Nauhria Precast has won the 2013 Supreme Concrete3 Sustainability Award for its part in the redevelopment of Takapuna’s Hurstmere Green into a contemporary and vibrant public space. The park was designed by Sills van Bohemen Architects. (Read Landscape Architecture New Zealand‘s coverage of this project here.)

The award, presented at the annual New Zealand Concrete Conference in Queenstown on Friday 4 October, celebrated the rejuvenation of what had become an overgrown and under-utilised park into an accessible community facility that has helped breathe new life into the surrounding Takapuna shopping area, says Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ) chief executive Rob Gaimster.

The judging panel applauded the bespoke precast elements and range of concrete surface finishes, stating; “This project demonstrates a high degree of expertise across all areas. Modern, yet sensitive urban landscape design has been brought to life by astute material selection and outstanding skill during construction. The elegant hard concrete landscaping, and the gentle undulations and organic shapes of the green areas combine with stunning effect to reinvigorate a community facility that proudly embodies the principles of sustainable concrete construction.”

The manufacturing process for the precast panels paid particular attention to environmentally responsible practices, with all process water recycled along with the slurry from the surface finish refinement process. Precast, pre-finished elements also allowed for rapid and efficient assembly on-site, while the enhanced durability offered through concrete will ensure longevity and low maintenance.

The Awards are part of the Concrete3 initiative launched in 2007 by CCANZ, and acknowledge projects, products and initiatives which demonstrate excellence in environmental, economic and/or social sustainability for the built environment.

Other category winners included:
Excellence in Concrete Innovation went to Allied Concrete for its “Weather App”, a smart-phone based forecasting programme designed to give concrete placers an indication of weather patterns over a 7-day timeframe and in turn, the potential influence they may have on the placing process. By using the weather app, customers can assess the likelihood of cracking due to potentially adverse weather conditions. Helping to avert a situation where concrete has to be removed and replaced means the weather app saves money and protects the environment.

Excellence in Residential Concrete Construction was awarded to Sheppard and Rout Architects for a Fendalton house based around two large cast in-situ concrete spine walls that give clear expression to the client’s brief for a sense of substance and permanence. The concrete provides a key thermal mass to the house, with the intention to control fluctuations in base temperature, assisting the efficiency of heating systems such as the heated water that runs through pipes cast in the concrete floor slab. The thick walls conceal the services, as well as helping acoustic insulation to create a quiet, healthy and durable family home.

Excellence in Commercial Concrete Construction was won by Cheshire Architects for Q Theatre, a new performing arts facility in Auckland that utilises concrete to help achieve its sustainability goals through the re-use of a concrete framed building on Queen Street. The effect is to unlock the evocative power of the existing heritage structure, carefully manipulate its configuration and ensure its long-term sustainable use. The designers created a new precast concrete clad auditorium building that extracts the maximum value from this material by utilising its structural capacity for shear walls, its mass for acoustic separation and its free form potential and texture to enliven the façade. Working on a tight site, with an even tighter budget, the project team used concrete to deliver a commercial building of character and beauty that enriches its social setting, preserves resource through re-use and demonstrates its overall success through a regularly packed auditorium.

For more information about the Awards, go to sustainableconcrete.org.nz.