Whakatu Presbyterian Church

Whakatu Presbyterian Church is a $4 million contemporary new build for the Whakatu Presbyterian congregation on a new site in Richmond.

Scott Construction served as the main contractor, managing the entire project—from the initial handover of the brownfield residential site to the final completion of the building.

Key features included complex traffic management due to a large secondary school across the road, extensive underfloor heating, and major upgrades to external services such as power infrastructure and underground drainage.

The highlight of the project is the large mass timber glulam structure. To meet tight timelines, Scott Construction received the glulam in stock-length blanks and completed all machining and fitting on site. The impressive roof structure was pre-assembled on the ground and lifted into place in two large 30x40m sections using a tandem crane operation.

Led by site manager Nathan Edwards, this innovative approach saved time and money while also improving health and safety by reducing the need for work at height. The project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule in September 2023.