The old timbers of Lion’s brewery in Newmarket gained a new lease of life when the building was converted to a state-of-the-art exercise science facility. The University of Auckland engaged LT McGuinness to repurpose the existing barrel vault building to accommodate its exercise science school.
The main challenge in the $13 million project was delivering on a committed eight-month programme, in time for the start of the 2018 academic year. The project began with extensive structural demolition and removal of both asbestos and mould. The existing timber trusses were strengthened while at the same time, structural ground beams were laid to allow for a new 900m2 timber mezzanine structure.
The service-dense fitout demanded close co-ordination between all the trades. A collaborative project team that included engineer and project manager Beca worked well together, and the fitout of the laboratories, teaching spaces, common spaces and a 360m2 gym was completed to a high standard.
Extensive quality assurance measures were implemented to assist the progressive six-week handover period. With all the documentation finalised prior to the practical completion date, in the competitive Auckland market it was a highly satisfying result to hand the building over on time.
