Richardson Road
The Project
108 Apartments, 3 Six-Storey Apartment Buildings
Richardson Road is a game changer for New Zealand’s medium-rise residential market. The project consists of 3 six-storey apartment buildings which will be constructed completely in off-site manufactured (OSM) timber volumetric modules – a first in New Zealand and a massive step forward for OSM and timber structures at this scale.
Designed with sustainability in mind, car parking on the development is minimal, with a generous allowance for cycle storage and shared facilities. The project is ideally located next to Owairaka’s Alan Wood Reserve taking advantage of views, greenspaces, and cycle paths, as well as the public transport.
“Working with Andrew and the team on this challenging project was great. From concept to construction, we pushed the limits, including a 460m2 rolling roof that could be moved quickly and efficiently. Affordable Group and SafeSmart Access collaborated in ECI to perfect the scaffolding method and the site work was carried out by the Affordable team to the highest standard of professionalism.”
Wilbert Person | Sales Manager, SafeSmart Access
Our Work
This case study showcases Affordable Scaffolding’s involvement in the innovative Richardson Road project, the first volumetric modular construction at this height in New Zealand. This type of offsite manufacturing (OSM) entailed unique requirements, notably a specially designed six-storey high scaffolding with a slidable roof to facilitate all-weather construction, engineered and constructed by Affordable Scaffolding in partnership with Smart Access.
Our scaffold played a crucial role, offering weather protection and access for precise module positioning while maintaining complete independence from the building. We provided a 22m high scaffold featuring two rolling roof sections constructed around the building’s footprint. The cranable roof sections will be lifted off one scaffold and repositioned on the next for the construction of subsequent buildings.
The major challenge was designing a 6-storey high scaffold without a fixed building structure to attach to, capable of supporting the two mobile roof sections. We had to make sure our scaffold was set out in a way that did not interfere with the building construction, while ensuring access to the face of the building.