Chris Keen, Christchurch (2026)

03/12/2024

Having been involved in youth work in the past, it was an exciting opportunity to be able to visit the new YouthHub CHCH this past Saturday, with the central wraparound services building and the supporting housing block now complete ✅

For the city to have a new hub that includes such a variety of services for 10-25 year olds and involves so many local groups and organisations is amazing. It’s huge for the city and a great model for the rest of New Zealand.

Once fully completed, the new hub will provide;
• Mental health support
• Medical services
• Education and training
• Employment help
• Recreational activities
• Creative outlets
• Social entrepreneurship opportunities
• Housing support

The use of exposed LVL structure and natural / neutral colours throughout (and pops of yellow) was a standout as it aids in creating a very comfortable and calming environment.

Many thanks to the team for taking the time to share their new facility! Looking forward to seeing the events space under construction next year 👌

19/11/2024

“You must be an inconsistent leader”?

This is Law 32 from Steven Bartlett’s book ‘The Diary Of A CEO’ and it is one that has been rattling around in my brain over the past couple weeks.

This chapter talks about how each of us are propelled by vastly different motivators. How some of us thrive under pressure from our leaders, while others thrive in a more compassionate environment. How leadership must take this into account and be able to shape-shift to suit individual team members (thus, being inconsistent).

“For us as leaders, to become the complimentary puzzle piece for each member of our team, we must be as inconsistent, emotionally variable and fluctuating as the people in our teams are”.

Challenge accepted ✅

05/11/2024

It was a privilege to attend last week’s Amplify event at Warren and Mahoney where Mark Rocket, CEO of Kea Aerospace and President of Aerospace New Zealand, shared his journey from co-director of Rocket Lab to his new aerospace venture here in Christchurch.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, Mark did change his last name to Rocket for the obvious reason! 🚀

Kea Aerospace is the only high-altitude flight company based in the southern hemisphere, developing light weight solar powered aircraft to carry payloads into the stratosphere (twice the height of commercial aircraft - 20km up) where they can remain for weeks or months on end.

Providing high-resolution aerial imagery is a focus for the team, but the aircraft will be able to accommodate a range of payloads and services in the future. Fascinating stuff.

Something that has remained with me is Mark’s decision to leave Rocket Lab in the earlier days of the company, given the specifics of a military contract that the company was looking at accepting. This particular contract was something that went against Mark’s beliefs and morals, and so he parted ways with the company. Respect to Mark for standing firmly on his morals and making such a life changing decision. Would you do it? Or would the job security and financial benefits be too much of a temptation? Ultimately Mark’s decision has led him to develop his own company and to become one of the leading figures in the aerospace sector. Very exciting to see in little old NZ.

www.keaaerospace.com/about

21/10/2024

It was great to see several speakers from the AEC industry presenting their thoughts and ideas at the recent Christchurch Innovation Expo.

With the construction industry historically lagging in digital innovation and adaption, it would be great to see even more of this type of content in the 2025 edition!

I particularly enjoyed hearing from Jon Sinclair from Preformance Building Technologies speaking on a variety of technologies that can drive efficiency, sustainability and resilience in construction.

Something that stuck with me is the comment Jon made around the outcome of his team’s study to compare dollars spent solving critical design clashes during construction, versus dollars spent resolving the same clashes digitally during design. This study concluded that there was a ratio of 28:1! I think we all know that solving an issue at our desk before we get to site is a good idea, but this figure really hammers home just how much time and effort can really be saved.

We also heard about the innovations and applications in the digital twin space from a panel of digital ninjas, and about One New Zealand Stadium from Caroline Harvie-Teare from Venues Ōtautahi.

05/06/2023

Heritage Restoration: Acland House, Christchurch (2015)

Acland House contains boarding and dining facilities for Christchurch Girls’ High School. Built in 1893, it sustained damage during the Canterbury Earthquakes and required significant seismic strengthening.

As well as receiving extensive renovations throughout, the ground floor was redesigned to create a new dining hall, and a new porch added to emphasise the main entrance.

Acland House has since gone on to win multiple awards for both the architectural works and the structural engineering.

