Te Ngaengae Pool has been a flagship project for the high-end commercial construction specialist, SBH Construction, and specially helpful in showcasing the young company’s ability to handle everything from concrete, steel and timber construction, including recycled as well as engineered timber, then apply its high level of finishing to significantly add value for the Lower Hutt community.
This project was close to SBH Construction managing director Shane O’Donnell’s heart. As a proud Naenae boy, who’s born and bred and still living a short walk away from Te Ngaengae Pool, Shane has spent the past two years giving regular updates to his eagerly expectant family on the progress he’s been making on this iconic heart of the community.
Hired by the project’s principal partner, Apollo Projects, based on recommendations, referrals and SBH Construction’s quickly earned reputation for a strong work ethic and a premium product, Shane and his team are incredibly proud to help deliver this outstanding, first-of-its-kind aquatic facility to Naenae and Lower Hutt.
“This was a very special contract to be awarded,” Shane says. “Thanks to Apollo Projects for innovating the pool industry with this, the most eco-friendly pool in New Zealand. Not only has it set a new benchmark for sustainable public facilities as our first aquatic facility to be awarded the prestigious Five Green Star rating, but it has also been designed and built with universal accessibility and inclusivity. It’s a very special project to be part of.”
“With the right team on site, we were able to keep it moving in the right direction.”
Targeting the Green Star rating involves on-site practices from the construction team that are becoming more commonplace for young companies like SBH Construction. At Te Ngaengae, about 80% of all material from the demolition of the old pool was recycled or reused, saving more than 13,000 tonnes of scrap metal and concrete from going to landfill.
Concrete from the old pool and bleachers was crushed on-site and used to refill the pool void, while timber was recycled and used by SBH Construction. “It’s challenging to use because it has come from an existing building and has been cut for a different design. There were discrepancies in sizes, and it wasn’t straightforward, but we do it for a sustainable future for the construction industry.”
SBH Construction enjoyed key milestone moments during the two-year project timeline. Getting all the precast panels stood up was a huge highlight, giving the project team and all looking on a sense of the dramatic size and scale of this new facility. Renewable glulam timber beams were chosen for the main pool hall structure, and Shane says installing these in conjunction with local supplier Petone Engineering was pretty smooth sailing, despite the requirement for working at heights of up to 12 metres.
The complex nature of this sustainable design has led SBH Construction to work closely with Apollo Projects to quickly solve problems and find strategic solutions that would preserve structural integrity, meet Five Green Star criteria and get Te Ngaengae Pool open for the community by summer. “With the right team on site, we were able to keep it moving in the right direction.”
With Te Ngaengae Pool, SBH Construction has made great strides towards its goal of becoming the go-to contractor for high-end commercial construction, thanks in great part to the work of Shane and his team, who look forward to continuing to help Hutt City and Hutt City Council meet their sustainable construction targets going forward. With a bright future in sight, the company is looking forward to tackling more commercial projects of this magnitude and prominence.
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