZ As part of their consultation process, Lab-works Architecture spoke with Massey students, teachers, and technical staff to learn what they needed out of their new facility. A one-of-a-kind project for specialist design studio Lab-works Architecture and also for New Zealand has won the hearts of its users and industry peers alike, with Massey University’s redeveloped Tāwharau Ora - School of Veterinary Sciences providing a world-class teaching and research facility and bringing home awards from both Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Western Architecture Awards, and the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards. This new suite of buildings and facilities at Massey University’s Manawatū campus replaces the old and outdated with state of the art facilities, designed to maintain the University’s standing as a world-class veterinary school. Lab-works Architecture worked in collaboration with CCM Architects and the University to benchmark against world-leading international vet schools and deliver purpose-built facilities that exceeded expectations. Lab-works Architecture’s Joseph Disney was part of the architectural design team and he says a combination of factors made this an award-winning project. “It’s really a one-of-a-kind in the country,” he says. “Massey University has the only veterinary school in New Zealand, and while there might be similar components in other facilities, this is the only one where teaching and laboratory and hospital spaces are combined with student common spaces. We had to bunch a number of different functional requirements together to make a flagship building for the Manawatū campus.” Tāwharau Ora sits in a prominent location on the ring road that surrounds the campus, and is the first port of call for many who enter the campus, so it had to look good. As a school which attracts a large contingent of international students, it also had to perform as well or better than international schools in order to continue to attract them. Lab-works Architecture and CCM Architects were able to improve on their learnings from world-leading veterinary training facilities and create a new benchmark which solved a complex set of technical requirements while providing a unique and playful environment for its users. As part of their consultation process, Lab-works Architecture spoke with Massey students, teachers, and technical staff to learn what they needed out of their new facility. Lab-works Architecture is a leader in the design of scientific, research, teaching, healthcare, and analytical facilities but still, this project was one-of-a-kind. “A lot of good information came out of that process and a lot of the success of this project comes from those people who came to the table with a really good briefing which we could then use and deliver on. Without that upfront information, it wouldn’t have been the same project.” Joseph and the design team were lucky enough to catch up with some students who had been taught in the old facilities after they had an opportunity to have some teaching in the new facilities. The feedback from them the improvement in their experience was like being in a different university. The success of this project means a lot to Lab-works Architecture, which has enjoyed a relationship with Massey University’s Manawatū campus since 2000, and with the School of Veterinary Science since 2010. Lab-works Architecture project lead Ken Collins has seen many such projects proposed, planned, and ultimately shelved, so to be involved now at the right time is huge reward for Ken’s personal involvement and investment. “It’s really a one-of-a-kind in the country,” ultigroup.co.nz | 0800 807 753 We are NZ’s leading and most trusted provider of specialist door and dock loading systems, protecting your people, products & profits. Proudly supporting Labworks Architects
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=