Architect: Jennie Lee
Structural Engineer: WSP in New Zealand
(‘Opus’ at the time)
Services Engineer: Aurecon
Contractor: Simon Construction
Photographer: Stephen Goodenough

28/05/2023

A detailed site analysis at the commencement of a project will gather key information which will inform the design process from day one. This will ensure that the designer is aware of all opportunities and limitations for a specific site.

In some cases, we have the opportunity to gather some of this information prior to a client purchasing a new site, in order to raise any potential issues prior to a purchase being made.

30/04/2023

I’m big on strong client engagement through the use of BIM (building information modelling) in order to facilitate a better understanding of a design or an idea which is generated by either the client or the architect.

We all learn and communicate in different ways, but in spite of this, 3D visualisation is one method that engages all of us. This could be through the use of still images, virtual reality, augmented reality, panoramas, flythroughs, walkthroughs, apps for your device or web based services.

This particular example is a walkthrough of a Green Star rated office space designed in our Christchurch studio which utilises ray tracing technology.

Let me know what you think!

23/04/2023

Progress update: Hotel Indigo, Auckland

It has been great to see the first of the new 42 floors rising above the fences! This photo shows the new 500mm think concrete core walls, 200mm thick post tensioned concrete floors and the 3 concrete columns supporting each end of the floor plate.

In supporting Australian architects Scott Carver, we have so far provided peer review services for NZ Building Code compliance as well as specification services. The team are excited to launch into our site observation role as the construction phase progresses!

15/04/2023

It has been almost 18 years since I completed my tertiary level architectural studies (any D&A graduates here??) and I have really enjoyed going back through my course work over the past couple of weeks.

These sketches show the exploration of a new urban development in the south west corner of Hagley Park, allowing for the then planned Blenheim Road overpass, treating it as a permeable feature which would allow the urban fabric to pass through, linking Addington and Hagley Park.

I enjoyed exploring urban design during my studies, but haven’t really explored this area further in any great detail. That needs to change…

05/03/2023

Te Waonui Forest Retreat (2009)

Our brief was to design a new 100 room 5 star hotel within a native rainforest on the edge of Franz Josef township, while minimising the impact on the environment. The result embraced environmental sustainability, both within the design phase and during construction. This was before Green Star ratings were a thing in New Zealand.

The design concept included four wings that joined together to enclose an area of the rainforest. All of the guest room balconies look out into the rainforest, which contains mature trees up to 20m high. It is so dense that guests cannot see across to the opposite wing, giving a sense of seclusion and privacy.

Our architects and interior designers did a stellar job!

Structural Engineer: Structex
Acoustic Engineer: Acoustic Engineering Services Ltd
Services Engineer: Cosgroves Ltd

26/02/2023

WHY do you do what you do?

Over the past few weeks I have been reading the book “Start With Why”, by Simon Sinek, which has made a significant impact on the way that I view leadership and business.

Businesses today can easily tell you WHAT they do and HOW they do it, but how many can clearly articulate WHY they do it? It is important to have a clear sense of WHY to base a business around, ahead of HOW and WHAT. Customers and employees need a cause to latch onto and feel a part of, otherwise your services can become a commodity for consumption, and not a cause which attracts like minded people and their loyalty. People want something that they can get behind.

The simple idea that people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it, can be backed up by many real world examples. Apple for instance have been incredibly successful, despite selling computers and devices just like many other tech companies. Because they had a strong sense of WHY; to challenge the status quo and effect industry wide change (which they have certainly done!), they are one of the most successful tech companies ever.

For AEC companies, I sometimes struggle to see a WHY which sets them apart from others. We can easily see WHAT they do, and usually HOW they do it, but WHY do they do business? Does their ambition and their belief system align with mine? Do we share the same goals and desires?

If you’re after a taste of the book (which is also available as an audio book) search YouTube for ‘Start With Why’ and you will find Simon’s popular TED talk.

Chris Keen

03/12/2024

19/11/2024

05/11/2024

21/10/2024

05/06/2023

28/05/2023

30/04/2023

23/04/2023

15/04/2023

05/03/2023

26/02/2023

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