Construction update
If you stop and look at the Waihinga Centre site today you can get a real sense of what the finished project will look like, with much of the exterior work on the buildings completed.
The key areas now are the interior and the landscaping of the surroundings including the playground and park. The services contractors are all now on site and the colours and materials for the interior décor are being finalised.
The original floor boards are being re-laid in the supper room and the foyer. Sadly, budgets were as tight in 1912 as they are today. Turns out that not all the boards were matai as thought but had been substituted with some cheaper hardwood from our neighbours across the Tasman. Some clever blending will be required using totora salvaged from elsewhere in the building
The foyer will feature a wallpaper specially designed for the project by Martinborough’s own Ben Masters at Paperhands. Ben and Helen have very generously gifted this to the project.
South Wairarapa’s bid to become a Dark Sky Reserve has been recognised in the lighting choices made for the Centre, with all lights being power-saving LEDs. The installation of these will be especially important outside the building, to minimise skyglow and help keep our beautiful starry skies as dark as possible. (The Council will be using Dark Sky compliant LEDs for all future street lighting, for the same reason).
The window joinery is on site and is being glazed with special low emission glass. This reflects radiant heat, either from inside or outside, reducing the amount of energy (and money) needed to heat or cool the interior.
Drainage work is underway and once it’s completed the Stage 1 landscaping can begin. This landscaping includes the front terraces, entry to the building and the carpark area. Stage 2, the development of the new playground and park is dependent on fundraising. This is going really well with $390,000 raised to date.
We are very grateful to many of the subcontractors who have incurred cost increases of around 8% this year that they have absorbed themselves, rather than passing them on to the project.
Why not take a stroll over that side of The Square and check out progress there for yourself.
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