Auckland Regional Women’s Correctional Facility
1Located in Manukau, South Auckland, this was the first purpose built prison in the North Island. Our initial involvement in this project was to document a 150 bed facility, but the goalposts shifted pretty quickly. Requirements changed to 286 beds and 38 separate buildings – yet the original time frame for the project remained the same. Spread over 47 hectares on an old quarry, the buildings also needed to fit in with the natural environment.
2Our engineers pulled out all the stops to create a facility that answered all the functional requirements of the brief, as well as working to minimise construction times and use of materials. Local Iwi were involved in the design to ensure the development was in harmony with the landscape, including the nearby shoreline. The structures are designed and built to last, and the facility will certainly stand the test of time.
3It’s fair to say there’s nothing too glamorous about a correctional facility, but the tight time frames and challenges of the multiple buildings made this project a challenge to deliver. We were proud to be able to get a great result in a situation where requirements changed and time pressure was a constant. The project was the recipient of a Property Council of New Zealand Award of Merit.
Hamish McKenzie
