“We’re on track for completion this October,” says Ockham’s Chris ‘C-Mac’ Macdonald.

Revered not only as a Senior QS at Manaaki but esteemed for his character,  C-Mac knows what’s happening in every corner of the site. "The vibe at Manaaki is uber-positive,” he says. “Everyone’s pulling together as we near the finish line. It’s wonderful to witness the structures in their full glory, divested of their scaffolds, and with the landscaping going in. It’s always my favourite part of a build.”

As completion nears, the major milestones start to rack up. The tower crane, a symbol of honest toil and industrial strength, has come down. “While it’s a little sad to say goodbye to an old friend,” says C-Mac, “it allows us to crack on with the drainage and landscaping works.”

What else?

“The driveway has been poured. The pool’s nearly finished. And the green roof atop the residents’ lounge has been planted out – and is looking verdant, even mini-Amazonian.”

Progress in the interior...

In each of the four buildings, the apartments are pretty much complete. The power was switched on a few weeks ago, which means the commissioning of services and all appliances – ovens, dishwashers, combo wash-dryers – can be tested.

“There’s a series of QA (Quality Assurance) checks that we undertake,” C-Mac explains. “It’s a systematic process that includes the ‘defecting process’.”

Defecting is the meticulous ritual of picking up any issues with the build. “Stage one deals with any glaring glitches. Once the power went on, we went through again, looking at more finicky details like the paint finishes. Finally, an external consultant will go through the apartments, room by room, a quality control check known as ‘snagging’.”

Brick brilliance

Meanwhile, an informal competition has broken out on site to see who can take the Manaaki Photo to Rule Them All. While C-Mac has taken some belters, a couple included in the gallery below, it is Site Manager Brad Clark’s effort that currently leads the pack.



While Manaaki’s Italian Riveria-inspired brick façade – baby blue, mint green, perfect pink, luscious lilac and lemon – is rightly revered, Brad’s dawn capture has introduced a tangerine tint to the palette.