He Toki Kai Te Rika Trades Training Centre

He Toki Kai Te Rika is a specialist trades and construction training facility located on the Dunedin campus of Otago Polytechnic. Level 1 features exposed concrete floors and precast walls and houses the heavy engineering workshops, including welding and grinding bays plus a fabrication area equipped with an 8-tonne gantry crane. Levels 2 and 3, with teaching spaces, computer suites and staff areas, incorporate LVL beams and CLT floor panels.

The building’s hybrid structure, combining concrete and engineered timber, required careful coordination, with the LVL and CLT needing millimetre-perfect detailing and specialised connection methods. The team used detailed 3D modelling and early engagement with fabricators to ensure all components were correctly integrated and arrived on site ready for installation.

Construction began during the height of COVID-related disruptions, which meant navigating material shortages, increased lead times and rising costs. We managed this through early procurement, flexible sequencing and strong collaboration with suppliers to secure materials and keep the programme moving.

Working adjacent to teaching facilities also required careful planning. We carefully monitored noise, working closely with Otago Polytechnic to adjust work schedules and implementing additional noise control measures when needed.

We delivered the building in line with Living Building Challenge principles, developing a detailed waste management plan to support Otago Polytechnic’s sustainability goals. A dedicated on-site resource sorting area with trained sorters helped to divert a significant volume of waste away from landfill, while Dunedin’s first PVC pipe recycling partnership pioneered a waste reduction initiative that has since rolled out nationwide.