Stevenson Concrete was the main concrete supplier in the development of a new $26 million world-class multi-sports club on the footprint of the Auckland Tennis Centre in Stanley Street, Parnell.

Construction of the new club commenced in May 2010 and was completed in August 2011. One of the big challenges for the main building contractor, Argon Construction, was to enable Tennis Auckland to continue with the annual ASB Classic and Heinekin Open tournaments while construction was taking place.

The new club is comprised of three indoor and four new rooftop courts making 12 tennis courts in total. Other facilities delivered as part of the new build include a rooftop swimming pool, a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, spa and sauna rooms, a $2 million gymnasium, as well as a members’ lounge, conference rooms, a licensed bar, cafe, juice bar, crèche, and outdoor dining area.

Stevenson Concrete began supplying to the site in mid-2010 and has delivered over 3000m³.

The in-situ requirements ranged from footings and ground beams to floor slabs, stitchings and pools.

‘We created special concrete mixes for the outside courts and two main swimming pools,’ says Stevenson Concrete Key Account Manager Scott Williams. ‘To meet the project’s demanding timeframes we designed concrete to deliver high early strengths with minimal shrinkage and water content. There were a number of specialty mixes used throughout the project to deliver Argon the best outcome for their unique specifications.’

‘It’s been15 years since we last worked with Stevenson Concrete,’ says Argon Construction Contract Manager Pat Carmine. ‘Stevenson’s proposal submission for the project was hard to beat. We’ve been very happy with their customer service. Scott Williams has been a good representative. The company has been excellent to work with. Engineers from Stevenson and Buller George Turkington designed special concrete mixes for the pools, which sped up our prop stripping times, with minimal shrinkage, saving time and money. 

The spectacular new facilities will increase Auckland’s chances of attracting the best international talent when it hosts the annual tournaments later this year.

Auckland Council commenced in September 2008 a comprehensive development of the Auckland Art Gallery at the corner of Wellesley and Kitchener Streets, Auckland. The aim of the project was to provide an exciting, vibrant and welcoming art experience while protecting one of Auckland’s treasured iconic buildings for future generations. Development of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki comprised the following principal elements:

· Seismic strengthening: so that the Gallery meets today’s standards for earthquake resistance.

· Heritage conservation, to protect and restore one of Auckland’s most treasured heritage buildings.

· Modernisation, to upgrade, and increase gallery and exhibition space, thereby providing galleries of international quality and greater public access to permanent and touring collections.

· Improved back of house facilities and plant layouts, so that the operational efficiency of the gallery was improved.

· Innovative suspended façade system utilising stressed stainless steel rods.

· Creating 50% more exhibition space.

· Improved connections, not just inside the building but also to Albert Park, Khartoum Place and the rest of the CBD.

Hawkins Construction were selected as the successful main contractor to undertake the $121 million redevelopment following a competitive tender process.

For Stevenson Concrete, being selected by Hawkins Construction to supply concrete to the $121 million redevelopment of Toi o Tāmaki, the Auckland Art Gallery, was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Stevenson previously supplied concrete to Hawkins at another iconic Auckland building the Auckland War Memorial Museum

Stevenson Concrete worked in conjunction with Hawkins Construction, pump operators and layers to ensure the delivery and placement was a smooth and seamless operation.

Some 5,000 m³ of concrete was delivered from Sept 2008 until Sept 2011, the mixes utilised covered the Stevenson range:

· Site Concrete

· Shotcrete

· Structural Concrete (20- 40 Mpa)

· Self Compacting Concrete

· Flowable Fill (2Mpa)

· Engineered specialist mixes

· Fibre reinforced concrete

· Decorative concrete

The final stages of our supply contract involved the development of specialised decorative concrete for the external mezzanine areas. The architects, Sydney based Francis Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and locally based Archimedia had very specific requirements to achieve desired performance and overall appearance of these areas. Many concrete samples and trial mix batches were made for approval. Each sample had slight modifications to the previous blends until we succeeded in meeting all requirements for the finished product, a process taking six months. The approved mix contained a blend of aggregates from several sources around New Zealand along with high performance admixtures and cellulose fibres to create a unique 40mm bonded overlay in large panel sizes. The concrete was placed and finished by AJ Russell Ltd and polished by Auckland Concrete Grinding Ltd. Some of the premixed blended materials were also provided to Terrazzo and Stoneworks for manufacture of matching precast components.

Not only were there considerable site constraints in Kitchener Street with busy CBD traffic volumes, but also the pours were constantly delayed by inclement weather particularly between June and August 2011. These delays made completion more difficult as the concrete had to be placed taking account of the almost completed building, making access awkward and requiring careful placement to avoid damage to finished areas.

A stunning new entrance foyer located on the site of the previous foundation creates an inviting welcome space for visitors. A key feature of the refurbishment is the way the new space acknowledges and establishes connections with neighbouring Albert Park.

The Auckland Art Gallery redevelopment project increased the available exhibition space by 50 per cent and took three years to complete. It was re-launched to the public in a grand opening in early September 2011. The finished area is an example of what can be achieved using specialist advice from Stevenson Concrete. The use of Styled Concrete enhances the appearance and character of the rebuilt Auckland Art Gallery taking it boldly into the next century.

Project owner: Auckland Council

Main contractor: Hawkins Construction Ltd

Main architects: FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp), Sydney Archimedia, Auckland

Concrete placement: AJ Russell Bricklayers

Concrete pumping: AJ Russell Bricklayers

Polishing: Auckland Concrete Grinding

Decorative Concrete: Stevenson Concrete

The owners of this Epsom villa had done extensive renovations and wanted a clean look to their new paths and driveways. Te Oneroa, a new mix was viewed by the clients at our Penrose Plant. Initially the owners were apprehensive of being a ‘guinea pig’ for a new product but the inclusion of basalt insets and rustic sleepers was a hit and has created much positive comment from their visitors. The finished job was sealed to preserve and enhance the beautiful mixture.

Glendowie is a seaside suburb of Auckland featuring many new builds and renos. These owners have been slowly renovating their lovely home overlooking the water and decided to replace their dated red concrete that clashed with the new house colors. They settled on Rangatira, using  decorative cuts and the  results showcase the stunning renovations to their house and landscape.

The long steep waterfront site on the edge of a public reserve presented Leuschke Architects and Stevenson Concrete with a challenge.

Random timber formwork was cast in-situ to create a contrast between the white precast panels and the earthy brown tones of the lower floor reminiscent of ramparts, or even the embattlements that remain at the edges of the Waitemata Harbour.

Stevenson trialled samples of various colours working closely with the architect to fit their brief in terms of color and final appearance.The meticulous attention to detail make for a stunning coastal home with a welcome sense of permanence.

The house was built by Good Bros and won a Resene Local Award for Archictecture 2007.

Rachel & Chris Foley owners of Luxury Living Ltd chose Jack’s Mix with Peter Fell colour 155 for their home in Glendowie. The contemporary space maximises outdoor living and the tropical planting complements the subtle tones of the concrete, creating a calm and relaxing environment. The concrete was sealed to allow many years of maintenance free enjoyment.