“The culture that TSA have developed and maintained on the project has given AIAL confidence that the program and commercial outcomes are in safe hands. As we have moved into the construction phase”.
The Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI) Head Office and Distribution Centre (DC) project has delivered New Zealand’s biggest design and build industrial facility, with a 75,000m2 DC and associated commercial office building.
This world-class purpose-built facility is located at The Landing Business Park at Auckland Airport. The DC development also included significant land development works, an 8,500m2 office building and a 1,000 capacity carpark complex.
The office building achieved a 5-Star Green Star design rating and in February 2022 it also received a 6-Star built rating for base build. The building uses net zero energy as the power consumption requirements are offset by the power generated from the photovoltaic installation on the DC’s roof (which is the largest in the country at the time of install). This project exemplifies world leadership in green buildings and supports New Zealand on its path to a low carbon future.
In addition to the innovative design features associated with this project, there was also a high degree of construction complexity and limited precedent for buildings of this size within New Zealand.
The warehouse has a single apex roof, spanning 230m and an overall length of 360m, with breezeways to the east and west sides. There are approximately 26 truck docks throughout the building, while the office building features earth bunds which meet with the curved roof line, integrating with the established parkland areas along the precinct’s periphery.
This project saw TSA manage a team of 26 different design disciplines across the two building and the land development package, with three construction contractors on site simultaneously. Clear communication, management of expectations and control of document flow were fundamental to ensuring that everyone was on the same page, at all times.
To drive innovation, the Main Contractor coordinated an impressive 16-crane lift to install approximately 7,000m² of roof steelwork in one go – the largest number of cranes used in a single-lift in New Zealand. The complete preassembly of the trusses on the ground prior to lift proved to be safer, but also allowed for the efficient installation of primary services. This approach to construction made the operation faster and more cost-effective than traditional methods.
The project commenced in October 2018, with a completion date of 17 March 2021. Even with the challenges of a COVID-19 Level 4 mid construction, it was completed four months ahead of schedule – gaining practical completion on 15 December 2020.
To date the project has received the following accolades:
2022
- Registered Master Builders Association Commercial Project Awards – National Category Winner for the CARTERS Commercial Award, and overall winner of the Sustainability Award.
2021
- Property Council New Zealand RLB Property Industry Awards – winner of the Green Building Property Award and recognised with an Excellence for the Commercial Office Property and Industrial Property category.
- New Zealand Building Industry Awards – Shane Phillips as TSA’s Lead Project Manager received a ‘Highly Commended’ for his role on the project under the THERMOSASH Consultants Award.
- RICS Awards – Sustainability Project of the Year.
