2010 Awards

 Company of the Year, Top 200 Awards

Beca Group Limited

Beca has been named NZ Company of the Year at the 2010 Deloitte/Management Magazine Top 200 Awards.

This is the first time Beca has entered the prestigious awards, which are selected from NZ Management magazine's annual listing of New Zealand’s 200 largest corporations based on revenue. Judges commented that Beca stood out as a “world leader in its field…Beca’s success has been based not on what it produces, but on the exceptional services it provides to customers."

President's Award, CPA Australia

Chye Heng - Chief Financial Officer and Head of Legal of Beca Group Ltd.

Beca's CFO Chye Heng has been awarded the prestigious President's Award by CPA Australia for his significant contribution and services to the association.

He is a former two-term President of the CPA Australia NZ Branch Council and has been instrumental in helping to increase the profile of the organisation within New Zealand.

CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies with a membership of more than 129,000 finance, accounting and business professionals across the globe. Chye remains on the New Zealand Council.

New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards 2010

This award recognises a young engineer who is judged to have made the most excellent contribution as an engineer and a leader, and through community involvement.

Since joining Beca in 2005, Matthew has demonstrated outstanding ability as a structural engineering associate. “Matthew has delivered both technical and personal leadership at an exemplary level on an exciting and leading-edge project,” says judge Carron Blom. “He is obviously an energetic and very highly regarded individual that is passionate about the role of engineering and its interfaces with both other professions and those that use and interact with the outcomes.”

This award recognises outstanding activities associated with the development of improved or new bioprocess technology involving chemical processes, biological processes, food processing, storage and specialised transport and materials handling.

This Beca AMEC study was part of a number of environmental improvement projects at SLN’s Doniambo nickel smelter in New Caledonia. The Beca AMEC team engineered a baghouse system that required no special heat transfer equipment and no dilution air, which prevented the implementation of a more expensive electrostatic precipitator and simplified the operational and maintenance demands on the client.

“The simplicity of the solution is commendable and well suited to an industrial plant in a geographically isolated nation,” says the Chief Executive of the Institution of Professional Engineers, Andrew Cleland.

This award recognises outstanding activities associated with world’s best practice in minimising non-renewable resource use and waste, or improvements in sustainability.

The NZi3 building is a research and innovation centre located alongside the College of Engineering at the University of Canterbury. It is an excellent example of leading-edge engineering, benefiting from a collaborative approach between architecture, structure and environmental engineering to achieve outstanding results in performance, adaptability and life-cycle value.

Judges said that the building “presents an exemplar of leading-edge engineering, befitting its role as an outreach to industry and business.”

Institution of Structural Engineers, UK (IStructE)

NZi3 building, Innovation Institute, the University of Canterbury - Winner of the Education & Healthcare Category

Beca was a key design partner and provider of all engineering disciplines to NZi3. The NZi3 project presented an opportunity to test the traditional design parameters and processes of conventional building design by taking a more coordinated approach to the integration of engineering and architectural design principles.

A judge commented that, “NZi3 represents that synthesis of art and science, essential in top-quality structural engineering design, in which the structure makes use of appropriate nature, layout and materials in order to reflect, allow and enhance the effective functioning of the building.”

Singapore Public Service Medal, Singapore

Lee Chuan Seng has been awarded Singapore’s Public Service Medal at the 2010 National Day Awards. The award is in recognition of Mr Lee’s outstanding contribution to the Professional Engineers Board (Singapore) and the profession. The Public Service Medal is a prestigious national recognition in Singapore.

NZ Roading Excellence Awards, New Zealand - Supreme Award Winner

The Tauranga Harbour Link project added a second harbour bridge linking Tauranga and Mt Maunganui. The link was designed to alleviate the traffic congestion that has grown in parallel with Tauranga's growing population, and to accommodate further predicted growth in the region. It also delivers economic and social improvement to the Tauranga region by reducing travel time for commuters as well as providing more efficient and quicker access to and from the Port of Tauranga.

Alliancing Association of Australasia (AAA) Excellence Awards - Alliancing Team of Excellence Award.

