4 | Aspec Construction - Auckland: Choral Hall Upgrades T TKim Newth ‘A masterclass in collaboration’ REGIONAL It almost goes without saying that project success requires good teamwork, but the complex upgrade and refurbishment of Auckland’s Old Choral Hall has produced a shining exemplar of true teamwork at its best. Old Choral Hall stands at the heart of the University of Auckland campus. The project to safeguard its future involved structural strengthening, careful conservation and adaptive reuse as well as work to bring the significant heritage building into line with modern use needs. Adding to the challenge was that the 1872 building had been substantially expanded and modified through the years. Aspec Construction delivered the major seismic strengthening, structural upgrade and heritage refurbishment, working closely with a wider project team to complete the restoration. Their collective effort was recently recognised at Building Institute Aotearoa’s 2026 Building People Awards, where the team won the Collaboration over $20 million Project Award. The award winning team members were Jeff Robertson (Aspec Project Manager/ Director), Margaret Waller (University of Auckland), Jared Williams (Architectus), Andy O’Neill (Archifact), Jack Southee (Beca) and Christine Wang (RCP). The award citation praised the team for demonstrating collaboration at the highest level and for fostering a culture of openness, trust and shared ownership in the face of heritage constraints, technical uncertainty and unforeseen challenges. That unified approach paved the way to an exceptional outcome and was described as setting a benchmark for collaborative project delivery in New Zealand. Aspec Construction’s lead team – Jeff Robertson, Lucian Iacob (Project Coordinator) and Evan Forde (Senior Site Manager – Interiors) - was also honoured with the $50 million-$100 million Project Award for their work on the Old Choral Hall. They were lauded for delivering ‘a masterclass in leadership, innovation and collaboration’ by uniting stakeholders behind a best-for-project approach. This project has restored Old Choral Hall to its rightful place as a heritage centrepiece with integrated contemporary services, seismic strengthening and sustainable building systems. Receiving top honours at the 2026 Building People Awards was a memorable experience for Aspec, whose full project team attended along with fellow project partners and consultants. “It was really good for us to be able to celebrate and get everyone involved up on stage, especially for the collaboration award,” says project manager Jeff Robertson. “This was a three-year project and everyone put in so much effort. For all involved, this recognition has been so rewarding. “We were really pleased with the collaboration award as it’s the essence of what we did – working together every day to achieve the best end result. We were not just builders. We were out there asking questions and helping to solve them. The consultants didn‘t stay in their lane either. They had to get involved and help find solutions as we went along too. Everyone parked their egos and came together to hit common goals and get it done.” To complete the restoration, unsympathetic alterations were carefully removed while heritage fabric was restored. For example, the original Symonds Street portico, which was removed after the 1931 Napier earthquake, is now back in place again. Bricks from multiple eras were cleaned and reinstated, and original timbers re-profiled for re-use. Many historic discoveries were uncovered and integrated into the restoration as it evolved, from plaster cornices to a long-lost plaque from the adjacent Albert Barracks Wall and an old well predating the building. Jeff says the university’s Margaret Waller helped set the tone for the project with her hands on approach and strong yet empathetic leadership style. “For all of us, receiving this industry recognition has been a real honour.” Old Choral Hall stands at the heart of the University of Auckland campus. Making Buildings Work For People BTL is a technology company. We design, install and maintain responsive, intelligent and cooperative building management systems that care for your occupants’ safety and comfort and readily adapt to change over your building’s lifetime. P (09) 579 0246 E service@btlnz.co.nz W www.btlnz.co.nz Building Integration Building Automation Integration Solutions HVAC Products Lighting Automation Energy Products Building Performance Data Analytics Planned Maintenance Energy Management BMS Alarm Management Internal Training Information Centralisation Building Smarts Intelligent Buildings Internet of Things (IoT) Big Data Technology BTL is a long-standing partner of the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), with ‘Green Star’ accreditation
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