With its focus on technical carpentry and a progressive ethos, Kobe Construction has been the ideal building contractor for the exciting Clearwater Quays apartments development. The team has completed the ve-storey building to an impeccable standard that beautifully demonstrates the exciting potential of mass timber construction. Blair (‘Blu’) Tipler, Director of Kobe Construction, has a comprehensive international background in high end projects. Since launching Kobe Construction in 2015, he has led a determined, passionate team with a reputation for producing exceptional outcomes on premium architectural, commercial and residential projects throughout greater Christchurch and Central Otago. Kobe Construction is already well-practiced in the technical requirements that come with using and installing mass timber componentry, with multiple past projects including a new clubhouse building for the Queenstown Country Club and an exclusive lakeside pool house in Wanaka. Clearwater Quays has taken commercial mass timber construction to the next level. Red Stag Investments Ltd and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) saw this co-investment project as way to further extend and share learning on this approach with the wider industry, and it is now serving as an industry exemplar. “As far as timber construction goes, this is absolutely revolutionary and represents a phenomenal change in the way we build and operate on site,” says Blu, who observes that mass timber construction means a much cleaner, quieter work site. “Building Clearwater Quays’ core structure only produced around $1800 worth of waste, which is miniscule compared to what you’d expect from a traditional concrete and steel build. If we can minimize environmental and noise pollution e ects for adjacent properties in the area, as was the case here, it’s a huge win too.” With far fewer tradespeople having to come on site, there are also ow-on advantages for health and safety management. At Clearwater Quays, construction of the core structure only required Kobe Construction’s team of six to screw and bolt everything together, along with a crane crew. “Of course, with this type of building there is a lot of programming and planning up front, but it’s so much simpler once you get to site and start installing – and it looks absolutely fantastic.” Kobe Construction’s team built the apartment building’s structure using components such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), Glulaminated timber and timber portal frames. Along with Red Stag, key suppliers included Concision, TimberLab and XLam. The coordinated digital build approach involved 3D modelling of all building components. “It will be exciting to see how mass timber construction evolves from here, especially given the government’s ‘wood rst’ policy. It’s going to make a massive positive di erence to construction in New Zealand.” Industry interest has steadily grown in Clearwater Quays. A number of open days, held on site as construction progressed, have been well-attended and Blu says initial curiosity has blossomed into much more detailed levels of enquiry. “This project is having a big impact on people’s willingness to understand and engage with this type of construction, including architects who are looking to add mass timber to their design philosophy moving forward.” The coming months will be busy for Kobe Construction, with plans underway to expand into the North Island this year and with projects in the pipeline for Auckland and the Waikato. Kobe Construction leads the way on clean, green building ARCHI TECTURAL | RESIDENT IAL | COMMERCIAL | RENOVAT IONS | COMMERCIAL F I T OUT www. kobecons t ruct i on . co . nz kobecons t ruct i on
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