Sudima's new 120-room Kaikoura hotel is set to be a modular build, meaning most of the hotel is being built off-site.
It is only the second hotel in the country built modular style, the first being the 88-room Arden Hotel in Christchurch.
The modular build strategy is a logical choice in locations like Kaikoura where transportation links are inconsistent, with both the north and south roads into the town frequently closing in bad weather and for major works.
Kaikoura also has a shortage of resources and labour, so the hotel is being designed as modular as possible, with concrete fabrication to be completed in Kaikoura.
Concrete panels are being constructed in Christchurch and taken by truck to the site for assembly. Internal timber walls will be prefabricated in Christchurch as well, including the linings to the walls. The hotel’s bathroom pods are also being built in Christchurch.
Sudima is working with Kirk Roberts Consulting on the project. The firm is responsible for the design, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental design and civil engineering.
“A modular design means a lot of the work is done off-site to build the walls and floors, and then these are craned on to the hotel site for completion,” said Michael Tohill, project manager, Kirk Roberts Consulting.
“We are also taking a modular approach to the bathrooms, which are all pre-manufactured so they can be produced concurrently, rather than sequentially, as is the norm with traditional on-site bathroom construction.”
The hotel is scheduled for completion in September 2020.
