Organised by the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB), Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming said that the “NZIOB congratulates all this year’s winners and finalists. These awards showcase and celebrate the commitment of those working in construction to excellence, thereby contributing to the NZIOB’s goal of raising standards across the building industry. A key feature of this year’s entries was the degree to which entrants had embraced new technologies and the impact such technology has had on construction programmes.”

For his work on the Waikato River to Redoubt water supply programme, Farzam Farzadi of Beca Architects won both the GIB® Supreme Award and the James Hardie Innovation Award. Having established the Digital Delivery Processes for the Waikato River project, which provides an additional 50 million litres of treated water per day, Farzadi was judged to have successfully shortened a projected of three years worth of work into just one year.

Speaking about Farzadi’s twin awards, NZIOB’s Fleming remarked that “for the first time, this year an entry in the Innovation category won the Supreme Award. That reflects a global surge in technology adoption across construction, driven by the considerable investment into companies developing construction technologies, as industry outsiders have formed a view that we are the last large industry to undergo digital disruption in a meaningful way.”

Judges also named winners in each of the project categories, separated by cost-band:

Resene: Projects under $3M Award

Highly Commended & Category Winner: Simon McMullen, NZ Strong Group

Project: Waitematā DHB Diagnostic Breast Service, Auckland

FC International: Projects $3M-$10 Award

Excellence & Category Winner: Mitch Aitchinson, LT McGuinness

Project: Wesley Methodist Church Seismic Strengthening & Heritage Restoration, Wellington

Steel Construction NZ: Projects $10M-$35M Award

Excellence & Category Winner: Scott Caruth & Richard Wheeler, Aspec Construction

Project: Auckland War Memorial Museum – Te Ao Marama South Atrium Precinct, Auckland

Carters: Projects $35M-$45M Award

Excellence & Category Winner: James Sutherland, CMP Construction

Project: Neo Apartments, Auckland

GIB®: Projects $45-$75M Award

Excellence & Category Winner: Matt Primm, CMP Construction

Project: 59 France Apartments, Auckland

BBD: Projects over $75M Award

Excellence & Category Winner: Gary Nisbet & Blake Hogarth, Icon Co

Project: AUT Student Accommodation at 35-39 Wakefield Street, Auckland

Michael Xu from Aurecon NZ won the BCITO Young Achievers Award for his work in progressing from electrical engineer to project leader in five years. Deemed by judges to be highly motivated and committed, Xu currently leads a team of multidisciplinary building services engineers in delivering technically challenging healthcare projects. 

The Site Safety & CHASNZ Safety Excellent Award went to Matt Hutchinson and Ricky Ciobanu from Ryman Healthcare for their Vertical Panel Storage Device (VPSD). A safe storage system for plasterboard panels invented by Hutchinson and developed by Ciobanu, the pair’s creation of the VPSD was cited by judges as demonstrating real passion.

For their work on the Mokau Marae Rebuild in Whangarei, Ben Tomason of Griffiths and Associates was awarded the Thermosash Consultants Award. After the loss of the original marae in a 2013 fire, the locally-based Griffiths and Associates approached the Ngātiwai Trust Board about supporting a potential rebuild, which was completed in spite of numerous challenges. In their citation, the judging panel remarked that Tomason had played a major role in securing funding for the rebuild, as well as overseeing the costing of the project and the construction process.

As for the Hays Interdisciplinary Collaboration Award, it went to joint winners Jordan Gregory of NZ Force Construction, Sam Walton of Downtown Joint Venture, Angus Newsam of TSA Project Management, Paulo Costa of the Isthmus Group and Ashley Smith of Structure Design for a collaborative effort on the Ferry Basin Redevelopment – Canopy Project in Auckland. Part of a $300M redevelopment of Queens Wharf, the job involved the construction of large canopies, which were made off-site and installed in five weeks, down from an initial time frame of three months.

Wrapping up his comments on this year’s NZ Building Industry Awards, Malcolm Fleming noted that “the standard and number of entries in this year’s awards was again particularly impressive, and the projects they have delivered have made a significant contribution to the quality of our built environment. Furthermore, many of those who received recognition are still in the early stages of their careers. This fact demonstrates the rapid career advancement that is possible in the construction industry.”