98 | BUILDING LMC Building and Construction T T Virginia Wrigbt A challenging build at Wakatu Quay Different specialists were involved in the planning of the building, and a big part of LMC Building and Construction’s job was working alongside them all to understand what they were trying to achieve and bring it all together. “We’ve built an architectural commercial building in the middle of it, which means you couldn’t really get any more exposed to the elements, and the design had ultradurability requirements to match For LMC Building and Construction, the contract to build an architecturally designed structure at Kaikoura’s Wakatu Quay has presented a raft of challenges for the team to work through to reach its successful completion. It’s been close to 20 years since Luke Chambers set up LMC Building and Construction in his hometown of Kaikoura, and over that time the business has changed, expanding and contracting according to the workload, with both residential and commercial architectural builds part of the mix. Currently, there is a team of 10 qualified builders and a local apprentice, (who was brought on as the Wakatu Quay contract was signed), for what Luke says is their most complex build yet. “We all live in Kaikoura, and in many ways this job was a legacy project for Bill Gray, one of our key team members, who passed away in August this year. He was instrumental in securing the project,” says Luke. Funded by the Provincial Growth Fund for the Kaikoura District Council as part of Kaikoura’s long-term development, it’s a Warren and Mahoney-designed, 360sqm build on the end of the existing wharf. “It’s a unique location and a unique build on a small reclaimed piece of land, which juts out into the ocean with sea walls right around it,” says Luke. “We’ve built an architectural commercial building in the middle of it, which means you couldn’t really get any more exposed to the elements, and the design had ultra-durability requirements to match,” Luke explains. Different specialists were involved in the planning of this building, and part of LMC Building and Construction’s job was working alongside them all to understand what they were trying to achieve and bring it all together. They had three sets of drawings: drawings for the civil works needed for three building sites, including the one they have just built on, with all the underground services, upgrading the electrical mains and laying the concrete Promenade Road complete with street lamps; the structural engineering drawings for the build itself; and the architectural drawings, plus very detailed requirements from the façade engineers,” says Luke. “It was an awesome challenge. We were learning new materials and methods specified by the architects, and it was heavily engineered so it wasn’t like a ‘Here’s the plans for the house, you’re a builder go and do it’,. “It was having to work closely with the engineers throughout, making sure it all fit seamlessly together, and working through anything that didn’t so that the end product was faultless.“ The team rose to the challenge of the client’s expectations, time frames and budget, meeting the exceptionally high standards required by the extreme environment and high spec architectural demands. These included whether it was the exposed concrete floor that needed three teams rather than the usual one to manage the pour and cure to ensure it was ”flat enough to allow for a single millimetre to be sanded off the top”, explains Luke. Or working to achieve the seamless finish on the aluminium cladding, which was chosen for its reflectivity as well as its durability. “So, if the sun has dipped down behind the hill with those pinks and purples you get in the sky, the building will reflect that, and even covered in salt after a storm you can see the ocean reflected in it.” Luke is mindful that the development work now coming to fruition has been years in the making. He has enjoyed putting his skills to work as the newly developed Wakatu Quay Precinct takes shape, knowing that he and his team have played their part in constructing a building designed to weather the storms, while reflecting Kaikoura’s natural beauty. At the Joiner Shop we create high-quality joinery and provide a range of products and services for your new build, renovation or commercial needs. Let us help you with your next project in Kaikoura, Canterbury or Marlborough. KAIKOURA 218 Beach Road, Kaikoura Phone: 03 319 5447 Email: sales@kbcitm.co.nz www.itm.co.nz • Project Information • Trade Contacts • Frame and Truss Plant • Delivery • Estimating • All Building Supplies
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