Design and rebuild of inner city apartments.
This project was a design and build rebuild of seven individual inner-city apartments that were damaged beyond viable repair in the Canterbury earthquakes.
Taking into account this was a like for like rebuild, Contract Construction engaged the services of the original architect. This proved to be invaluable both in understanding the design and reworking the original plans to take into consideration the new engineering requirements for the structure, whilst still maintaining the overall look and appeal of the original apartments.
Ground remediation followed soon after the demolition phase with 700 mm of existing ground excavated and replaced with engineered backfill. The whole site foot print was then stabilised using a RAP (Rammed Aggregate Pile) system.
The structure is precast concrete panel and concrete floors with a light weight timber truss and zincalume roof. In the original build the precast units were cast on site on this occasion the precast was delivered to site by a precast supplier. This meant some re working of the original panels design to allow transportation but favoured a better finished product in a shorter amount of time.
Apartment owner participation was a large part of the new design process with many betterment items being incorporated into the building, thus allowing each apartment, though essentially the same, to be individualised by each owner.
The end result is an attractive four-story apartment complex with all the looks and feel of the original but now boosting up to date engineering and construction techniques and materials, even future proofing, that modern construction and design affords.
