Octa provided full project management and contract administration for the University and the Australian development managers.
Te Puni Village is a 400 bed accommodation complex at the southern end of the Victoria University Kelburn Campus.
Designed to minimise visual impact, Te Puni Village has three towers placed on the steeply sloping hillside. There are 50 self-contained apartments and 350 single rooms within the towers linked by a concourse and a 14-metre span bridge. Each tower ranges from 5 to 11 stories and offers a mix of accommodation. The amenities floor has a 200 seat dining hall with full commercial kitchen, e-lounge and social areas with exterior decks. The fit-out comprised 13,500sqm over a total of 27 levels.
The construction of the three steel towers incorporated innovative “rocking” technology, a world first for steel framed buildings, as part of an earthquake damage avoidance system. This very cost-effective solution achieves 130% of NBS and will allow the complex to remain operational following a major earthquake.
A design/construct procurement contract with novated designers allowed construction to proceed alongside design and meant occupation of the facility could occur at the commencement of 2009, meeting all programme expectations.
The project attained an Excellence Award from the Property Council of NZ in 2010, with the innovative seismic solution also securing a number of international awards.
