New health and safety system takes shape Building Today 1/07/2013 2:02:00 PM In December this year, the new stand-alone Crown agency WorkSafe New Zealand will assume oversight of the workplace health and safety system. It is a significant step towards better health and safety outcomes for this country. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Health and Safety Group has begun laying the groundwork for the new agency. Group deputy chief executive Lesley Haines says changes need to be made throughout the system to achieve the vision of saf... [Read the rest of this article...]
Drilling students trained for Christchurch rebuild win awards Building Today 1/07/2013 2:01:00 PM Three drilling students who took part in a special programme to train drillers to help with the Christchurch rebuild have received Awards of Excellence by the New Zealand Drillers Federation. Two of the three are now working on the Christchurch rebuild, with the third working in Motueka. NZ Drillers Federation president Iain Haycock says while they had planned to only present one award, they could not choose between the three winners. “The calibre of the group was exceptional, and all ... [Read the rest of this article...]
First BASE-certified building in Christchurch gets underway Building Today 1/07/2013 2:00:00 PM Construction is underway on the first new building in Christchurch to be built according to principles that the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) hopes to become a minimum standard throughout the rebuild. Knox Plaza at 148 Victoria Street is the first to register to achieve BASE (Building A Sustainable Environment) certification. It will complement the adjoining Knox Presbyterian Church, with a single storeyed “transparent” building at the front, so that there is a good vi... [Read the rest of this article...]
Forsyth Barr Stadium tops steel awards Building Today 1/07/2013 1:57:00 PM New Zealand’s structural steel industry celebrated outstanding steel construction projects at the biennial Excellence in Steel Construction Awards hosted by Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) in Tauranga recently. The awards, which were presented at a gala dinner during the Metals Industry Conference, recognise steel structures built by SCNZ member companies. Grayson Engineering secured the premier award in the Over $3 million category for Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium. Grayso... [Read the rest of this article...]
Geyser wins big at prestigious New Zealand architecture awards Building Today 1/07/2013 1:55:00 PM Parnell’s landmark building “Geyser” has won two categories at the 2013 New Zealand Architecture Awards, the official programme of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. The annual awards, which honour the best architecture in the country, were held at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland recently. Auckland’s Geyser, New Zealand’s first 6-green star design rated building, took out the Commercial and Sustainable Design categories. The three-storey commercial spa... [Read the rest of this article...]
PM opens affordable homes plant Building Today 1/07/2013 1:54:00 PM Prime Minister John Key has opened eHome Global’s new plant for manufacturing conventional (timber framed) affordable homes and apartments last month. The Kumeu, Auckland, facility is the first in New Zealand to use European concepts and equipment to produce conventional New Zealand apartments and homes in a factory. As a result of the manufacturing standards and the quality materials used, the homes produced are more durable, and have reduced whole of life costs than traditional houses.... [Read the rest of this article...]
Paperwork — don’t hide it in a file! Terry Sage 1/07/2013 1:51:00 PM Written By: Terry Sage, Trades Coaching New Zealand In his first article, new Building Today columnist Terry Sage introduces his company and outlines his upcoming columns in which he’ll give you some practical tips to help run your business. [Read the rest of this article...]
Back In Time Building Today 1/07/2013 1:50:00 PM Welcome to Back in Time, where we delve into our magazine archives and discover what was making news way back when . . . [Read the rest of this article...]
Material evidence Don Bunting 1/07/2013 1:48:00 PM Written By: Don Bunting Architect Don Bunting notes that of real concern is that today’s technology is in danger of becoming more intelligent than those who use it. [Read the rest of this article...]
Weathertight Remediation: An introduction for builders Building Today 1/07/2013 1:45:00 PM Written By: Harry Dillon, builder Article 7: Leaky Buildings: How it comes together on-site This is the seventh article in a series based on a number of workshops on weathertight remediation for builders which the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – Building and Housing group has been running at centres all over New Zealand. [Read the rest of this article...]