Background Story

THE LONG ROAD TO ALPINE AQUALAND

Since the completion of the concept design and report of the Working Party in September 2004, there has been extensive consultation through the special consultative procedure to amend the council community plan to take full account of this project.

During the submission period 606 submissions were received and the Council considered these on 16 February 2005. Of these submissions 462 supported the proposal, 40 supported the proposal but indicated opposition to the proposed funding, 91 were opposed and 13 did not indicate support or opposition.

The council community plan was subsequently amended to provide for a project budget of $18.6 million excluding GST.

Queenstown Aquatic Centre Working Party

Independent chairman	Alan Macalister
Community and swim group representatives	Jane Skinner, Barry Robertson, Mark Taylor
Events centre trust representatives	Jeff Turner, Peter Faul
Council representatives	Rick Petit, Gillian McLeod, Christine Kelly

Assisted by Council’s finance manager Stewart Burns and Council’s project manager Ken Gousmett

The Project Team

The project team carried the project from concept design through developed design, working drawings, tendering, construction and commissioning.

Lead consultant and engineer to the contract - Tony Loughnan, LHT Design Ltd
Architectural design – Neil Collins, ASC Architects Ltd, Auckland.
Structural, pool design, water treatment, water circulation, mechanical engineering, fire design – LHT Design Ltd, Hastings.
Electrical design – LDP Ltd, Auckland
Landscape architects – Isthmus, Christchurch.
Quantity surveyors – Rawlinsons Ltd, Dunedin.
Project manager – Ken Gousmett, Construction Management Services, Queenstown

Main Contractor

In early 2006 Naylor Love Limited was appointed by Council as the preferred main contractor through a competitively tendered process based on the preliminary working drawings. Key Naylor Love staff then joined the design team through completion of the working drawings. Naylor Love competitively bid all of the sub contract packages to allow a lump sum contract to be entered into. This negotiated contract basis secured the main contractor early on and allowed their input into the working drawings. The outcome has been an excellent working relationship between the project team and the main contractor.

QUEENSTOWN AQUATIC CENTRE HISTORICAL PROJECT TIMELINE

September 2002	Council takes over the project from The Pool 2000 Trust
April 2003	Council directs that the aquatic centre is to go at Frankton
June 2003	Draft facility mix report published, consultation begins
September 2003	Final facility mix report published
April 2004	Events Centre master plan published – This finalised the site
May 2004	Consultants engaged
August 2004	Concept design published
September 2004	Design report and cost analysis published
October 2004	Developed design commenced
October 2004	Further consultation
December 2004	Commencement of process to amend council’s community plan
December 2004	Urban design panel considers concept design
February 2005	Completion of public consultation and amendment to Council’s community plan.
February 2005	Urban design panel recommendation published
August 2005	Developed design and detailed report published
September 2005	Developed design approved
July 2005	Consent application lodged
October 2005	Consent hearing
November 2005	Working drawings commenced
December 2005	Main contract expressions of interest advertised
24 February 2006	Main contractor appointment – Naylor Love Ltd
10 April 2006	First work commences – New netball courts
19 June 2006	Building consent application lodged
Progressively to early July	Tender issue of drawings and specification
Progressively from end of June to mid August	Subcontract prices sought by main contractor
14 August 2006	Building consent issued
23 August 2006	Main contract fixed price lump sum received
31 August 2006	Value engineering workshop and councillor briefing
29 September 2006	Revised lump sum accepted
Mid October 2006	Main contract works commenced
Early May 2008	Construction complete – Handover to the operator

The first work commenced just two years after the Events Centre published the master plan which finalised the site location for the aquatic centre enabling design to begin.

Construction was completed two years later.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design

It was recognised at the outset that energy costs for an aquatic centre are a major part of the total operating cost and that it was important to minimise these ongoing costs by good design. The building design incorporates many innovative energy conservation features:

Extra thickness insulation in the roof and walls - 50mm PIR in the roof and 50mm XPS in the thermomass concrete walls. This is approximately equal to 120mm of fiberglass blanket of insulation.
Double glazed windows with "evergreen" external panes which have low light reflectance and only transmit 33% of solar heat.
Light coloured roof and upper walls avoids excessive heat buildup in the roof and within the building reducing the solar gain and reduces demand on the ventilation system.
Heat recovery of the exhaust air provides over 90% of the total energy required for heating the air and water.
Boost heat is only needed over the winter months and this will be less than 10% of the total energy needed for heating over a 12 month period.
Motorised pool covers for all pools will reduce energy costs by 30% with a payback period of just 27 months.
Integrated energy management system.
Use of Myrtha pool liner throughout rather than tiles results in 30% less embodied energy and 25% less CO2 emissions involved in their manufacture and construction.
Recycling of all spilt pool water saves energy and reduces demand on the water supply. The pools are constantly treated and rarely need to be emptied.
Other energy conservation measures include variable air volume fans, speed control of the heat pump compressors, speed control of the heating coil pumps, energy efficient lights with long life lamps throughout the building.

Other innovative features are:

High quality water treatment will ensure sparkling clear water and low irritation.
Rapid ventilation will provide a pleasant atmosphere in the pool hall.

Few buildings in New Zealand would equal the energy efficiency and conservation measures incorporated into the design for the Queenstown Aquatic Centre. This is environmentally sustainable design.