University of Otago Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Murdoch (left) visits the UOCCR Project site with Leighs Construction Senior Project Manager, Carl Geldermans.
Vice-Chancellor Professor David Murdoch is learning a lot about elements and excavation as the earth begins to move at the University of Otago Christchurch Redevelopment Project site.
Some of the mātauraka gathered on his tour of the Oxford Terrace Project site in late January includes a glimpse into the world of waler beams and the dewatering process.
Excavation is part of early work to build a world-class facility to attract a high calibre of staff and student to the University in its biggest capital works project yet.
Project Director Donna Howell says all five of the dewatering wells are now installed and ready for operation.
Dewatering, the process of removing groundwater, is to begin when excavation reaches the water table approximately three metres below ground.
A total of 30,000 tonnes of soil is to be removed from the site overall.
The dewatering wells will take groundwater from the project site and pump it into municipal stormwater drains during the next 18 months.
An energy-efficient, more sustainable artesian heating and cooling system is to be installed in the new building.
The system will extract warmer water from deep underground aquifers and pre-heat the heat pumps that will service the seven-level building. This is more efficient than pulling outside air directly into the system.
The opposite occurs in summer when the outside air is warmer than the underground water temperature which is used to assist with cooling the building.
With this system the water is reinjected into the bores in the same condition it was taken, only at a different temperature.
This system is eco-friendly in that is using a sustainable resource, aquifers, and enables more efficient use of power, in turn producing fewer carbon emissions.
It’s also less expensive.
To date, four of the five bores comprising the artesian system have been drilled on site and tested.
Once the final bore is completed and tested, the final stage of the consenting application process will occur.
An artist’s impression of the new build planned for the University of Otago Christchurch campus. Image: Warren and Mahoney
The University of Otago Christchurch Campus Redevelopment (UOCCR) Project site on Oxford Terrace and Tuam Street is abuzz with excitement as preparatory works on the new building begin.
UOCCR Project Director, Donna Howell, says enabling works on the UOCCR Project are underway and the site is humming.
“We’re expecting excavation of the basement to be complete in June 2023 and then construction of the main works which include the building will begin,” she says.
Christchurch construction company Leighs is on site beginning the next stage of enabling works which involves relocating existing in-ground services to allow for earthworks to begin.
“They will be installing a temporary retention system to allow them to install the secant piles and when the piling is complete, they will start excavating the basement,” Ms Howell says.
“It’s exciting to see things progressing on site after all the hard work the design team has put into the building to date.”
An artist’s impression of the new build under construction on Oxford Tce, Christchurch. Image: Warren and Mahoney
Shovel-ready: (from left to right) Aunty Liz Kereru (Ngāi Tūāhuriri), University of Otago Christchurch Head of Campus, Professor Suzanne Pitama, University of Otago Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Willis, Tira-Roa Reuben (Ngāi Tūāhuriri), Maaka Tau (Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and Jamie Te Karu (Ngai Tūāhuriri) prepare the ground for the UOCCR Project. Photo: Neil Macbeth
Construction is all go at the University’s Christchurch campus redevelopment site on Oxford Terrace in the Te Papa Hauora health precinct after the site was blessed on Friday, 10 June.
Leighs Construction began Stage II early works on the Oxford Terrace – Tuam Street site in Christchurch on Monday, 13 June and campus members are thrilled to watch the project develop.
Project Director, Donna Howell says the blessing involving Dean of Christchurch campus, Professor Suzanne Pitama, project staff, members of the Ratana Church, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, contractors, senior professional staff and students, went well.
The highlight of the event for Donna was having the team from Leighs Construction present, lending the occasion “a sense of sort of both reflection and excitement about getting underway.”
“The conditions were perfect. It felt auspiciously positive,” she says.
McMillan Drilling continues to test bores for the ground source heat pump system to be used for the new building.
University of Otago SPAR archaeologists at work earlier this year.
As the University of Otago Christchurch campus redevelopment prepares to rise from the ground, academics in Dunedin are cleaning the dirt from 150-year-old artefacts dug up from the site.
Archaeological investigations into bricks, bottles, and boots are underway in the University’s Dunedin laboratories after intrepid teams of experts finished investigations on the Tuam St- Oxford Tce Christchurch campus redevelopment project site in April.
Southern Pacific Archaeological Research (SPAR) Archaeologist Tristan Russell is excited about the work that lies ahead.
“Exactly how these features relate to one another, as well as the possible date ranges for deposition are questions that the artefact analysis aims to address.”
He says the project area has a long history of occupation and SPAR was charged with the job of digging deeper into the ground before any project work could begin.
New Zealand law requires archaeological investigation to be carried out before any major building work can begin on sites occupied prior to 1900.