The Manukau Harbour Crossing Alliance’s harbour bridge duplication and associated roadworks are a key part of Auckland’s Western Ring Route and are an important project for the New Zealand alliancing industry.

The project widens the existing 5km length of the Southwestern Motorway (SH20) to three lanes in each direction. This has increased motorway capacity, made journeys smoother and safer, and provides better links between Auckland International Airport and the city's CBD. Built next to the existing bridge, the new 650m long Mangere Bridge includes an additional auxiliary lane plus a bus shoulder lane.

NZIA Design Awards (Auckland Branch) - Urban Design Award

MHX Alliance (Beca, Fletcher Construction, Higgins Contractors & NZ Transport Agency) and Jasmax.

Built as part of the Manukau Harbour Crossing project, the Beachcroft Avenue footbridge is designed to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to get around.

The footbridge circumvented the challenges of construction over a live motorway by adopting a cable-stayed truss. The bare steel truss can span the required 47m over the northbound and southbound lanes of the widened motorway without assistance. With the stay cables added, it is also able to support the concrete deck and pedestrian/cyclist loads. The finished product was cost-effective, visually striking and instantly recognisable in any conditions, which is a consequence of the simple and bold basic concept.

Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ)

An important objective for the new development was that the building could remain fully functional after a major earthquake. This meant the structure had to remain in place (base isolated from the ground) and all building services elements had to function sufficiently to allow the hospital to serve as an emergency centre for the community.

Innovative design by Beca on essential services such as electricity supply (via campus generators), water supply (via a 600,000 litre tank within the basement carpark) and sewage disposal (using a concrete extract ventilation duct beneath the basement carpark to hold prior to disposal) will allow the building to remain operational for emergency community care for three to five days.

Beca AMEC retrofitted this 700 tonne, 20m tall industrial power boiler at Kinleith with seismic base isolation. Base isolation of a boiler like this is unique, as is the introduction of a water-cooled and thermally insulated protection system to protect the lead-rubber seismic bearing assembly. With comprehensive detailing of the associated boiler input and output feeds, the boiler has been protected from significant seismic events in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Tauranga commuters were faced with what the NZ Transport Agency identified as ‘unacceptable delays’ during peak times on SH2 and SH29. The Beca transportation team was committed to finding a smart solution to ease congestion and improve commuting times, while delivering value for money. Working closely with the client and contractors, Beca successfully helped deliver New Zealand’s first signalised roundabouts.

The strengthening of Grafton Bridge is a sustainability project to extend the life of an historic Auckland landmark. The main arch structure crossing the Grafton gully was the longest reinforced concrete span in the world when it was opened in 1910. The bridge has been upgraded to carry modern traffic loading to become a vital link in Auckland City’s Central Connector – a new public transport corridor from the central business district to Newmarket.

The Grade A listed historic structure has been preserved through omplex investigations and Beca’s design of cutting edge strengthening mechanisms.

The BNZ building comprises a 25,000m² six storey building, made up of three separate buildings, connected by 18 pedestrian bridges spanning through full-height atria. The building is enclosed by a single perimeter façade, with a roof encapsulating an entire community. On reclaimed land, at the edge of a harbour in one of the most seismically volatile areas in the world, this project required ingenuity and innovative structural solutions.

Working in close collaboration with the client, design and construction team, the Beca team provided these structural solutions and helped provide a building that was delivered on time and on budget.

Although a new concept for New Zealand, on-ramp signalling has been recognised worldwide as a way to tackle and ease traffic congestion by ‘drip-feeding’ traffic onto motorways. Beca was involved in the successful delivery of sixty signalled sites which were installed across the Auckland motorway system. The project incorporated civil works such as lane widening, paving and pavement marking as well as the installation of equipment, cabling and communications for the Intelligent Transport Systems.

This project has delivered significant benefits across all of its measured, peak period network-wide performance. These include more predictable, consistent and faster travel times once on the motorway and shorter peak periods.

