20 | Top award for City Rail facility The building’s second floor is the operational heart of Auckland’s rail system. T T from page 18 Macrennie Commercial Construction REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The building’s second floor is the operational heart of Auckland’s rail system, with systems designed to enable a seamless 30-minute handover of control to Wellington headquarters in the event of emergencies. This critical fail-safe capability required extensive fire-safety measures and detailed commissioning requirements that pushed the project beyond conventional construction parameters, says Ben. “The L2 floor allows for a 30-minute window to hand over operational requirements to the Wellington office in the event of a fire or natural disaster,” he explains. “This required certain fire detailing and commissioning requirements, which were all incorporated.” Ben says the site presented significant geological challenges, encountering, and founding the building on basalt rock, which required innovative engineering solutions. The construction team addressed this obstacle through cased, unreinforced piles drilled directly into the rock, a solution that saved both time and money. The building was also adjacent to an existing building, which presented additional complexities. The building achieved a Green Star 5 certification, while targeting a NABERS 5-star base build rating. Michael says these sustainability aspects complement Macrennie’s Sustainability Strategy and demonstrate the company’s commitment to environmental performance across the business and projects it undertakes. Ben says the project time-line presented additional challenges, with the team working through Auckland’s particularly severe weather conditions during 2022 and 2023, alongside widespread supply-chain disruptions that affected the entire construction industry. Fire door shortages proved particularly problematic, requiring careful coordination and forward planning to meet project schedules. “The weather encountered was something not seen in Auckland’s construction industry,” says Ben. “Despite these obstacles, the project was delivered on time.” He says building information modelling (BIM) technology proved central to the project’s success, with the integrated approach extending from initial design through construction to final handover. This technological integration enhanced build accuracy and created a comprehensive operational facilities management model for ongoing use. “The services and structure were coordinated throughout the design using BIM,” says Ben. ”This was carried through the shop drawing and construction process, and further into the as-built stage of the project. This allows for a full operational model for the facilities management team.” He says the project required extensive coordination with existing operations at Central Park, with construction teams working around active tenants and concurrent building projects. Crane operations were scheduled during weekends and after hours to minimise disruption to traffic and pedestrians in the busy precinct. Acoustic considerations and seismic design requirements added further complexity, particularly for the service installations and partition systems that support the building’s operational functions. PROFESSIONAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS • Full Contract • Commercial & Industrial Fitouts • Residential Housing Developments 021 739 689 john.nelson@constructabuilt.co.nz www.constructabuilt.co.nz Proudly supporting Macrennie Commercial Construction 0800 800 611 | stevenson.co.nz
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