Date: |
15 Oct 2026, 12.00PM – 1.00PM |
duration: |
1 hr |
Location: |
Online |
Cost: |
Free event |
What does it take to deliver a nearly 10,000 m² healthcare facility using timber as the primary structural material? Join us for an inside look at the Adult Acute Facility at Hillmorton Hospital, where we will share insights from the design, prefabrication, and construction process, together with the practical lessons gained on site.
The Adult Acute Facility (AAF) at Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch is a new 9,850m² mental health facility comprising predominantly single storey patient accommodation, communal and treatment spaces, localised two storey plantroom zones, a double height entrance space, and a two-storey office and administration space. The project also includes a separate Energy Centre connected to the existing hospital services.
- Single storey patient areas: Predominantly timber construction using Hyjoist floor cassettes and LVL roof trusses, with a combination of pre nail and shear walls forming approximately two thirds of the building area (6,000m²).
- Plantrooms and office/administration areas: Localised two storey traditional steel EBF and ComFlor construction (circa 500 t of steel, and approx.4,000 m²), forming two plantrooms and an office/administration buildings integrated with the patient areas.
- Energy Centre: Separate 350 m² precast concrete structure housing LV/HV switch rooms and back up generation.
This presentation with run through the design process and construction phase of the project with a focus on the timber elements, prefabrication aspects and the lessons learnt.
Presenter Bios:
Chris Ravn | Preconstruction Engineer, Naylor Love
Chris brings experience from both the engineering and construction sides of the industry. Before joining Naylor Love as a Preconstruction Engineer, he spent five years as a Structural Engineer with Holmes and four years working as a carpenter, giving him a practical understanding of how design decisions translate into construction on site.
Hamish McCormick | Senior Associate Structural Engineer, Beca
Hamish is a Senior Associate Structural Engineer with Beca and has been involved in a range of projects across the Hillmorton Hospital campus over the past eight years. Through his long-term involvement with the site, he has gained valuable insight into the design, coordination, and delivery challenges associated with complex healthcare developments.
Together, Chris and Hamish will share perspectives from both the construction and structural engineering teams, providing an engaging look at the delivery of the Adult Acute Facility and the practical lessons learned from its timber-focused design and construction.
The New Zealand Timber Design Society (TDS) invite you to join the next in their 2026 webinar series, "Christchurch Hillmorton Hospital New Adult Acute Facility – design and construction overview".
What does it take to deliver a nearly 10,000 m² healthcare facility using timber as the primary structural material? Join us for an inside look at the Adult Acute Facility at Hillmorton Hospital, where we will share insights from the design, prefabrication, and construction process, together with the practical lessons gained on site.
The Adult Acute Facility (AAF) at Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch is a new 9,850m² mental health facility comprising predominantly single storey patient accommodation, communal and treatment spaces, localised two storey plantroom zones, a double height entrance space, and a two-storey office and administration space. The project also includes a separate Energy Centre connected to the existing hospital services.
- Single storey patient areas: Predominantly timber construction using Hyjoist floor cassettes and LVL roof trusses, with a combination of pre nail and shear walls forming approximately two thirds of the building area (6,000m²).
- Plantrooms and office/administration areas: Localised two storey traditional steel EBF and ComFlor construction (circa 500 t of steel, and approx.4,000 m²), forming two plantrooms and an office/administration buildings integrated with the patient areas.
- Energy Centre: Separate 350 m² precast concrete structure housing LV/HV switch rooms and back up generation.
This presentation with run through the design process and construction phase of the project with a focus on the timber elements, prefabrication aspects and the lessons learnt.
Presenter Bios:
Chris Ravn | Preconstruction Engineer, Naylor Love
Chris brings experience from both the engineering and construction sides of the industry. Before joining Naylor Love as a Preconstruction Engineer, he spent five years as a Structural Engineer with Holmes and four years working as a carpenter, giving him a practical understanding of how design decisions translate into construction on site.
Hamish McCormick | Senior Associate Structural Engineer, Beca
Hamish is a Senior Associate Structural Engineer with Beca and has been involved in a range of projects across the Hillmorton Hospital campus over the past eight years. Through his long-term involvement with the site, he has gained valuable insight into the design, coordination, and delivery challenges associated with complex healthcare developments.
Together, Chris and Hamish will share perspectives from both the construction and structural engineering teams, providing an engaging look at the delivery of the Adult Acute Facility and the practical lessons learned from its timber-focused design and construction.
