Hokitika Airport
The Client
Destination Westland are a Westland District Council owned entity and manage the commercial operations of several Westland based organisations including the Hokitika Airport, Hokitika iSite and the Wildfoods Festival.
The Hokitika Airport is the West Coast’s regional airport. Located just outside the town of Hokitika it is the gateway to the West Coast, servicing the region from Greymouth to Franz Josef.
Client
Destination WestlandServices
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Planning
- Environmental
The Challenge
After receiving a “shovel ready” grant from the government, our client was extending the existing airport terminal building with a two-bay extension of the observation lounge and baggage claim areas. They needed a consented structural design that was within budget and delivered in a short timeframe.
The original building was built over 50 years ago and the extension represented a substantial extension to the building relative to its existing size. With any extension and renovation design, it is important our design was sympathetic to the aesthetics of the original structure.
The Solution
Our team provided a geotechnical report including site investigations for test pits for hydro excavation. Our structural engineering team them provided the architectural and civil designs and were the lead consultants on the project, collaborating with external fire and electrical engineers.
Our structural designs needed to fit in and work with the existing building. Working with a building of this age creates complexity for the design team as they never know the exact details of a building’s design until construction starts. Our designs needed to be adaptable and were updated as the construction progressed to suit the ‘as built’ nature of the building.
The site had complex drainage requirements and some elements of the existing building’s drainage differed to what was on the original design plans. Our team needed to amend their designs to work with the existing system.
The extension to the airport has provided an updated facility for the community and the District Council. The versatility of the building has broadened providing a new function space with significantly expanded café and catering business on site.
Our team provided the required design plans on time and within budget. Working with Eliot Sinclair as a single consultant facilitated our client’s ability to get the project completed quickly.
