We were engaged as structural engineers on the design of this new, two-storey science building with an approximate footprint of 30 by 36m. The project involved working with the architect, Jasmax, with the school and the Ministry of Education as the end client.
 

Construction started late in 2019 with the building completed for the start of the 2021 school year.

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Benefits of having us on the team:

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• Ministry of Education requirements are more stringent than those in the design codes for an equivalent building. As a result, we designed the structural elements to protect the non-structural components in the event of an earthquake.

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• In order to design for future flexibility, we used long span floors and minimised the number of columns required. Steel frames fit inside the timber frame walls to maximise usable space. We located all bracing around the building’s perimeter so it didn’t affect the layout. This allowed it to be prefabricated and assembled on site, requiring less on-site labour and reducing health and safety risks.

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• The geotechnical conditions on this site are challenging, which is why half the building is supported on shallow foundations and the other half is supported on piles.

 

• This new building is located next to an existing teaching block. We completed the preliminary design for a link bridge between the two buildings. This is not going ahead at this stage.