88 | A catalyst for growth and true innovation The nine-storey 4800sqm building required seismic upgrading. BUILDING Catalyst Group Established, from humble beginnings and with big visions in 1999, multi-disciplinary commercial design and construction company Catalyst, has grown to be a leader in the industry, offering commercial developers end-to-end service. Founding Director and Managing Director Nigel Shaw, describes Catalyst as one of the very first pioneering commercial design and build companies, given its capability of straddling architectural design, construction, interior fit-out and project management all under the one roof. “I could see there was a much better way to deliver projects to clients by controlling all processes and history has proven this to be so. Separating out architecture and design processes from hands-on experienced construction and project management doesn’t deliver the best outcomes,” says Nigel. Today, Catalyst has practices in Auckland, the company’s head-office, Wellington, and Christchurch with Regional Offices throughout New Zealand. Each office has a collective of architects, designers, planners, construction and project management staff. Building teams of highly-skilled professionals who understand the subtleties and realities of working with large corporates has underpinned Catalyst’s growth in a highly competitive sector. “The variety of work we take on is fantastic. We could be working on a hotel, a new design and build project, commercial office fit-out and it’s this broad spread of work that crosses our desk that the team really thrive on.” And for those at Catalyst working at the chalk-face, contributing to the end product, Nigel says there’s an incredible level of pride and achievement. “We understand there’s a social responsibility to be in keeping with the environment and we also appreciate that in the corporate world we work in, it’s incredibly important to meet deadlines and deliver on time and to budget. “ We work with clients who know exactly what they want through to newbies who think they have a good idea and need our input to form it.” Nigel appreciates the fantastic journey he’s experienced since founding the company and the long-term relationships that have been formed. Sue Russell Built by Kiwis - for Kiwis Specialists in commercial interiors, office fit-outs and aluminium joinery W AK-interiors.co.nz P 021 726 444 E Keiren@ak-interiors.com Amotai Member “I could see there was a much better way to deliver projects to clients by controlling all processes and history has proven this to be so.” Asked about Covid last year and this, Nigel says in 2020 the Auckland office certainly felt its impact. “It whacked us last year. A lot of the big projects were put on hold. “Fast forward to 2021 and clients have very much adopted the attitude that it’s time to get on and get projects completed. I think it will play itself out. Like all good markets there will become an equilibrium level.” The Wellington office has been involved in an interesting re-purposing project at 22 The Terrace, managed by Associate and Project Delivery Lead, Sarah Courtney. It’s the type of project that encompasses the suite of professional services Catalyst offers its clients. The nine-storey 4800sqm building required seismic upgrading and its owners wanted 5 star green accreditation and a complete new fit-out. Gaining green-star accreditation involved input from Beca Consulting to ensure all the compliance boxes were ticked. “This included a full insulation wrap of the building, UV film on the windows, harvesting rain-water and because we could manage all this in-house it meant there was minimal disruption to the schedule,” says Sarah. Existing tenants were relocated last November and used this opportunity to request a new fit-out to their office suites. As a result, the scope of the project increased. “This meant I had to bring more of the team into this project but this is exactly the sort of project we can deliver through our multi-disciplined offering.” When Business North spoke with Sarah early December, they had just welcomed the first tenant back into the building. “One of the reasons I was drawn to take on this role in the company was the diverse nature of responsibilities and I very much enjoy the satisfaction of the client when projects are delivered on time and to budget.”
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