| 17 T T Aimee Wilson Design-led projects added to core business The Viblock team created a custom mould for Dunedin’s recent city centre streetscape upgrade to achieve a shape that reflects the meaning of Ōtepoti/Dunedin. Viblock REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT On an old gold mining site in Earnscleugh, Viblock has been creating innovative concrete products for more than 20 years. The company has been well ahead of the sustainability game, using waste material (tailings) from the land and upcyling it into many unique variations of paving, brick and blockwork products for the building industry. Renewable energy comes from the nearby Clyde dam, and the company has the capability to electrify all its manufacturing and curing processes. “We are continually looking for improvements,” General Manager Jim Hunter said. Manufacturing direct out of Alexandra and with a distribution hub in Christchurch, the company employs up to 30 staff and has spent the past five years investing a lot of capital into new plant technology, to set up for future growth. Viblock is undergoing a rebrand as it moves into design-led work that accompanies its core business of supplying masonry blocks to various markets across New Zealand. The team created a custom mould for Dunedin’s recent city centre streetscape upgrade to achieve a shape that reflects the meaning of Ōtepoti. “We also worked through many iterations of local colours and aggregates to arrive at an award-winning outcome that could only have come from Dunedin.” There are examples of their featured products in at least seven past Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards — the Wanaka S.K.I house being the most recent. Now they are moving into pressed stone, and the company has invented a system that will halve the price of stone and be installed four to five times faster. Jim says the beauty of bricks is in their imperfections, and their rebrand recognises three key elements: craft, precision, and care. “We love concrete, and we love enabling ambitious clients and bold architects to push the boundaries.” The company owns and controls the entire design and manufacturing process, so it has the flexibility to make custom colours and source local aggregates. Viblock hates waste and the industry standard is to allow for approximately 10% onsite wastage from poor packaging, split faces and dimensional inconsistency. “We can’t create more affordable and more sustainable housing with that approach, so we are relentless in our manufacturing discipline. “Brick after brick, block after block, we turn out dimensionally consistent products that have enabled us to reduce wastage by 8% — equating to less cost and time and waste at site. “In addition, our products are requested by installers because their dimensional consistency saves construction time, creating further efficiencies for the end user.” As a small business, Viblock serves its customers and communities with the kind of care that only comes from personal investment. “That’s why we source our aggregate from waste fill left over from Central Otago’s gold mining days, upcycling waste material into durable building products.” “Equally, our care doesn’t end the day the products leave the yard. That’s why we offer some of the most comprehensive installation and aftercare support in the industry. “We want our products to look great, and last a lifetime, so we supply the mortar and sealer along with all the how-to guides required to get the very best from your Viblock products.” “We love concrete, and we love enabling ambitious clients and bold architects to push the boundaries.” Crafted Concrete Products viblock.co.nz Transworld R O X B U R G H C E N T R A L O T A G O Proudly supporting Viblock Ltd Alexandra 021 765 636 | 03 446 8600 | transworldroxburgh.nz
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