The Origin Windows building on Arthur Porter Drive is a highly visible tribute to Hamilton-based Downey Construction’s lead role on the project.
Downey Construction general manager Gavin McNabb is delighted with the result, achieved in eight and a half months from initial excavations till handover.
He says that partly comes down to Origin being great clients.
“They were as passionate as we were in achieving a building that all stakeholders could be proud of,” he says.
“We understand that, to our client, their build is the most important project and we do not lose sight of that; they are making a substantial investment with commissioning of a new building and we want them to know that we are 100 percent committed to delivering the best possible outcome.”
As part of the Downey Group, Downey Construction has been providing solutions to commercial, industrial and residential construction projects for more than two decades.
It has a diverse range of completed projects in Waikato and Auckland, and a team that comes from a variety of construction backgrounds, giving it the experience to deliver quality projects. These include builds for Winger, Waikato Milking Systems and Good Neighbour, among many others.
There were nine Downey employees on the Origin Windows site at any given time, rising to more than 25 during the finishing stage, with more than 30 different subcontracting and supplier companies involved.
The building is approximately 3500 sq m, and was constructed with a mix of pre-cast concrete, metal cladding, aluminium panel and glazed units.
The team had to deal with a wet winter during the build. “A very wet Waikato winter caused some headaches while trying to complete excavations and floor preparations. It was a case of one step forward, two steps back during some stages.”
Apart from the weather, Gavin says the design made for a relatively straightforward build, with just a few quirks that required some careful planning. “Aside from that it was just about incorporating the base build around the final fit-out items that needed extra attention coupled with a bit of redesign to mould everything together.”
He says the most satisfying aspect from a building point of view was seeing the final product come together with all the different elements incorporated.
“From a project point of view it’s seeing not only our staff, but the Origin Window staff being extremely proud of the building.”
Gavin also paid tribute to the designers. “Noel and John from Noel Jessop Architecture did a great job in the design – a great contemporary and timeless building has been achieved. The building sits fantastically well in its position on the sweeping corner.”
