90 | ICON: Lorne Street Student Accommodation T T Richard Loader Recognition for project leadership Designed to achieve a 5-Star Green Star rating is also preserved one of Auckland’s significant Art Deco buildings. “Detailed planning, strong collaboration and digital health and safety systems allowed us to overcome some very complex logistical challenges and ensure we maintained high levels of quality throughout the build.” A significant Auckland student accommodation development that successfully combined heritage preservation with modern construction has also helped place one of its young site leaders in the spotlight. The Lorne Street Student Accommodation project has seen ICON site supervisor Alex Juby named a finalist in the 2026 Building People Awards in the Emerging Leader category recognising his contribution to one of the city’s more complex and demanding developments. Delivered by ICON for developers Cedar Pacific and McConnell Property, the development transformed the heritage-listed Campbell House into the entrance to a new 19-storey student accommodation tower. Completed in 2025 the project provides 719 premium studio apartments, retail and commercial space and extensive communal facilities across more than 20,000 square metres. Designed to achieve a 5-Star Green Star rating it also preserves one of Auckland’s significant Art Deco buildings as it delivers high-density accommodation for students. As site supervisor, Alex played an important role in coordinating services integration, heritage works and lower-floor fit-out while overseeing day-to-day site operations on a constrained inner-city site. “Working on a project of this scale gave me the opportunity to combine practical construction knowledge with what I learnt through my Bachelor of Construction Management. Helping to deliver a complex building that balanced heritage conservation with modern construction was very rewarding,” says Alex. The project required the careful integration of Campbell House’s heritage façade into a reinforced concrete tower using bored piles, a central core and post-tensioned floor slabs. Prefabricated bathroom pods and a modular façade system were also adopted to improve efficiency, shorten the construction programme and reduce on-site labour. Managing the build was far from straightforward. The team faced the challenges of working within a confined city-centre footprint and integrating new construction with a fragile heritage structure. Alex’s award finalist recognition reflects not only his technical capability but also his ability to coordinate consultants, subcontractors and design teams. Throughout the project he maintained close communication with architects, engineers and heritage specialists, helping ensure design intent could be delivered practically on site while keeping the programme moving. “Detailed planning, strong collaboration and digital health and safety systems allowed us to overcome some very complex logistical chalDEVELOPMENT lenges and ensure we maintained high levels of quality throughout the build,” says Alex. Alex also became known for his collaborative leadership style, mentoring graduates and junior staff as well as building strong relationships with subcontractors and consultants. “Construction is always a team effort. Building trust, communicating clearly and making yourself available on site helps everyone work towards the same outcome,” says Alex. Sustainability remained a central objective throughout construction. The project incorporates energy-efficient systems and durable materials, and the adaptive reuse of Campbell House preserved significant embodied carbon as well as ensuring an important piece of Auckland’s architectural history was retained. Prefabrication also reduced waste and improved environmental performance. For Alex being recognised as an award finalist highlights both the complexity of the Lorne Street development and the collaborative effort that made it possible. “It is rewarding to be recognised but this reflects the work of the entire project team and partners whose contribution helped deliver an outstanding result.”
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