After a decade of construction, the world’s first “underground” hotel looks set to open its doors The $210 million Shimao Wonderland InterContinental, located 30 kilometres from Shanghai, has been built in an abandoned quarry that plunges 80 metres below ground level. Continue →

A total of 6,645 planned and ongoing construction projects by the world’s megacities valued at US$4.2trn are sparking interest in residential and infrastructural developments, according to GlobalData The United Nations predicts that, between 2016 and 2030, the percentage of the world’s population living in cities with at least a million inhabitants is likely to grow from 23% to 27%, and the number of megacities is projected to increase from 31 to 41. Continue →

Robotic technology company FBR has built its first house in less than three days, in what the company describes as a feat of engineering to impact the future of the construction industry Perth-based FBR, formerly known as Fastbrick Robotics, successfully constructed a 180sq m, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, The Urban Developer reports. Continue →

The new Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will help the government cut through red-tape to deliver urban regeneration in our largest cities, an infrastructure expert believes But to deliver affordable housing the government must now turn its attention to greenfield development and wider policy reform, says Stephen Selwood, Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand. Continue →

Increasing demand for services is putting pressure on talent acquisition, with construction companies around the world turning to technology to forecast hiring, manage costs, and grow revenue This finding comes from Teletrac Navman’s second annual Telematics Benchmark Report: Global Construction Edition, which found that the global construction industry is expected to grow at 4.2% from 2018 to 2023, and to be worth US$15.5 trillion globally by 2030. Continue →

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities (BBHTC)  has announced the key themes of their research in the year ahead Continuing to address New Zealand’s housing needs, the National Science Challenge is digging deeper into housing for the ageing population and how New Zealand can build spaces for generations. Continue →

Registration has opened for New Zealand’s first Building Information Modelling conference being held in Wellington on Wednesday, 8 May 2019 The one-day conference on Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an industry partnership run by the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) on behalf of the BIM Acceleration Committee (BAC). Continue →

Education and technology integration are holding the construction industry back from getting the full value of invested in technology The 2018 Construction Industry Survey: Technology and Skills Edition conducted by Teletrac Navman and Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) indicates that Kiwi construction businesses already employ a range of jobsite and measurement technology; from plant, machine and asset monitoring to GPS-based survey equipment. Continue →

Auckland could have an iconic waterfront stadium within 10 years at zero cost to ratepayers and taxpayers if a proposal from some of the city’s leading companies is adopted The Auckland Waterfront Consortium has launched an ambitious proposal that would see a spectacular 50,000 seat fully enclosed stadium, built alongside a redeveloped Bledisloe Wharf. Continue →

The winning design in an international architecture competition to find a new high-rise tower for Auckland is a building for the people – from its street level “Market Place” to its rooftop Zen Garden Designed by Melbourne-based architects Woods Bagot, in partnership with local New Zealand firm Peddle Thorp, the building is a sleek and crystalline 48-level tower that will stand around 180m high. Continue →

Resource consent has been obtained for The Peninsula, 32 luxurious residences and penthouses priced from $2.7 million to $13 million to be built at the most northern point of Orakei Bay Village in Remuera The development follows the successful transformation of the village retail precinct in 2017 into a thriving hub of bars, eateries, boutique shopping and service stores, anchored by Farro Fresh and Kings Plant Barn. Continue →

Down to 13 finalists for the 2018 Site Safe Awards, which give national recognition to those making a real difference The awards acknowledge people, sites and businesses that are demonstrating excellence in the areas of leadership, innovation and contribution. Continue →

Australian residential developer AVJennings has nabbed a substantial development site of approximately 580 lots in Auckland’s northern growth corridor The acquisition of Hall Farm in Orewa, 37km north of Auckland, is a green-fields site zoned for residential along with five lots zoned for commercial development. Continue →

Emerging technologies, such as robotics, 3D printing and autonomous equipment is a burgeoning multi-billion-dollar industry Recognising it also has the potential to save lives, in a world first, the US Marine Corps have teamed up to operate the world’s largest concrete 3D printer according to The Urban Developer. Continue →

There are strong indications that the construction industry faces some serious challenges, according to Alan McMahon Much of the growth will occur in Auckland, making up 41 percent of the total national construction value and 40 percent of dwelling unit consents in 2023 Ebert Construction hit headlines recently when announcements were made that they had entered receivership. Continue →

The forthcoming Asian Construction Forum is bringing the Kiwi and Asian building sectors together to foster collaboration and celebrate the contribution Asian construction companies are making to New Zealand   Asian companies contribute more than $7billion each year to New Zealand’s construction sector and are to helping us meet our demands for the large scale, quality construction and infrastructure projects the country needs, yet many of these businesses currently sit outside New Zealand’s traditional sector. Continue →

New hotel supply is the main issue holding back New Zealand’s booming tourism sector, says Colliers The Park Hyatt Hotel under construction in Auckland The New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference featured a panel of industry experts who discussed ways to build more hotel rooms across the country. Continue →

Melbourne airport will soon be home to Australia’s largest state-of-the-art medical marijuana facility after signing a deal with ASX-listed medicinal cannabis grower Cann Group Cann signed a heads of agreement on Wednesday for the lease of a five-hectare site in the Melbourne Airport precinct, according to The Urban Developer. Continue →