There were four finalists in the Carters Projects $20-$35 Million category:
• James Sutherland, CMP Construction (Life Apartments, Auckland)
• Gary Davidson, Naylor Love Canterbury (Nelson Airport Terminal, Nelson)
• Nathan Halloran, Kalmar Construction (Te Tirohanga o te Tōangaroa – New Unilodge Student Accommodation, Auckland)
• Garyth Jones, NZ Strong Group (Auckland Zoo South East Asia Project Separable Portion 2A, Auckland)
Two Highly Commended awards were presented in this category.
The first Highly Commended award went to Garyth Jones of NZ Strong Group for his work on the South East Asia Project at the Auckland Zoo. The project comprised the complete redevelopment of the Zoo’s South East Asia Track. This demanding and complicated project involved a large site within the centre of the Zoo and included multiple architects, incomplete designs that needed to be resolved during construction, and Orangutans, whose return was advanced, requiring the team to work night shifts. Garyth overcame these challenges. Using his design, management skills, and knowledge of Auckland Zoo’s operations, he proved invaluable and ensured the project’s success.
The second Highly Commended award went to Nathan Halloran of Kalmar Construction for his work on the Te Tirohanga o te Tōangaroa – New Unilodge Student Accommodation project in Auckland. Kalmar Construction became involved when the previous contractor went into receivership at a time when the project was six months behind schedule. With 488 students due to arrive in February, Nathan rose to the challenge, achieving buy-in from all concerned. They met their deadline – the result of superb project management, dedication and perseverance by Nathan and his team.
James Sutherland of CMP Construction was awarded Excellence for his work on the Life Apartments project in Auckland. James was also the Category Winner. Regarded as un-buildable, given the steepness of the street, this project faced multiple challenges. Delivery size had to be restricted due to the street’s gradient which risked trucks losing their load. These challenges were compounded when, partway through the fit out, the partitioning subcontractor went into liquidation requiring the project team to undertake the role. The high cost of the foundation and groundworks required James to value engineer the project to ensure its feasibility. He overcame these challenges through his strengths in design, construction planning and risk mitigation, achieving an excellent result on a difficult site.
A few words from James…
Thank you to the NZIOB judges for presenting me with an Excellence award for our Life Apartments Project. It’s a real sense of achievement, and I am immensely proud of being acknowledged for such a complicated project, one where all the unique circumstances and techniques we devised were rewarded. On the night of the Awards I was surrounded by two tables of fellow CMP staff and clients, I was certainly thrilled and grateful for the recognition. I have challenged my CMP workmates to enter a project in each division of next year’s awards to see if we can undertake a CMP clean sweep throughout each category! It was a great night and I congratulate the NZIOB for once again organising such a well-run event. I, and the CMP team, look forward to coming again next year.
