Bedford Apartments, Christchurch

Bedford Apartments is a 3,510m square metre, five-storey building on the corner of Madras & Lichfield Streets in central Christchurch. It has 44 one- and two-bedroom apartments, shared amenities areas and a ground floor retail unit.

We built the apartments to a standard higher than the building code, with more insulation, thermal modelling, excellent acoustic performance, effective moisture control and efficient heating, lighting and appliances. They have achieved a 6 Homestar Built Rating and meet the Lifemark 3 standard for safety and usability for people of all ages.

Works on the base build included reinforced ground beams, precast wall panels and decks with structural steel elements and timber framing infills. The exterior is aluminium cladding over a WrapShield waterproofing system, and the spacious interiors feature a high ceiling stud.

The site was congested due to terraced housing being built on an adjacent site at the same time. We revised the original construction methodology to suit the limited space, sequencing the works and material deliveries carefully to maintain workflow.

We prioritised meticulous planning during the pre-construction period, then ensured that we maintained open communication with the other contractors on site, the consultants and the client throughout the project. Programme was one of the major drivers for the client, and we were pleased to hand over the apartments right on time.