Duck Island ice cream factory

Stark Property engaged Naylor Love to deliver the first stage of their Made development, strengthening part of the former Waikato Regional Council headquarters and converting it into a factory and head office for Duck Island ice cream.

The seismic upgrade included new foundations, 18 reinforced shotcrete walls, 45 metres of basement beams, and hundreds of metres of drag plates installed in all directions across two levels. We uncovered some issues with the existing structure that increased the scope significantly, but our team’s problem-solving skills, stringent quality control processes and close collaboration with the design team kept the project on track.

The 850m² fitout in the newly strengthened building added a massive commercial kitchen, 250m² of freezer space and 150m² of storage plus staff amenities, allowing Duck Island to increase ice cream production by five-fold. The industrial-style office fitout features exposed walls concrete floors, contrasted with ice cream-coloured pastel fixtures and fittings.

Delivered at the height of the Covid pandemic on a restricted site, this project certainly had its challenges. We’re proud to have ensured that the Made market, eatery and manufacturing development got off to a great start.