Wānaka Maternity Unit

Rākai Kahukura – Wānaka Maternity Unit is Wānaka’s first primary maternity unit, with a birthing room with ensuite and birthing pool, four post-natal rooms with ensuites, an antenatal clinic with four rooms, a community room and helipad. Converted from a large home, the project was originally tendered as largely cosmetic touch-up but regulatory changes dictated a requirement for medical-level services, increasing the scope to a full refurbishment.

Our Services Engineer stepped in to assist Te Whatu Ora with the services designs, putting together design & build packages for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection trades. The architectural plans needed to be updated once the services designs were complete, with our design team helping to develop the architectural, structural and accessibility plans before submitting them for Building Consent.

With the plans approved and the project re-costed, we started on site. The building needed to be stripped right back inside to install the new services, with upgrades including a new water feed from the road for the sprinkler system and new waste pipework connected to the council mains rather than the existing septic tank. We carefully protected any areas that could remain to keep the budget down and help to retain the home-like feel of the facility.

We made waste diversion a priority on the project, with a large on-site recycling station handling multiple materials and plenty of donations to local organisations.

Following a 9-month gestation and plenty of effort, the long-awaited maternity unit opened to great acclaim in July 2024.