Prison Modular Build Programme

Naylor Love was engaged to complete modular prison units at Rolleston Prison, Christchurch Men’s Prison and Christchurch Women’s Prison in Canterbury and Rimutaka Prison in Wellington after the original contractor’s contract was terminated.

With seven units at different stages of construction over four sites and the project already well behind schedule when we took over, we worked proactively with the wider project team to rapidly assess the work that had already been completed, identify where the problems were, and agree solutions so they could be applied across all the sites. This involved a large amount of prototyping and testing to ensure that the solutions proposed for the extensive remedial works would be successful. Some of the solutions, including a huge retractable roof structure used for temporary weather protection at Rimutaka, were truly ingenious.

When Covid-19 hit, our teams quickly implemented robust protocols and ensured that they were communicated with the various subcontractors involved, becoming some of the first construction sites in New Zealand to operate during the initial Level 4 lockdown.

The pandemic added to the already significant challenges involved in working in a live prison environment, including stringent security checks and cell phone restrictions. We kept morale up by hosting plenty of site-wide BBQs, lunches, raffles, awards and other events, and by holding MATES in Construction workshops to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Working closely with Corrections, the designers and consultants, we successfully delivered a high-quality result on a complex build in challenging conditions simultaneously over multiple sites.