Spring is here and the Welcome Shelter is nearing completion. It is with particular joy that I have attached a few photos of our drawbridge having its first test run. Many thanks to Otahuhu Enginerring, Ryan Thompson of Thompson Builders and Peter Webster of Awapuni Joinery for their hard work in getting the door made and fitted. 

The preliminary earthworks for the landscaping have also been completed now and all of our major retaining work is done. All of the interiors are lined in plywood and the last of the flooring work will be occurring this week, if the weather improves. 

The long days on site have also given us some time to enjoy our completed lookout deck, which offers a cool spot at the level of the surrounding canopy from which to enjoy the scenery. Jasper Murphy, a specialist in greenwood furniture manufacturing (an ancient technique that uses no glue or nails and relies almost entirely on hand tools) will be making us a one-off ladder, from manuka harvested from the Longbush reserve, to access the lookout.

The pre-winter preparations saw the completion of a number of projects including: the stormwater drains, many thanks to our friends at Mico; joinery installation prep works; and, the planting of 1000 trees throughout the ecosanctuary.

Since then, the Abodo Wood vertical shiplap cladding and distinctive red joinery from Nicks Joinery have been installed as has the Autex Greenstuf wall and ceiling insulation. As well as ensuring we don’t run out of adhesives, sealants, expanding foams and glues, the good people at Sika have also furnished us with several pairs of binoculars for use at the Welcome Shelter, which we’ve already used to spot Kereru, kingfishers, a falcon and several other native birds.

Lastly, in terms of onsite works, the making of our gobi block paving has begun and is progressing nicely. This innovative part of the project uses egg cartons as the formwork for brightly coloured gobi paving blocks. This process allows the timber formwork to be very simple and easy to reassemble for multiple casts. As you can see from the pictures, it too has been coloured red – the same colour as the seed capsule that sits in the centre of the flowers of the manuka.

The project continues to garner interest from both professionals and the wider media. A few months back I had the pleasure of presenting the project to the judges of the Interior Awards, presented by Interior magazine. The project is at the core of a nomination for Emerging Designer of the Year. At the heart of my presentation was the unusual quality of what we are doing with this project. Never before has such a diverse range of partners come together to create a piece of public architecture in New Zealand.

I’ve also been asked to present the project at the upcoming NZIA conference. This conference is a major gathering of architects from around the country and occurs every two years. I’ll be speaking briefly about the project and then be part of a panel discussion that addresses what has become known as ‘alternative practice’.

So, we are on the home stretch and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the steadily growing number of wonderful supporters. At last count, our family of sponsors has grown to 82 different organisations and I can’t stress enough how much each and every contribution has benefitted the project, this is without doubt a team effort. The Welcome Shelter, along with the entire ecosanctuary, is a truly special place – as the photographs attest – and I hope you’ll find a reason to visit soon.