Te Ara Ātea

Te Ara Ātea was very much a work of collaboration between Inovo, the owner/developer Selwyn District Council, the architects Warren and Mahoney and other specialists. Inovo acted as the Design Project Manager, leading, coordinating and managing the design consultants throughout the design phases of the project. As part of this design management role, Inovo collaborated with the design team to ensure all risks and opportunities were identified, analysed and reviewed as the design progressed. During this process, an opportunity was identified to incorporate passive design throughout Te Ara Ātea to reduce power consumption during operating hours and to implement the latest façade technologies, enabling future proofing of the building.

Cultural engagement was prioritised during the planning and execution, with all learnings were taken forward into the design. Key partner, Te Taumutu Rūnanga gifted the project the story of Tū Te Rakwhānoa, which tells of the competing forces which formed the Rakaia Gorge and the braided river. These themes were incorporated throughout the design of Te Ara Ātea.

Te Arataki Taero Kore, the Council’s accessibility charter, became a key consideration for design development. To achieve the charter Inovo alongside the wider project team worked with Barrier Free New Zealand and Waitaha School to ensure Te Ara Ātea, and the entire Rolleston Town Centre development met and exceeded national accessible standards.

Prior to construction procurement, Inovo worked alongside the client and the external design consultants to identify where the project could be split into suitable separable portions, to allow for increased flexibility across the site and to accommodate changing commercial partnerships. This enabled Selwyn District Council to reconsider areas of the scope in partnership with their commercial development partners once construction partners were already engaged.

Delays were mitigated through careful and meticulous programme management throughout the construction phase. While many projects at that time were subject to Extension of Time claims associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, robust assessment by Inovo, in our capacity as the engineers representative, ensured that the impacts of the pandemic were successfully mitigated.