Seatoun Water Tanks Reuse

Sometimes the most sustainable approach to building is to repurpose an existing structure. The Seatoun Water tanks had served the public for many decades before being decommissioned a few years ago. Only the occasional Council maintenance staffer has witnessed one of the most spectacular panoramic views in Wellington - encompassing the harbour entrance, the airport and surrounding hills as well as the Kaikoura mountain range in Te Waipounamu the South Island - on a good day! We have been commissioned to transform this structure into something inhabitable - perhaps a brutalist concrete bolthole may work?! Our first steps are to study the physical characteristics of the Tanks which have stood proud on this exposed ridge since the 1930's. These studies will inform our overall approach to the design. We have created a 3D LiDAR scan (point cloud) of the site and structure. It is very much like the recent scans taken of the Titanic wreck.  The scan allows us to navigate around the building from the comfort of our computer. Physical core samples will be taken of the reinforced concrete on site for scientific analysis. The process of discovery is fascinating. Below we have added a few images taken from the scan.