Rebuilding Christchurch | Wilson & Hill Architects “Prior to the earthquake we were looking at carrying out some further upgrade work to the hotel. This involved the addition of 20 rooms, a front of house upgrade including an upgraded bar and a library which comes off the bar to be used for private meetings, and an outdoor area, to give visitors a nice experience in terms of outdoor dining.” However, as one of the few hotels operating post-earthquake, the pressure was on the hotel and upgrade plans were pushed aside, as the Copthorne hosted visitors from around the world. Once the pressure came off, Wilson and Hill was given the green light and the project got underway. The new additions meet the new structural standards; the building was engineered in Christchurch and the computer modelling was done in Wellington. “The structure was very important to us and a lot of effort went into how it would perform in an earthquake. The good thing about a hotel is there are a lot of walls, which make for a structurally sound building,” Chris explains. “A feature of this building is the foundations. Out near the airport the ground is excellent for building because of the old river deposits which has strong gravel deep down. The building has been designed with large 2.5 metre foundations to meet that gravel and provide extra support.” Wilson and Hill is particularly pleased with the outcome of the project, which represents one of the new Christchurch buildings since the earthquake. “We’re very pleased with the project because this will be the first new hotel to be opened in Christchurch. For a hotel, their business is housing their guests, the sooner they can do that the better. This addition brings them to 155 rooms in total and that’s certainly a good position for the client to be in. “It’s going to give the hotel that additional hotel room capacity it needed,” he says.
The practice Established in Christchurch in 1995, many of the company’s clients have been affected by the earthquakes. “We’ve been in repair phase for the past two years, focussing on looking after our existing customers. Now we are moving into a phase of new buildings which is very exciting, not only for us, but for the community. “It’s an architecturally exciting time; we have had two years of demolition, now new buildings will start to rise from the rubble.” Wilson and Hill is currently involved in several major projects around Christchurch; the Forte Health Building on Kilmore Street comprising of hospital and medical consulting rooms is under construction. The new Environment Canterbury office building is in the process of a detailed design. “It’s a very exciting going forward; we’re looking forward to these projects.” The company was pleased to see CERA’s master plan for the city and saw the silver lining in the earthquake. “Retail was failing in the city and there were lots of unoccupied buildings prior to the earthquake. It gave us the opportunity to sort out a lot of those problems, which would have taken significantly longer had the earthquake not happened. “We, as a city, need to make the most of the opportunity to rebuild. As a practice we are pleased to see that blue print. It gives us a bit of focus to go forward when we are building around the city. That blue print is a stake in the ground now, an opportunity to move forward with security, and confidence that this is a great place to be. “Christchurch is coming back, not just at random, but as a co-ordinated rebuild.” The firm has a wide range of clients, in a wide range of industries. “Our specialty is
hotel work, office buildings and fitouts, as well as high end residential work.” While the residential workload of the last two years has been about rebuilding, the office work has involved rehousing clients, getting them up and running. One in particular was St John, also based at the airport. Wilson and Hill was involved with getting the organisation set up in a temporary building. “This was a project which involved a fast response. We had to create a multi-purpose office space for 90 people, which was completed in 2011.” What sets architects aside from other construction positions, Chris explains, is their core focus remains the building design. “We are designers of buildings, so the quality of that design is key to a successful architectural practice,” he says.
“From our point of view, that’s the reason clients come back, they want to see quality of design in their buildings, that it will function efficiently, and the buildability of their designs. Therefore the cost of the running of a building, the whole lifecycle cost of a building, energy use and maintenance become big factors. It’s about taking a holistic view of a project. “The key to our practice is having repeat clients who come back and they come back because we give them quality architectural solutions that meet their requirements.” Wilson and Hill Architects 2/15 Washington Way Sydenham Christchurch T (03) 379 3663 www.wilsonandhill.co.nz — Advertising Feature
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