Environment - Low Impact Construction

Reconstruction at Wellington Hospital

When Wellington Hospital faced its own major reconstructive surgery to transform it into a state-of-the-art-hospital, it was important to minimise the impact on surrounding residents and businesses.

The new quarter-billion dollar building is one of the largest construction projects ever seen in Wellington.

Concerns about the effects of the work on surrounding residents and businesses resulted in 9000 cubic metres of concrete rubble being crushed up onsite for use as backfill in the new building’s foundations.

Reusing Materials

One building was dismantled entirely by hand to maximise the reusability of materials, and the original decorative fascias and archways of the main entrance have been preserved.

Besides the concrete, more than 80 kilometres of native matai and rimu timber have been salvaged for use in joinery and furniture and several hundred tonnes of steel recovered. The material recycling efforts were achieved by Mainzeal and Nikau Contractors.

These efforts avoid more than 1000 trips by large trucks, limiting the impact on local traffic and reducing noise and dust – all part of Capital & Coast District Health Board’s (CCDHB) aim to reduce the project’s impact on the local environment and the health of people whether in the hospital or not.

“We took a conscious decision in the early stages of planning this project to keep disruption, noise, dust, and other environmental impacts to a minimum. We’re also delighted with our building material recycling efforts,” says CCDHB Chief Executive Margot Mains.

Next Steps

Construction of the main hospital building begins in late 2005. The refurbishment of existing hospital buildings begins in 2008.

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