Client: Calder Stewart Developments
Engineer: Engenium Ltd
Main Contractor: Calder Stewart Construction

PlaceMakers is the largest supplier of building materials and hardware in New Zealand, and a popular weekend destination for Kiwi do-it-yourselfers. It has a nationwide presence of 62 stores that, combined, employ more than 2,000 people to sell more than 74,000 product lines. It also manufactures frames and trusses at eight manufacturing plants nationwide.

In 2022 PlaceMakers’ Dunedin moved to a new and larger location, largely in response to significant changes in the market that included a rise in online shopping, an increase in trade customers and a doubling in sales in the previous 12 years. The aim was to take a ‘no compromises’ approach to the customer experience, providing both amateurs and professional tradespeople with an outstanding shopping experience.

There was just one hitch: the conditions of the ground on which the store would sit were poor with likelihood of settlement. The site’s previous use as the Carisbrook sports ground only imposed limited loadings over the sports pitch area of the site with the permanent grandstands being piled. Established in 1883, in its heyday the ground was renowned as the home of the Highlanders rugby team, and nicknamed ‘The House of Pain’ due to its reputation as a difficult venue for competing visitors.

To address the ground-condition issue, the Contech team worked with main contractor Calder Stewart to design and install a PT floor slab solution that would deliver the resilience required for often heavy loads.

The first step was to drive 128 piles into the ground, spaced at about 4m centres. This was followed by the installation of two post-tensioned, 230mm-thick suspended slabs that sat either side of the office/administration area – one of 902m2 for the store’s trade hall, and the other of 1,758m2 for a dedicated, COVID-19-friendly, drive-through ‘Click and Collect’ zone, the first of its kind in New Zealand.

The new store opened for business in July 2022, providing innovative features such as a landscaping yard for gardeners and a dedicated paint, adhesive and sealants area for the trade. It also acknowledges the former hallowed ground of Carisbrook by displaying a collection of memorabilia that includes signage, goalposts, a scoreboard, Highlander-branded products and – the prize exhibit – an original bench seat signed by 10 Otago luminaries. For the locals who mourn the loss of their favourite sporting destination, it’s gone down a treat!