Business South November 2021

| 31 Stiles and Hooker REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Culinary designs a functional delight T Kelly Deeks The now under construction biomass boiler building for Danone Nutricia in Balclutha. A New Zealand leader in the design of structures for the food industry, engi- neering firm Stiles and Hooker takes a whole of life approach to the design of world- class processing facilities. This successful formula has created a prov- en track record for Stiles and Hooker which now spans 40 years, As the firm looks forward to its 40th birth- day celebrations in December this year, it is the strength of the relationships forged and maintained over the years that are key to Stiles and Hooker’s longevity and its continued success. Stiles and Hooker engineering director Scott Lawrence says the firm doesn’t work for its clients, it works with them. “Their projects are our projects, and their successes are our successes,” he says. “We are so ingrained and entwined with the outcomes of our clients and doing what needs to be done on short notice. “We’re not looking for the cheapest solution, we are working with people who are going to keep their buildings and use them and operate them safely, producing food in hy- gienic and compliant buildings that are safe to operate from. “We are looking for the best outcome not the cheapest outcome, the best solution for what our clients need to achieve and the best whole life of the building.” Stiles and Hooker is involved in invariably complex projects which involve extensive technical services and plant equipment, where exacting standards and a rigid time line are critical. When refining the detail in the design process, Stiles and Hooker’s expert team has multiple factors to consider. With the now under construction biomass boiler building for Danone Nutricia in Bal- clutha, a certain amount of information was available from the boiler’s supplier in terms of how they have been housed overseas, and this had to be made to work for New Zealand snow loads, wind zones, and earthquakes. The local manufacturing capability, the availability of construction materials, plant, and skills, and an acoustic requirement for the site by the Clutha District Council, all had an impact on the final design. “There are several ways of solving any problem from the foundation to the rooftop,” Scott says. “In the past things might have been driven by cost, but today it’s a lot more driven by what is safest. We have built the rooftop on the ground and craned it into place in one piece, rather than having guys working up at that height.” Stile and Hooker uses such strategies for safety in every design. Examples used on other projects include high windows that can be turned inside out so they can be cleaned from the inside, avoiding any hazards involved with cleaning windows at height. And since every building will eventually be taken down, Stiles and Hooker works to en- sure that can happen safely, and the materials can be recycled. “It’s the whole life cycle of the building that we consider, not just how to build it.” This approach is appreciated and rewarded with a large majority of Stiles and Hooker’s work coming from repeat clients. 70 Bremners Road | PO Box 214 Ashburton 7740 P 03 308 9039 | E building@bradfords.co.nz | www.bradfords.co.nz ¥ Èüáè ßëêòáîïåëêï ˜ ßëšĤîåêã • Replacement biomass boilers ¥ ÊØ áèáßûîëàá Þëåèáîï ˜ ÞÝûûáîõ ïûëîÝãá • Nationwide 24/7 service team Formerly Leading New Zealand’s Transition From Coal ìÝîû ëâ ûäá Ùåêàïëî Çêãåêááîåêã Éîëüì +64 6 899 5050 energy@windsor.co.nz Energy óóó óåêàïëîáêáîãõ ßë êö