| 15 T T Russell Fredric Heritage buildings brought back to life The restoration of the 136-year-old former Terminus Hotel included the conversion of the first and second floors of the three-storey building into eight apartments, Stephen Macknight REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Structural engineer Stephen Macknight’s passion for heritage buildings has led to his involvement in some interesting projects. Being based in Dunedin means there is no shortage of brick-and-mortar candidates to benefit from his expertise in helping turn tired old relics into functional places with a charming aesthetic that would be difficult to achieve in a new building. Stephen also provides his services for new or any buildings, including those that require earthquake strengthening. “I do [up to] medium-scale work, such as warehouses. A recent job we did was the South Dunedin library, which is quite a large, new, two-storey building. It was an interesting project.” South Dunedin Library and Community Complex in King Edward Street is expected to be open by mid this year at a cost of $21.4 million, and includes meeting rooms, IT learning spaces and a recording studio. A heritage project Stephen has been involved in as structural engineer was the restoration of the Standard Building which, in addition to being fully restored, had a 160sqm apartment built on top that featured on Grand Designs. The project was undertaken for Dunedin couple Ted and Ita Daniels, who have spent more than three decades restoring some of the city’s impressive Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Located in Princes St, and originally built in 1907, the narrow, two-storey Standard Building is sandwiched between two large, heritage 0800 CUT I T 4U ( 0800 288 4848 ) Ema i l : o f fice@accu r a t ecu t t i ng . co . nz Web : www. accu r a t ecu t t i ng l t d . com First electric robotic demolition equipment in New Zealand Concrete x-raying with the latest Flex NZ concrete scanner Highest cutting and drilling abilities within Dunedin using the latest equipment and technology Extensive health and safety standards and systems Concrete grinding and floor polishing Fully NZQA qualified staff Heating, Ventilation and Airconditioning Specialists Authorised Dealer Commercial and Residential Design Build Specialists 03 488 4088 daviesheatncool.co.nz info@daviesheatncool.co.nz Proud to support Stephen Macknight Specialists in Commercial Construction 03 474 1392 | 72 Willis Street, Dunedin | dunedin@abl.co.nz www.abl.co.nz buildings and has been a challenging project on what was an “unappealing” building, with parts of its restoration ongoing. “There’s an extension out the back, which was much more recent, that was done for the bank of National Bank of New Zealand as on the façade, which is right beside it. The two buildings have been interconnected with a new stairwell and lift, plus the new apartment. “There was some structural steel that had to go into the Princes St side and a plywood diaphragm. The building had timber floors and a timber roof structure that turned out to be full of borer; it had to be replaced. There was also a small, dark, dingy basement that had to be dug out. The building had been left for a long time unused.” Also, the original ornate façade had been stripped, but this was restored, using old photos as a reference. The ground level has been completely transformed and is now tenanted as a boutique eatery. As with other heritage projects, Stephen was delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in this one. “Ted was particularly keen, as I am, of trying to expose all the original fabric where he could, so he’s left this mixture of stonework, brickwork, and the old original floor joists are all exposed. He’s a very strong advocate for heritage. “I think it’s amazing. We were really keen to both restore what’s there and add a modern contemporary element to it with the apartment as well, so I think it’s a good mix of both.” Stephen’s interest in heritage buildings is personal as well as professional. In 2017, he undertook the restoration of the 136-year-old former Terminus Hotel, a $2 million project that included the conversion of the first and second floors of the three-storey building into eight apartments, and creating ground-floor commercial spaces for tenancy. Earthquake strengthening means the building now structurally meets 100% of the National Building Standard.
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