| 17 T T Sue Russell Full steam ahead in Hamilton Ben and Riley Coleman - helping to take Hamilton to the next level. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Taylor Coleman Ben Coleman and Mike Taylor joined forces at the beginning of 2019 to plan and deliver substantial property development projects in Hamilton, forming Taylor Coleman. Ben says it made sense to combine their skills, qualifications and experiences over several years, with him taking care of the initial planning, consultation, procurement and contractural elements while Mike took on responsibility for construction, fit-out and delivery. “We described ourselves as focusing on medium and large-scale construction, fit-outs and work-place stragegy projects in commercial, industry and the health-care sectors,” Ben explains. An office was established in Alexander Street, in the heart of Hamilton’s evolving CBD and Ben’s wife, Riley, joined the team. Property Development opportunities often come about by connecting with other game-changers, as was the case with Taylor Coleman when they came into association with Tainui Group Holdings (TGH), one of the Waikato’s most significant and far-reaching property developers. A piece of land owned by Tainui Group Holdings, close to the CBD and carrying a deep history and meaning to Waikato-Tainui, as a part of its historic maara kai (gardens for growing food) in Kirikiriroa / Hamilton, many centuries ago, was set for development. Working with Crown tenant ACC, a development arrangement between the parties was duly advanced. That deal was concluded in January 2020 and construction of a quite beautiful building began in earnest, with architects Warren and Mahoney responsible for its design. “We enjoyed excellent co-operation from all parties. The whenua where the development was to take place was part of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu 1995 settlement. As such, Tainui Group Holdings in collaboration with Waikato-Tainui were keen to ensure the new premises clealry represented the historical context of the land and its importance to them.” Renata Te Wiata, who serves Kiingi Tuuheitia, the Maaori King, and works for the Waikato-Tainui Iwi as Head of Carving, oversaw the creation of all cultural elements for the exterior of the building. This included the glass etching on the atrium towers which features the iconic niho taniwha (tooth of the taniwha) pattern, together with the uwhi (yam) and hue (bottle gourd) patterns of the pedestrian areas and concrete retaining walls. These features ensure the building indelibly represents as a structure of major cultural significance to Waikato-Tainui. “To be able to weave that story into the very structure of the building is what sets it apart and makes it such a valuable contribution to the whole city-scape.” Ben says one thing he is most proud of is that ‘Amohia Ake’ – the name of the building, was delivered during the COVID years. “TGH were incredibly supportive of construction continuing unabated as much as possible and provided (as one example) accommodation to sub-contractors working for Hawkins who were the main contractor, in a TGH-owned hotel right in the heart of the CBD. It meant that we could keep to social distancing rules yet work could continue. That’s an example of the commitment everyone involved had to seeing this construction proceed well,” Ben says. He describes the leadership key staff in TGH displayed through this challenging period as quite outstanding. “It was about collaboration; empowering people to manage and own risks, and being prepared to look at any opportunities to work closey with the contractor that underpinned the success of this project.” Last year brought further adaptation for Ben, in the form of scaling down the business as the construction sector slowed down considerably. Mike Taylor left the business and has gone on to head up RDT Pacific’s Wellington operations. “We had great construction projects in the pipe-line that were put on hold, so it was decided the best thing was to scale down and address the economic circumstances accordingly. Now it is me and Riley who are the legacy of the company.” Ben is working with two key players in Hamilton’s development scene. He’s maintained a close working relationship with TGH, and is also working with Stark Property, a business responsible for many iconic developments within the CBD in the past 10 -15 years. Ben says, if anything is sympomatic of Hamilton coming of age, its developments that Tainui Group Holdings and Stark Property have created that speak most loudly. “This is an amazing city and region to be part of. Great roading infrastructure is leading to all sorts of commercial and industrial development within the Golden Triangle, and Kirikiriroa / Hamilton sits as a corner stone and enabler to those developments”. Ben only sees positives ahead as these projects come to fruition. “The whole region will benefit from the work of these pioneering developers and I’m proud to be part of leaving such a legacy for its citizens to enjoy.” Hawkins - building with pride in Aotearoa since 1946 Whether it be a school, hospital, university, theatre, airport, hotel or office, Hawkins has always been there to help build this great nation Proud to have worked with Taylor Coleman on the Amohia Ake project RLB is delighted to be part of the project team for Amohia Ake, helping Tainui Group Holdings create this truly remarkable, modern and sustainable new oce space for ACC. Our shared commitment to sustainable building fuels our drive to successfully deliver an enduring asset. RLB.com Amohia Ake, Hamilton Bringing imagination to life
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