Colleen Hawkes13:37, May 03 2021
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Whare Timu, new associate principal and leader of Warren and Mahoney s cultural design unit Te Matakīrea, is forging an architecture career that seemed destined from childhood.
Whare Timu (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is the first person in his family to go to university, and now, at 34, he has landed one of the most sought-after jobs in architecture – associate principal in charge of Warren and Mahoney Architects advanced cultural design unit Te Matakīrea. Timu’s parents may not be too surprised, however. To hear him talk about his childhood in Heretaunga, it’s clear they encouraged his artistic talent from a very young age. Timu was allowed to paint superheroes all over the walls of the family home – comic strip characters, landscapes and horses were other favourites.
“That leaves us 18 months to complete the facade, fit-out and services. By mid-this year, the facade and curvature will start to take shape.” About 2500 tonnes of structural steel is being used to complete the three-storey building, which includes a basement containing 32 base isolators for earthquake protection.
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The building will be supported by 32 base isolators. Another 6000 cubic metres of concrete is being used on the project, much of which is being pumped into the structural steel beams. Wellington City Council economic and commercial manager Danny McComb said the facility, between Cable St and Wakefield St, was being built off the ground to protect against flooding.
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Studio Pacific Architecture met the brief for the new Nelson Airport Terminal in New Zealand by designing a building that reflected the uniqueness of the region, connected to the landscape, and made extensive use of local materials.
Opened in 2019, the Nelson Airport Terminal is a large-span 5300-square-metre timber building overlooking the runway, with a stunning backdrop of Tasman Bay and the Western Ranges. The new terminal was built to address the inadequacies of the existing 1975 building that did not meet compliance requirements or function efficiently to handle the ever-increasing passengers travelling through Nelson.
The architects chose natural ventilation and a mass timber structure coupled with a resilient seismic structural solution as their strategy to deliver an environmentally sustainable design. To achieve natural ventilation, the building s plan, height, and roof form are designed to maximise air movement and utilise the air’s
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The convention and exhibition centre on Wellington’s waterfront is starting to take shape. “Information about lane closures will be managed through radio and social media at the start of the works and throughout the works period.” Access to neighbouring buildings would be retained for residents and businesses, the council said. “We want to thank the public for their patience and apologise in advance for any inconvenience.” Work on the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre began late last year, with the building’s exterior due to be completed by the end of 2022.
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