80 | ARCHITECTURE Ian Thorn Architect CALL NOW: 021 0272 2193 FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 2020 Owned &Operated byMat & Ava Bun We specialise in farm and lifestyle, residential and commercial earthworks in Waikato and the Central North Island 71 Primrose Street, Hamilton | bunnearthworks@gmail.com 6 WHEEL TIPPER, 2.5T DIGGER & BOBCAT I ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO ANY SIZE DIGGER 10+ Years Experience Earth Moving & Shaping | Driveways & Races | Culvert Installation Carting In & Out | General Earthworks Finding creative solutions Ora Business Park includes four food and beverage tenancies. T T Kelly Deeks “There’s a good mix of food and beverage and services, and this is a good offering for the local community.” A long-derelict site at the northern end of Avalon Drive is being transformed into a new commercial hub, with Ora Business Park bringing food, services, light industrial space, and activity back to an area of Nawton, Hamilton. Architect Ian Thorn has worked with Lobell Construction on the development, which is nearing completion and is already attracting tenants across its six commercial spaces. Ora Business Park includes four food and beverage tenancies, a laundromat, flexible light industrial space, an ancillary residential unit, and on-site parking. Its position near State Highway 1C also gives the development a strong connection to Hamilton and the wider Waikato. Ian says the mix of tenancy sizes and uses has been deliberately designed to create a destination that works for the surrounding community, rather than simply another row of commercial buildings. “There’s a good mix of food and beverage and services, and this is a good offering for the local community,” he says. The development sits on what was once the main road route through the area, now alongside the expressway, but still benefits from strong traffic movement and a large residential catchment. Ora Business Park’s location at the intersection of Avalon Drive and Dominion Road gives tenants high visibility, with the development designed to accommodate food and beverage, wholesale retail, light industrial, and other services. Ian’s involvement began after the client had already developed a concept and obtained resource consent with another designer. He was able to make changes that maximised the available floor area, while also tackling a more difficult issue hidden beneath the site. The land backs on to a lake and includes a wet area where the ground was not suitable for carrying heavy loads. Rather than relying on conventional heavy concrete construction and deep foundations, Ian adopted a lightweight solution that would spread the building load across the ground. A rib-raft floor with polystyrene insulation helps distribute the weight, while timber framing was used for a boundary wall requiring a 120-minute fire rating. Ian worked with Nu Wall, using powder-coated aluminium cladding with a 50-year warranty and a grade designed to withstand corrosion. The wall framing was assembled flat on the concrete slab, with the cladding installed before each 10m section was lifted into place and fixed to the building. It was a bit of a leap of faith because none of us had done it before,” Ian says. His previous experience with Lobell Construction gave him confidence the team could deliver the unconventional solution. The finished buildings have a sharp, modern appearance, using contrasting black and white with orange highlights. Ian says the development will become even more striking as tenants add their own signage. The site had been derelict for some time, with damaged fencing, rubbish, and tagging contributing to a run-down appearance. “Being able to improve an area helps everyone become more proud of where they live.” Ian says local feedback has been strongly positive, including from neighbouring businesses that see the development bringing more people into the area. With several of the six tenancies already taken, the developer is also investigating whether the site can be expanded. A paper road at the rear of the site is no longer needed because the expressway provides the required connection, creating another potential development opportunity. Ian says the project reflects his approach of building strong relationships with clients, developers, and builders, which has led to repeat work and further projects already in the pipeline with the same group.
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