Community Drive And Collaboration Sees Te Raekura Redcliffs School Win Supreme At The NZ Commercial Project Awards
21 May 2021
For the second year in a row, a Christchurch school has been awarded the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Commercial Project 2021 Awards. Te Raekura Redcliffs School, constructed by Naylor Love Canterbury and their project partners, took out the coveted top award along with the Construction Marketing Services Education Category Award and the Commercial Project over $15m Value Award.
The prestigious New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, sets the benchmark for commercial construction in New Zealand and recognises the team collaboration and innovation that bring these projects to life. The 2021 awards took place at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, with project teams from around the country coming together to celebrate the best in commercial construction.
The winning project team was tasked with the challenge of constructing a new school on top of an important archaeological site. The area was home to one of the largest Māori settlements in the South Island.
“This project responds to the many challenges of the site, including residential neighbours, difficult ground conditions, proximity to the shoreline and archaeological significance”, comments this year’s judges.
Judges were impressed with the innovative design solution and superb construction finish.
The $18.5 million campus opened in June 2020, almost nine years after the Christchurch earthquakes forced the school to relocate. It features thirteen teaching spaces, several administration rooms, a library and a multipurpose hall.
“The school community had incredible tenacity, never losing sight of the end goal while camping in alternative premises for close to a decade.
“It is a fantastic new community resource, benefiting both school children and also the wider community.”
Te Raekura Redcliffs School was not the only winner on the night. Jacobson Projects Ltd received a Special Award for the Tuvalu Christian Church in Henderson. Brosnan Construction also won a Special Award for the Shore Junction youth space in Takapuna.
Jacobson Projects faced significant design coordination issues with the Tuvalu Christian Church due to a complex curved timber roof and extensive carpentry work. However, through a strong personal commitment to go the extra mile, the project was delivered successfully and within budget.
“Delivering this project despite the complex design requirements is a massive achievement. Jacobson Projects stood by their clients and delivered the long-anticipated Church to congregation members.”
Brosnan Construction involved young people throughout the North Shore to deliver an innovative youth centre catering to the community’s needs. Converted out of an old RSA building, it has recording studios, presentation rooms, creative spaces and study areas. It also has a host of sensory-stimulating features such as Espan wall cladding and visible air conditioning ducts.
“It is a safe place for young people in the North Shore to hang out. The building, organisation, and service they provide are already making a difference to help young people set and achieve their goals.”
Registered Master Builders Chief Executive David Kelly says the Commercial Project Awards celebrate the very best in commercial construction teams and the projects they deliver. This year’s entrants were of an extremely high calibre, with only Gold and Silver awards being awarded. This is a reflection of both the skill and collaboration that exists within the project teams. A common theme of this year’s winning projects is teams working together to push the boundaries, improving the quality of buildings where we live our everyday lives.
“These awards showcase just how important this sector is to New Zealand. The projects celebrated tonight are more than just buildings – they are the places where we live our lives. The teams that collaborate and innovate together to get these buildings right are making a real difference to the lives of all New Zealanders.
“The complexity of these projects increases each year. We want to acknowledge the skill and commitment of the project teams, from the building owners, architects, designers, engineers, quantity surveyors through to the contractors themselves.”
The New Zealand Commercial Project Awards are made possible thanks to the support of Altus Windows Systems, CARTERS, Construction Marketing Services, GIB and Resene.
For more information on the competition and to view the full results and projects, visit
www.commercialprojectawards.co.nz.