There are easier places to access than Waitakere Estate, sited at the end of a narrow two kilometre-long driveway deep in West Auckland’s heavily forested ranges. For the Haydn and Rollett team tasked with building a new accommodation block for the upmarket hotel, the remote location made bringing in materials and precast panels trickier than your typical project. There were also design changes that caused some issues, and a fair number of days lost to rain.

Work began with the demolition of the retreat’s existing squash court and gym facilities. In its place, the team constructed a three-storey wing of concrete, structural steel and a timber truss roof, comprised