Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Husband-and-Wife Team Win National Commercial Building Award
Husband-and-Wife Team Win a Nationwide Commercial Building Award
Keola Homes, a small building company in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland is celebrating winning a bronze Award in the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards at the National Gala Dinner on 11 May 2013. The winning project was the Magic Kingdom Childcare Centre: a unique and innovative pre-school facility with numerous energy-efficient features.
Keola Homes faced intense competition in the Awards from large corporations such as Fletcher Construction, Hawkins Construction and Naylor Love. “I think we were the smallest business at the Gala Dinner,” says Sanjesh Lal, Director of Keola Homes.
The Magic Kingdom Childcare Centre features a host of environmentally-friendly credentials, including solar panels and rainwater recycling. Even the building process had a strong emphasis on recycling, with re-use of trees for carvings and sculptures, and recycling of other materials on site as hard fill.
Keola Homes is best know for building architecturally-designed homes on steep and challenging sections in Auckland.
Says Sanjesh Lal: “Not only was the site challenging, in terms of geotechnical issues, but the project management was more complex than usual. The client had to start marketing the facility one month prior to construction being completed, and he needed to obtain Ministry of Education certification at the same time. So the furniture was being delivered and installed, and the exterior landscaping taking place, while the construction work was still in progress.”
“I’m happy to say that the building was completed on time – and with zero health and safety issues.”
The client, owner of the Magic Kingdom Childcare centre, Dr Darius Singh says: “The childcare centre is already a big success for us. It opened on time, despite geotechnical issues complicating the project schedule in the early stages. In fact, the centre was oversubscribed at the time of opening – we are thrilled with that outcome.”
ENDS
UN Department of Global Communications: United Nations Proposes New Global Dashboard To Measure Progress Beyond GDP
Banking Ombudsman Scheme: Fraud Check Delays Well Worth The Inconvenience, Says Banking Ombudsman
Asia Pacific AML: NZ’s Financial Crime Gap - Beyond The 'Number 8 Wire' Mentality
Westpac New Zealand: Kiwi Households Adapting Despite Widespread Cost Pressure Concerns, Westpac Survey Shows
University of Auckland: Kids’ Screen Use Linked To Long-Term Deficits In Self-Control And Attention
University of Auckland: Research To Address Equity In STEM For Māori, Pacific And Female Students
