| 37 Sustainability the new discipline Their integrated approach, thanks to all the disciplines working together, combines with technical leadership to the benefit of clients and their projects. Powell Fenwick Consultants T T Virginia Wright REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT First established in 1938 by Christopher Fenwick and Guy Powell, over its lifetime Powell Fenwick Consultants has built a strong name in the market, built on the reliable quality and delivery of every project that comes through the door. The company has steadily grown over the last 87-odd years to become one of the largest multidisciplinary consulting businesses in the South Island. With its head office in Christchurch, further offices in Queenstown and Tauranga, and people working remotely from Auckland, Nelson and the West Coast, they provide expertise in a wide variety of building disciplines including structural, mechanical, electrical, fire, civil, hydraulics, acoustics, aquatics and environmentally sustainable design. Their integrated approach, thanks to all the disciplines working together, combines with technical leadership to the benefit of clients and their projects. Scott Waller started work for Powell Fenwick as a graduate engineer in 2006, having done a Master’s thesis with one of its directors, Matthew Gray, now retired. “He was a big part of my early days at Powell Fenwick, and was a huge mentor both in my area of engineering (mechanical) as well as around business,” says Scott. A senior mechanical engineer in the company, Scott became a director himself in 2019. He has always had a strong interest in sustainability, which led to him creating Powell Fenwick’s sustainability arm back in the early days when it was becoming a matter of interest internationally, with New Zealand just starting to pay attention. The Green Star rating system was brought out in New Zealand in 2007, with a building able to achieve a maximum of six stars. It was followed by other rating tools, and Scott made a point of staying across them all so he could offer clients general advice on things like water or energy efficiency, through to offering detailed modelling on a building’s performance, and how efficiently it operates. Powell Fenwick had established relationships with several top property owners and developers around the country, and it was a natural progression to work with some of them on sustainable initiatives for their buildings, such as Christchurch’s Civic building or later, the post-earthquake central library rebuild, Tūranga, which remains one of the most-visited buildings in the city. Today, sustainability with respect to buildings has become a discipline in its own right, and Scott now provides mentorship to Powell Fenwick’s sustainability team. For anyone hoping to attract multi-national tenants to their A-grade buildings, having a Green Star certification is standard. Not only for energy efficiency, but also because of the less tangible benefit to occupants’ wellbeing that comes from additional fresh air or more daylight. “There’s a lot of research around people taking fewer sick days, and being more productive at work when they’re working in a certified Green Star building, thanks to its improved environment. So, easier to tenant, higher leases and ultimately better resale in the long term,” says Scott. Design Installation & Maintenance of: • Fire Protection Systems • Emergency Lighting Systems Full Building WOF/IQP Service U22 - 115 Bamford St. / www.compliancefire.co.nz / FPANZ Member Proud to be 100% Christchurch Owned and Operated 03 382 1155 24 Hour Service compliance Proud to be associated with Powell Fenwick Consultants Ltd • Fire Alarm Systems • Fire Sprinkler Systems • Gas Suppression Systems • Hand Operated Fire Fighting Equipment • Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF)
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