“The area around the Ōtākaro (Avon River) was an important mahinga kai (food gathering place), utilised by Ngāi Tahu over hundreds of years,” Mr Russell says.
“European occupation of the land is recorded since at least 1854 and included the site of a historically significant early Christchurch institution, the Christchurch Ladies’ School, within Avon House.
“The 1854 deed also suggests that two earlier buildings were present on the northwest portion of the project area prior to Avon House. These buildings would be among the earliest established in Christchurch. Other structures are shown on early survey plans including a stable, possible outhouses and brick buildings of unknown function.”
As well as the brick building along the Tuam St site boundary, archaeologists are returning to the Dunedin lab with items to analyse from numerous archaeological rubbish pits, a possible corrugated iron fence-line that is likely to have been an early property boundary, post-holes, basalt foundations and a large rubbish deposit that may be associated with Avon House.
“Features such as maker’s marks on ceramic vessels, forms of glass bottles and embossing, as well as stamped marks on hand-made bricks, can all be linked to specific periods of manufacture and use, which will be used to develop a narrative of the European-influenced history of the site.”
Mr Russell says some of the artefacts and features found in the ground could be linked to individuals or institutions such as the Christchurch Ladies’ School and tell the city important stories of its past.
“These connections can form narratives that can shed light on early European occupation of the site, as well as inform themes such as gender, status, foodways and lifeways.
“While no archaeological evidence relating to Māori activities prior to the European settlement of the area has been encountered thus far, any evidence would be of significant historical importance.”
The University of Otago is building a new building on Oxford Terrace as part of its $220-million-plus Christchurch Campus Redevelopment Project.
An archaeological authority was granted by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga after the archaeological investigation was completed to its satisfaction.
Earthworks for the project prior to construction, starting this week, include a 6m-deep excavation of the basement area across much of the property.
The Christchurch Campus Redevelopment is the largest project in the University’s 153-year history.
Plans to construct a new state-of-the art building to grow the Christchurch campus to position it at the forefront of international health research and teaching were announced in 2018.
The Christchurch Campus Redevelopment project involves constructing a new six-storey building on Oxford Terrace (stage one) followed by a proposed redevelopment of the campus’ existing eight-storey Riccarton Avenue building on the Christchurch Hospital campus (stage two).
The project commenced detailed design for the new Oxford Terrace building in February 2021 and works are forecast to start on site in early 2022.
This redevelopment is currently the largest project in the University’s history.
The University of Otago Council has this week approved final and full funding for a planned $178 million (total project) building on its Christchurch campus and in the heart of Te Papa Hauora – the Christchurch health precinct.
The approval for the final $153 million comes shortly after resource consent for the project was approved by the Christchurch City Council and the appointment of a preferred main contractor which means the project, after several years in planning, will get underway shortly.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Nicholson was delighted to be able to announce the milestone to staff on Wednesday, 9 June.
“This will be the biggest construction project the University has ever undertaken and will enable the growth of our world-class health science research and education programmes happening on our Christchurch campus.
“I’m excited for our staff and students, who will benefit from both this new building and its location in the Te Papa Hauora/Health Precinct.”
The University of Otago’s Christchurch campus is a training base for medical students in their three clinical years. It is also a highly research-intensive campus, hosting a number of world-class research groups and postgraduate health science students.
It is home to more than 500 staff (including clinical staff jointly employed by the Canterbury DHB) and more than 1000 students. Students on the campus are completing their final three clinical years of a medical degree or postgraduate students in a wide range of health-related degrees.
The six-level building is planned to be a 5-Star Green Star development and will be built on the site of the former Tillman’s furniture store at 24 Oxford Tce. It has been in the planning stages since 2017.
Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Willis says that this is an exciting step forward in completing one of the last major developments required to fulfil the Te Papa Hauora/Health Precinct vision. He notes that the project is not only significant to the university but is significant nationally and regionally with around 545 jobs per year being created with the majority being in Christchurch.
Dean of the University of Otago, Christchurch, Professor David Murdoch, says the new building is a clear statement from the University about its commitment in Christchurch. The building will be a central part of Te Papa Hauora and enable greater collaboration with other partner organisations in the Precinct, Professor Murdoch says.
The building will contain four floors of laboratories, the campus’ Outpatient Clinical Research facilities, the Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, the Department of Psychological Medicine, Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, teaching and learning facilities, and an Imaging Suite.
Space is also planned to co-locate strategic partners in the building.
The campus currently consists of a main eight-storey building adjoining the Christchurch Hospital on Riccarton Ave, and a number of smaller facilities a short distance away.
Detailed design of the new building is expected to be complete in August this year, and initial bores investigation work has been finished with further testing on site in the coming month.
Enabling work on location is expected to begin in July.
