The justice system throws up particular engineering problems and pitfalls that demand strong technical experience, as well as genuine working experience in the industry. Working in New Zealand’s main centres and out across the regions, we’ve delivered a large number of structural designs that play very important roles in the country’s justice infrastructure.

When we’re designing prisons, grid configurations need to maximise space, as well as contributing to the ease of the management and security of the facility. Courthouses and other legal structures often also have specific requirements, like separate entries and exits for the public, juries, judges, and plaintiffs, for example. Both types of projects typically run to tight deadlines, in the context of restricted budgets. The onus is on us to find ways to streamline construction with highly ‘buildable’, at the same time as optimising the use of materials to reduce costs.

We’ve been key players in arguably New Zealand’s largest ever justice project: the landmark Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch. The precinct will house approximately 1100 workers, and accommodate a similar number of workers most days. We’ve designed an innovative base isolation system to underpin all of the site’s three buildings, as well as applying low damage design principles right across the project. We’re proud to be part of a great team delivering such an important development.