Willis Bond Celebrates Triple Triumph at the Property Industry Awards 2024
We are thrilled to announce that Willis Bond has been honoured with two prestigious awards at the Property Industry Awards 2024. Our Victoria Lane Apartments project in Wellington has won an Excellence Award and the Best In Category "Multi-Unit Residential," a testament to our commitment to excellence in property development. Additionally, we are proud to be the development partner for Tākina - Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, which won the Civic, Health & Arts Property Award.
Victoria Lane Apartments: A Benchmark in Residential Seismic Resilience
The Victoria Lane Apartments, located at 161 Victoria Street, Wellington, represent a significant achievement in residential development. This 17-storey building, part of Willis Bond’s transformational Cuba Precinct development, houses 123 premium apartments, three levels of open-plan office space, ground-floor retail, and lobby spaces. The project exemplifies our dedication to structural excellence and residential comfort.
In the aftermath of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, seismic resilience became a crucial consideration for future developments. In response, Willis Bond developed Victoria Lane Apartments as Wellington’s first base-isolated apartment building, setting a new standard for large-scale residential seismic resilience. This building is the first high-rise apartment complex in New Zealand to use the combined technology of base isolation and diagrid frame, designed to be re-occupiable after a major earthquake.
The visionary approach to future-proofing this development was driven by the unique challenges of inner-city living in Wellington. Leonie Freeman, chief executive of the Property Council New Zealand, praised the project, stating, “The Victoria Lane Apartments exemplify a harmonious combination of structural excellence and residential comfort.”
The success of this project would not have been possible without the collaboration of our talented team and partners:
- Owner: Cuba Holdings Limited Partnership
- Developer: Willis Bond
- Construction: LT McGuinness Ltd.
- Architect: Athfield Architects Ltd
- Structural Engineer: Dunning Thornton Consultants
- Service/Mechanical Engineer: Beca
- Building Enclosure Engineer: Mott MacDonald
- Quantity Surveyor: Barnes Beagley Doherr Ltd
- Project Manager: RCP
- Geotechnical Engineer: Tonkin + Taylor
- Fire Engineer: Holmes Aus & NZ Fire
Tākina - Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre: A Beacon of Civic Pride
Tākina - Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, developed in partnership with Willis Bond, also garnered accolades at the Property Industry Awards 2024. Winning the Civic, Health & Arts Property Award, Tākina has made a significant impact on Wellington’s infrastructure landscape.
Tākina is Wellington’s largest built-infrastructure investment since Sky Stadium, and it was delivered on time and within budget, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Built on a 5,500 sqm site opposite Te Papa Tongarewa, it is Aotearoa’s first convention centre to achieve a 5 Green Star NZ certified rating, reflecting its exceptional sustainability credentials.
Designed to attract international and domestic conferences, Tākina has already injected approximately $24 million of spending into Wellington’s economy in its first six months. The project was commended by the judging panel for its beautiful design, sustainability, and importance to the Wellington region.
The success of Tākina is a testament to the exceptional teamwork and expertise of our partners:
- Owner: Wellington City Council
- Developer: Willis Bond
- Construction: LT McGuinness Ltd.
- Architect: Studio Pacific Architecture
- Structural Engineer: Dunning Thornton Consultants
- Service/Mechanical Engineer: Beca
- Building Enclosure Engineer: Mott MacDonald
- Quantity Surveyor: Rider Levett Bucknall
- Fire Engineer: Holmes Aus & NZ Fire
- Geotechnical Engineer: Tonkin + Taylor
We are also proud to receive a Merit Award in the Heritage and Adaptive Reuses category for Stage One of our Blue Mountains Campus project in Upper Hutt. This award highlights our commitment to innovation and sustainability within a multi-stage business campus that fosters a resilient and modern working environment.
As we celebrate these achievements, we remain committed to delivering projects that set new benchmarks in excellence, sustainability, and community value. These awards are a reflection of the dedication and hard work of our entire team and partners. Congratulations to everyone involved!