Te Pā Tauira wins national design award

Te Pā Tauira – Otago Polytechnic Student Village has won a NZ Wood-Resene Timber Design Award.

Te Pā Tauira, the first five-storey, all-timber building to be completed in the country, was the popular winner of the XLam NZ Multi-Storey Timber Building category in the 2018 NZ Wood-Resene Timber Design Awards, announced at a gala event in Auckland on Thursday 20 September.

Judges praised the highly efficient modular layout of the Dunedin student accommodation complex, saying it enabled efficient offsite prefabrication, which significantly reduced construction time, minimised waste and reduced cost.

“This building [is] a great example of multi-storey cross-laminated timber construction,” they said.

“Challenges in relation to meeting building codes and safety regulations for exposed timber structures have been overcome, and the building delivers a pleasant and comfortable living, learning and social environment for a new generations of students.” 

The project (entered by Mason & Wales, Naylor Love Dunedin, Logic Group, and Kirk Roberts, Tricia Love Consultants) was also a finalist in the Engineering Innovation category.

Phil Ker, Chief Executive, Otago Polytechnic, praised the high standard of workmanship, outstanding design and sustainable principles of Te Pā Tauira.

“We are very proud of Te Pā Tauira. It rivals the best student accommodation in Australasia, as well as other enduring, high-quality accommodation.”

Earlier this year, Te Pā Tauira won the Excellence prize in the Resene Green Building Property Award section, as well as a Merit Award in the Arrow International Multi-Unit Residential Property section of the 2018 Property Council New Zealand Excellence Awards.

Constructed with the environment firmly in mind, Te Pā Tauira uses sustainable materials throughout, including laminated timber within its unique structural frame. 

At 6000sq m, the $22 million Te Pā Tauira is the largest timber-framed structured building by height and volume in New Zealand.

It is also the first student accommodation complex of its size to use pre-fabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, which are up to 80% lighter than concrete – and 100% sustainable.

The 231-bed furnished residential village opened its doors to students in February, and was officially opened by the Hon Dr David Clark on 1 June. 

Just a short walk from campus and Dunedin’s city centre, Te Pā Tauira offers fully-catered single rooms (dorms), self-catered studios (standard or deluxe) and four-bedroom apartments. 

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