TSB Hub wins architecture award

The TSB Hub received outstanding recognition at the prestigious Western Architecture Awards held in Palmerston North on Friday (4 November) when Jackson Architects won the Public Architecture category for its design of the new sport, events and recreation centre in Hawera.

In presenting the award the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) said that Jackson Architects had responded well to a complex brief and had successfully integrated the facilities with the adjacent Hawera High School.

Architect, Bill Jackson, says he was delighted to receive the award as recognition of design excellence under the scrutiny of his peers.

"The NZIA awards are the premier awards program for design in New Zealand and this is a career milestone for me. We were grateful to be trusted with the design of this project," he says.

Mr Jackson says TSB Hub was a long project which required focussed attention over several years to ensure consistency in project delivery, both in terms of design and the client's goals.

"It was a challenging assignment, to use the existing buildings, provide a multiuse centre while minimising disruption as far as possible. But the result appears as a totally new complex and is 'future proofed' for a wide variety of functions. Importantly it was achieved within budget and at a very competitive cost for its scope," he says.

"We congratulate the council's vision and commitment to the project and applaud the entire project team; a large project like this is a team effort," says Mr Jackson. " It's particularly rewarding to see the centre being used so well and exceeding expectations, I hope it will encourage greater participation in active recreation and a greater sense of community in the district."

The $21 million TSB Hub is Taranaki's newest multipurpose events centre and brings modern indoor and outdoor facilities together on one site at Hicks Park in Hawera.

The complex incorporates a three court indoor stadium, indoor rifle range, function rooms, lounge bars and in-house catering, cafe, health and fitness gymnasium, outdoor hard courts, outdoor sportsfields which cater for a range of codes including rugby, league, cricket and athletics and a 560 seat grandstand.

The TSB Hub was opened in March 2010 by the Prime Minister John Key and in its first year of operation saw nearly 150,000 people through its doors. The state-of-the-art facility has hosted local, national and even international events the most recent being the National Hot Rod Show held in October.

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