Village wins design award
ONE of Dunedin’s newest buildings continues to be recognised nationally, this time winning a national architectural award for its efficient and sustainable design.
Te Pa TauiraOtago Polytechnic Student Village won the multistorey timber building category at the 2018 New Zealand WoodResene Timber Design Awards last week.
At 6000sq m, the $22 million building is the largest timberframed building by height and volume in New Zealand.
Judges praised the efficient modular layout of the student accommodation complex because it enabled efficient offsite prefabrication, significantly reduced its construction time, minimised waste and reduced cost. They believed the building would help shape the attitude of a new generation towards timber.
The project was also a finalist in the engineering innovation category.
Opened in February, Te Pa Tauira has a 231bed capacity, comprising a mixture of dorm rooms, studios and apartments.
Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Kerr said the building rivalled the best student accommodation in Australasia.
He also praised the high standard of workmanship, design and sustainable principles used during the construction of the project.
Earlier this year, the village won an Award of Excellence, the Resene Green Building Property Award, and an Award of Merit, the Arrow MultiUnit Residential Property Award.