SITE 6

Project Overview

The Site 6 project is a three-building development in the Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct in Auckland, New Zealand. The buildings share a two-level basement and feature a mix of food, beverage, and retail spaces at the ground level, with several floors of office space above. The development is targeting a Green Star 5-star rating and incorporates sustainability features, such as rainwater harvesting.

Sansom played an integral role in the Site 6 project from the early conceptual stages. Sansom’s previous successful collaboration with Hawkins on the 10 Madden Street project, which also targeted a Green Star 5-star rating, paved the way for its involvement in Site 6.

The Site 6 project boasts 6000 square meters of coreflex, nearly triple the size of the 10 Madden Street project. Sansom was trusted with this project due to its expertise in waterproofing and membrane application, as well as its ability to handle large and complex projects.

Sansom’s Involvement

Our team started off by waterproofing the groundworks for the project, which involved laying down a coreflex basement. This foundational layer was flexible by design, accommodating the particular requirements set forth by the building specifications, which are essentially guidelines for constructing watertight barriers for the basement.

In executing this part of the project, Sansom had to carefully manage and mitigate issues arising from the contaminated ground. Waterproofing around these substances is challenging and requires a good deal of expertise to ensure safety and compliance with environmental standards.

The complexity of the project was further compounded by the installation of a multi-layered system to ensure the integrity and longevity of the construction. As part of this system, Sansom installed VOLTEX saltwater membranes as protection. These are specialised materials used in construction to protect structures from the damaging effects of nearby saltwater.

Moving from the foundational work to waterproofing solutions, Sansom applied a liquid rubber hydro-tech membrane across a substantial area of 1200 square meters. This high-tech membrane acts as a sealant, offering robust waterproof protection once it has cooled.

As the project will advance, our waterproofing efforts will expand to include the roofs of the buildings. Our team will lay down Casali Torch On roofing over approximately 3000 square meters across three towers. This material will be known for its durability and effectiveness at waterproofing, applied using a torch to bond it securely to the roof surfaces.

Challenges

We began work in winter 2022, during which New Zealand was grappling with the ramifications of COVID-19, including significant freight delays.

The extended lead times ranged from four to nine months and led to logistical complications, requiring strategic planning and resource management. Further complications arose when persistent rain resulted in floods, with January seeing a staggering two meters of water inundating the site. This led to extensive rework and issues with sourcing replacement products.

To mitigate these challenges, Sansom prefabricated membrane panels to ease the work process and increase site efficiency. We also had to ensure the accurate sequencing of work alongside Hawkins to enable the smooth progression of the project.

Sansom also made sure to implement strong health and safety measures to ensure that work with hazardous materials was carried out safely and did not further delay the project.

Outcome

Overall, the Site 6 project serves as a testament to Sansom’s adaptability and adherence to the highest of standards.

Despite being in the early stages of completion, the Sansom team is immensely proud of their work, notably the basement, which is considered one of Auckland’s most complex and contaminated.