Hayashi Student Village

Naylor Love Canterbury was engaged to design and build a modern student accommodation facility at University of Canterbury’s Dovedale Campus. The development comprises 16 two-storey townhouses and 10 single-bed apartments, with a total of 90 bedrooms plus kitchens, living spaces, and bathrooms.

Designed by Christchurch architects Stufken & Chambers, the build utilises prefabricated technology with modular components. Prefabricated bathroom pods were manufactured off site and craned onto the slab, followed by prefabricated walls and midsections to tie the structure together. The vertical structure is timber LVL framing and fully insulated GIB, clad in Hardie Stria weatherboard on a cavity batten, and finished with Metropanel ceilings.

The prefabrication and modular elements meant our methodology and sequencing was critical to the successful delivery of this project. Scaffolding was erected ahead of the vertical structure, facilitating safe and effective access to both internal and external work areas. This allowed for multiple workfaces, including services trades and finishing carpentry, to be undertaken simultaneously.

We prioritised strong working relationships with the University of Canterbury, consultants and subcontractors. Challenges encountered throughout design and construction were approached collaboratively, minimising impact to project delivery.

Weather was a challenge throughout the build, with the wettest winter in Christchurch for over 40 years. We implemented stringent management protocols to mitigate the effect of wet weather on the build, completing the project to programme.