TechPark wins Best New Construction at LEA Awards

MIT’s new trades and engineering campus in the heart of Manukau has won an international award.

The Learning Environments Australasia Awards recognise planning, design and construction of educational facilities throughout the region.

TechPark won the New Construction / Entire New Educational Facility category.

“TechPark is an outstanding example of clarity of educational purpose delivered in the design outcome in context of shifting from traditional spaces and teaching to a facility that fully supports the learning future of Engineering and Trades,” said the judges.

“The intensive and integrated design, planning and consultation process has resulted in an outcome that meets the economic and educational priority of ensuring highly skilled and future proofed employees for engineering and trades now and in a rapidly expanding group of Industries,” the citation continued.

The entry was made by ASC Architects, the designers while the facility was delivered through a partnership between Manukau Institute of Technology, Eke Panuku Development Auckland and developer, builder and owner Haydn & Rollett.

Officially opened by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins earlier this year, the six thousand square metre development located on Manukau Station Rd is home to all the institute’s trades and engineering schools.

“We are delighted that the excellent work of our partners in TechPark has been recognised in this way,” says MIT-Unitec Chief Executive Gus Gilmore.

“What we wanted for our students was a smart campus that had collaboration, innovation and technology at its core. We knew we were working with the best and this award proves it,” says Mr Gilmore.

“This award is a great testament to the dedication of our collective project teams, who worked hard to understand the aspirations of MIT so that we could deliver a facility for the long term needs of this state-of-the-art trade school. We are incredibly proud to retain ownership of this wonderful facility and the role it will play in enhancing our industry” says Haydn & Rollett Managing Director Kim Barrett.

More than two thousand learners use TechPark each week studying professional engineering, carpentry, plumbing, gas fitting, electrical, mechanical, refrigeration, automotive, fabrication, civil and landscape construction.

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