Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai’s Homeground is a new, fully-integrated housing and social services facility for Auckland’s homeless and most vulnerable. Te Tāpui Atawhai’s previous facility was considered outdated and no longer suitable to meet growing demand. As a result, the board commissioned the build of a new facility on the existing site at 140 Hobson Street, Auckland City.
The building, based on the globally recognised Common Ground Model, spans over nine storeys and features 80 housing units and wrap-around services, including a medical centre, detoxification centre, education and training facilities, emergency support and meal services, budgeting advice and other support networks.
AECOM was engaged by TSA Management to provide the structural, civil design and construction monitoring for the project. In the early stages of design, AECOM leveraged its global capabilities in Melbourne, Australia to deliver the Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structure solution, based on concepts produced by the project’s architect, Steven Lawson Architects.
CLT is a relatively new construction material in New Zealand for a building of this scale and comprises of timber board glued together in 90-degree alternating directions to form jumbo-sized plywood panels. Compared to conventional concrete and steel construction types, CLT enables construction time efficiencies, is lighter in building weight, and has a minimal carbon footprint.
In addition to improving social outcomes, Homeground stands out for its sustainable design and is currently the tallest CLT building in New Zealand.
