Projects
Papa Hou
Client
- The Kind Foundation
Project Leads
Location
- Canterbury – West Coast
Formerly the YMCA Christchurch, The Kind Foundation embarked on a comprehensive overhaul to create a dynamic mixed-use, multi-storey facility that will serve the Christchurch community for years to come.
RCP served as the Project Manager, Engineer to the Contract, and Engineer’s Representative for Stage 2 of this $43 million redevelopment aimed at revitalising and enhancing this building’s impact on youth. The building includes three floors with a floor area of 5,975m2.
The project was unique in that it included a broad spectrum of amenities and tenancies, including a licensed preschool, a fully functional community theatre, spaces dedicated to health and well-being, educational facilities, event spaces, a cafe, dance studios, and office spaces. The facility provides a holistic and dynamic hub that fosters growth, creativity, and community engagement while also creating job opportunities and housing solutions.
Central to the project's success was meticulous planning that accommodated the buildings variety of functions. Special attention was given to acoustic treatments throughout the premises to ensure optimal environments for different activities and programs, including the delivery of a theatre. Workshops were held to establish clarity, critical success factors, establish clear communication, and foster a collaborative environment.
Because of the acoustic and multi-purpose tenant needs, the interface between services (e.g., acoustic, fire, seismic, etc.) also required particular focus. To successfully manage these, a programme approach was used where each space was viewed as a different tenancy with its own unique requirements, instead of treating the building as a single project.
A notable achievement was the timely and budget-conscious delivery of the project, despite its complexity. To help the project meet deadlines and overcome contractor challenges, RCP proactively managed the programme including increasing the frequency of meetings, careful planning of service interfaces, and leading a significant value engineering process for the foundation and fitout to address cost modelling that indicated the project was over budget. By establishing critical areas of form and function and working with the client, RCP facilitated a significant reduction in expected cost without impacting critical specifications.
Sustainability also emerged as a cornerstone of the redevelopment, with the Kind Foundation sourcing Eucalyptus timber from its Wainui facility to incorporate as feature fins in the main atrium. A passive heating and cooling strategy was also adopted, harnessing natural ventilation on the ground floor to minimise energy consumption and reduce emissions.
Embracing a philosophy of multi-use design, the building was conceptualised to serve diverse purposes efficiently, thereby minimising the need for additional materials and reducing construction waste. This approach not only enhanced the building's functionality but also underscored The Kind Foundation's dedication to sustainability and resource efficiency.
The collaboration between RCP and The Kind Foundation has resulted in a transformative redevelopment that not only modernised facilities but has allowed The Foundation to amplify their impact on youth and the broader community.
