A Day in the Life of Boon

BY ERIN WESLEY AND ANNA HAMILTON

It’s 2.22pm in the BOON office. The team has returned from lunch, or a boxfit class. To the left of the studio, Daniel and Taine talk over technical interventions into the landscape. To the right Connor and David debate the most effective way to achieve a cladding detail for a new house. Murali moves in and out of the foyer adjourning a design team hui before going into his next client presentation. Computer clicks are coming from all other corners of the office and Gangs of Youths grace the sonos speakers. Our most recent additions to the BOON team, and Taranaki, Jane from Christchurch and Jason from South Africa, are fast becoming acquainted with design life operating in regional Aotearoa . It’s in this humble building, once a small corner shop dairy and now a bustling design studio, where projects of all scales from stadiums to sleep-outs come to life. Here, we design, formulate, test and deliver rigorous feasibility studies that achieve often long-held dreams – and, crucially, obtain the necessary building consent.

It takes a bit of work to get to code of compliance. Anyone who has embarked on a construction project will know the commitment and perseverance needed to get projects off the ground and see them through to the finish line. Recently, building and development projects across the country were impacted by logistic issues, resourcing and staff shortages, as well as a disrupted supply chain. That means celebrating achievements in the built environment is very important considering the dedication needed to make them a reality. Our team are but one part of the puzzle involved in this process. Together with our clients, consultants, and construction partners we are committed to place-making and forming connections with people and place. In our industry, celebrating ‘the good’ or the wins, so to speak, must be reinforced with reflection to figure out the why and the how of these achievements; it is this process which fulfils more good in our environment.

Green School site visit

CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER PLACE

TŪPARIKINO ACTIVE COMMUNITY HUB, NEW PLYMOUTH

Combining ambitious moves transforming traditional ways sport and recreation are governed and delivered in the region the Tūparikino Active Community Hub will be a catalyst to boost activity and wellbeing and equitable access to sport and recreation across Taranaki.

Our team is working through a highly collaborative co-design process to ensure this important place offers something special to all demographics of the community. The hub will be much more than a quality community sports facility. It will be a community space for all, supporting learning and health, celebrating mana whenua identity and upholding sensitive environmental principles. The first stage of this project begins construction in 2023.

MURIHIKU MARAE INVERCARGILL

Murihiku is a new 800m2 multipurpose marae complex at Waihopai, Invercargill. It is unique in the way it will bring together a multitude of services under one roof. Now 70 per cent of the way through construction and run to a condensed design programme, we’ve reflected on the achievement of this.

We’ve highlighted that bringing a robust team to work together and forming trust in the process early, meant we were able to get key information on to the page quickly and expedite important decision making.

OWAE MARAE WHAREKAI WAITARA

Owae Marae at Manukorihi pā is vital to the health and well-being of the community as a place for connecting and learning. It hosts a vast amount of manuhiri for events of local and national significance. Manukorihi Pā Reserve Trust embarked on a master planning design exercise and construction of the first stage – a new wharekai is set for completion in 2023.

With some clever thinking, materials from the existing wharekai have been integrated into the new building, bringing the history and mana of all connected to the historical wharekai to this special new space.