Naylor Love is making great strides in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty design and build construction market, where they take a project from conception right through to completion, working closely with the client right through the process.
They’ve recently completed two design and build projects in Hamilton, a student accommodation hub for the University of Waikato and the second stage of the Poets’ Corner retail development at Five Cross Roads. Naylor Love is also branching out into other regions, successfully delivering a design and build office development in Tauranga. The company has completed the design phase of a retail project for the same client and is also involved in a major design and build project in Taupo.
After setting up a permanent base in Hamilton in 2012 following the successful completion of Te AWA at The Base, Naylor Love Waikato / Bay of Plenty has been on a growth trajectory. They opened a Tauranga office in 2016, and recently acquired a neighbouring warehouse to expand their Hamilton premises.
Papamoa Plaza office development
The growth comes after the company saw an opportunity in the market, drawing on their well-established building/construction background to offer a complete design and build package to commercial clients. It is a strategic move for the construction company, based in Pukete, Hamilton. Rather than the traditional tendering process, a client will typically approach them with a brief for their project. Naylor Love then works collaboratively with trusted architects and consultants to come up with a design that meets the brief, including scope and cost.
Director Kris MacCauley says on design and build projects, Naylor Love engages the consultant team and oversees the entire process from building consent to code of compliance. “All the client needs to do is tell us what they want, when they want it and what their budget is. We take full control of the process from there, inviting a trusted team to the table who understand the brief and can help them turn their vision into a reality.”
Once the client’s scope is agreed, Naylor Love leads the design team to design strictly to the budget and takes the lead on buildability, safety in design and construction efficiency. The noticeable advantage with the design and build process is the close collaboration between the designers and the builder, with Naylor Love ensuring that their input on what works on the building site is integrated into the design on the drawing board. The process streamlines communication and coordination with the entire project team and reduces risk for the client, providing them with programme and cost certainty.
University of Waikato Accomodation
Buildability, the specialist knowledge of construction methods and materials, is where Naylor Love’s in-house experience plays a crucial role. Naylor Love’s Waikato staff bring a wealth of hands-on experience and knowledge of the building process to the table, and can also draw on the company’s nationwide expertise, with over 800 staff throughout the country.
Project Manager Chris Haswell says their teams have strong connections with not only architects, engineers and consultants, but also subcontractors and the supply chain throughout the regions.
“Construction is not just about buildings, it’s about strong relationships – to deliver projects within the budget or within the time, you have to have strong local relationships and knowledge.”
He adds that the trade and practical backgrounds of Naylor Love’s team strengthens the process. “We’re not architects, but we know how to build. By working together through the early design phase, we can streamline buildability, which is a really big advantage in saving not only cost but also time.”
When it came to the University of Waikato student accommodation project, Naylor Love completed construction within 11 months following a six-month design process. The accommodation on Silverdale Road features three two-storey blocks, with each of the 53 units fully self-contained and built to a high acoustic and fire rating performance.
Haswell says the University had filled the units well before project completion. “They’re perfectly suited to what they were designed for and there’s a demand for them, so the model works.”
MacCauley says that they got around the table with the University stakeholders from the start, gaining a clear understanding of their priorities. “We continuously assessed the project through the design phases, ensuing that design was going to fulfil every aspect of the University’s brief,” he says. The build phase progressed smoothly, a benefit of the design and build process which sees the technical requirements considered and resolved early. Once the first block was closed in, Naylor Love completed a unit to give the University the opportunity to get an appreciation of the layout and inner working of the apartments. This proved invaluable and provided the opportunity for some minor refinements to the final design, allowing the fit out to proceed with confidence. The first two blocks were occupied on 25 February, with the remaining block completed by 20 March and occupied after the Covid-19 restrictions were eased.
Naylor Love have also completed the design and build of a commercial development at Five Cross Roads, with tenants including Texas Chicken and Black Bull Liquor, following completion of stage one of the development.
“The major design and build project we’ve got at the moment is in a consortium with Fuji Electric and Sumitomo Corporation for a geothermal power station in Taupo,” MacCauley says. Naylor Love’s portion of the $500 million project is a $100 million component for the civil and structural elements. They are currently on site completing ground testing and an early enabling works contract. With its Project and Interiors division, Naylor Love can also complete a variety of smaller fit out and maintenance type work, and currently have multiple projects under $2 million on the go in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Their Projects and Interiors team has done a lot of work for the Ministry of Justice, completing a cell safety upgrade project in court buildings all over New Zealand last year.
They have just been awarded a project to upgrade court docks, which will be another national rollout.
Naylor Love’s Hamilton office will again coordinate procurement and logistics for the Ministry contract on behalf of other Naylor Love offices all over the country.
“We bulk order everything, bring it in here and assemble it, and then we distribute from here up and down the country to streamline the project delivery,” MacCauley says.
“We reckon we’re the only construction company in the country who can efficiently and effectively
deliver a nationwide contract like this.”
