90 | Amalgamated Builders T T Karen Phelps New Lexus car showroom dazzles One of the main construction challenges was the custom fabricated metal façade. BUILDING The new Lexus car showroom for Miles Group in Christchurch is nearing completion. Located on the corner of Montreal and Tuam Streets the three-storey building is being constructed by Amalgamated Builders Limited (ABL). It comprises two floors for the car showroom and a top floor office space available for tenancy and is constructed from a steel frame portal system and concrete raft slab, with the roof hidden from view and with internal gutters, complete with architectural cladding and insulated panels. Solar panels on the roof drive sustainability. ABL project manager Daniel Parkinson says that the one of the main construction challenge was the custom fabricated metal facade made from 4mm thick perforated folded aluminium panels. “This is probably the key architectural feature of the building exterior. It took a collaborative approach between ABL, “Warren & Mahoney, Batchelar McDougall Consulting and installers VIP Metalwork and fabricators Fielden Metalworks to fine tune, resolve and fabricate, and we can’t wait to see this when installed and the scaffold dropped.” On the interior, key custom features include curved stand-alone timber clad toilet and kitchenette blocks that sit within the open spaces. A lot of the services on the underside of the concrete floors are left exposed. The location of the project presented challenges, on two very busy roads in the middle of the city. “It’s a very exposed tight site in terms of cars and foot traffic with a three-lane road system on each side of the building. There was no setback from the edge of the building to the footpath so whenever work was taking place out the front we had to divert pedestrians to the other side of the road so we could work from the footpath.” The project, which will span around 14 months, is due for completion in February and Daniel says it’s been a relatively seamless build due to a group effort. “The Miles Group has been fantastic to work with. They have a fair few car dealerships and know what they want and that clarity has helped. We’ve worked hard to create a positive attitude on site and a good dynamic between the different parties to move the job forward. It’s been a challenging but rewarding build but all of our team enjoy working on jobs like this. It shows our ability to successfully complete a complex high profile project in the middle of the city. We’ve certainly had a lot of positive comments and people saying they are watching the build with interest. We’re very proud and looking forward to seeing what it looks like when finished.” ABL had its beginnings in 1961 and now boasts a team of over 150 staff, with 20-25 of these based in Christchurch. In addition to Christchurch it has offices in Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown. Daniel says the company’s reputation is synonymous with quality, craftsmanship, a commitment to get the job done on time and a strong work ethic. A key factor in achieving this is the fact that ABL employs it own inhouse carpenters. “This gives greater control over timing and quality of projects. It’s also about giving something back to the industry and results in an improved ethos and team spirit on site Proud to work with Amalgamated Builders 35 SL Scaffolds Ltd Auckland • Canterbury • Central Otago www.southernlakesscaffolds.co.nz Southern Lakes Scaffolds Ltd + I I 9CVGTRTQQHKPI KU QWT DTCPF ů . ° % ' 7 9 7 R ; ; ; ; ; > ? '- + .+2 79 9 R ; ; ; ; ; > = ( ů 79 > R @ > 8 ?777 ů ů 79> R9@@ @@@ 8 0 ů 7 9 9 R ; ; ; ; ; > < 2 (! % '- 2 79 > R :7; ;7; ;
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