CSL was engaged by the Dempsey Wood Limited in September 2022 to act as  Project Managers to oversee the design, consenting and construction of a new school on a greenfield site in Trig Rd, as an extended Campus for Whenuapai Primary School.

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The scope included widening of the public road, extensive civil works to form the building platforms, construction of car parking, bus bays and a pick-up and drop-off PUDO.

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The buildings were largely off-site manufactured buildings, following factory fabrication were transported to the site and delivered onto the sculpted platforms, during coordinated works with the specialist civil contractor and main building contractor. Overlapping of the civil contractor and main contractor required significant planning and programme management, the site was zoned to achieve safe and efficient work packages operating in the same areas. Stakeholder management extended to neighbouring properties to install a haul road for the modular buildings on the northern property boundary using the existing neighbouring driveway. A significant win for the project as this allowed 2 months to be saved in construction time, and civil works could continue without buildings being brought in interrupting the onsite earthworks progress.

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The site previously did not contain any public connections or infrastructure and the scope of works included specialist wastewater treatment plant and disposal requirements, and onsite stormwater management, whilst protecting the natural wetlands throughout the site. This greenfield site was highly constrained by NES (National Environmental Standards) and planning regulations new to the Auckland Region. The site occupied a wetland head that had significant freshwater ecosystems that were under threat from land use changes. Design management by Inspira ensured the health of this vital natural environment was improved and enhanced and supported commitment from the incoming school board and trustees to a restoration programme of planting, creating a natural asset for the Ministry and a community involvement in wetland education and management by local school students as part of the curriculum.

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The fast-track project is scheduled to be completed in October 2023. The Ministry of Education classified the project in the High-Risk Projects due to the very fast programme – Inspira and the project team trailblazed this greenfield school in just over a year from start to finish.

 

The partnering, engaging, and communicating with the active management team, the ministry and local mana whenua has been a success on this project. The project team facilitated a local sculptor to co-design the Pou Whenua with local iwi at the school entrance. Oversight of the carver, iwi and facilitation of a cultural narrative ensured that the artist delivered an authentic, culturally responsive experience for the site and the school.