This twelve-storey plus basement residential apartment building in Central Christchurch was severely damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes and remained vacant for a decade. When our client acquired the property, they launched a design competition to find an innovative and cost-effective solution to restore the structure.

Driven by the ethos of restoration over demolition, the project team committed to reinstating this iconic residential building to modern seismic standards. The goal was to achieve a cost-effective retrofit solution that would deliver 100% NBS compliance or higher, preserve architectural intent, and provide resilience for future events.

Partnering with Russell Poole of Phoenix Consulting, we proposed a novel seismic strengthening concept that ultimately won the competition.

We were subsequently engaged to deliver the seismic upgrade and building alterations. Completed in 2024, the project not only met the client's requirements but exceeded them by incorporating low-damage structural technologies, allowing the building to be reoccupied with enhanced resilience and long-term performance.