In what is considered to be a world first, Beca has designed a system of mobile maintenance docks enabling Air New Zealand to service 12 different aircraft from two separate manufacturer ranges, with four different wing types. In addition, these aircraft are powered by six different engine types, and configured differently to suit individual operator requirements.

As a result of this project, Air New Zealand has retained its competitive edge in maintaining, repairing and overhauling narrow body aircraft. The company has also achieved productivity improvements of between 12% and 15%, a reduction in turnaround times of 5%, and an annual saving of $1 million.

This project delivered best practice in many areas of sustainable development and energy efficiency, from sustainable geothermal reservoir management, distributed generation, engineering design and construction to environmental management and community participation. The completion of Kawerau power station has boosted New Zealand’s geothermal capacity by 25% and will contribute to achieving the government’s goal of 90% sustainable power generation by 2025.

Beca was engaged as engineering consultant to Hawkins Construction on this design/build project. Beca provided engineering design for the site development, civil infrastructure and structures.

Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards

Originally opened in the late 1960s, this redevelopment aimed to strengthen the centre’s position as one of the most complete retail, entertainment and lifestyle destinations in New Zealand.

Designed by Westfield Properties NZ, the extension blends with the existing centre and gives customers easy and unencumbered access. A second level was added to increase the gross leasable area to over 54,000m² including a new café dining experience, cinema, 40 additional retail stores and a five level car park building. As a result, the centre has attracted many new leading retail brands, cementing its position as the most successful shopping centre in the South Island.

Beca was engaged to provide Building Services, Structural and Mechanical engineering on this project.

Designed by Willis Bond & Co and Athfield Architects, the 12-storey Chews Lane Apartments is the final stage of the Chews Lane Precinct development and allows contemporary inner-city living in one of 95 apartments.

The building straddles historic Chews Lane below and spans the lane perpendicular to the carpark and office buildings located on either side, an innovative design approach that maximises views over the city and harbour. High-quality materials and energy-efficient services have been used throughout the development.

Beca was engaged as the Building Services and Mechanical engineer on this project.

An important factor in this designing this new development was that the building remain functional after a major earthquake. Now the largest building to be base-isolated in New Zealand, Wellington Hospital also boasts alternative arrangements for essentials such as electricity, water, medical gases and sewage collection, should a seismic event occur. The building has been designed to require minimal maintenance, providing a friendly, yet clinical environment for patients and visitors. Beca services on the project included building services, mechanical, electrical, communications, nurse-call systems, security, medical gases and structural engineering services.

As the first Green Building Council Five-Star rated education building in New Zealand, the NZi3 Innovation Institute has been dubbed a hothouse of strategic Information Communication and Technology (ICT) research. Its primary output will be excellent research and graduates, nurtured in an environment that fosters innovation and invention, providing access to world-class resources and facilitating the integration of commercial and academic research. Beca was engaged to provide all engineering services for this project including structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and drainage, fire engineering and acoustic engineering services.

The refurbishment of this 1970s building is innovative in its very simplicity of approach. Updated architecturally and technically, the building has been externally insulated and re-clad to a full 12-storey height - and is the first New Zealand commercial office retrofit on this scale. The award recognises innovation and encourages the demonstrated application of green building principles that aim to reduce a project's eco footprint over its entire lifecycle. The Aorangi House refurbishment has demonstrated how a building from a past era can be refurbished into a desirable, environmentally sustainable building for today.

Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Singapore, Built Environment Leadership Award 2010 - Gold Class Award

The award was presented to Managing Director Leong Kok Yeong by Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, Grace Fu on 26 May 2010. It recognises Beca's commitment to excellence and leadership in shaping a safe, high quality, sustainable and friendly built environment.

New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) Awards - Gold Award, Urban Design

This South Auckland project was led by Beca Project Management with the support of a Beca team of urban designers, planners, architects, civil engineers and cost managers; and with Thresher Associates as the landscape architects. The team worked with the Manukau City Council to improve safety, enhance local amenity, reduce crime, and enable economic development through the revitalisation of Northcrest Plaza and six other town squares.

3M New Zealand Traffic Safety Innovation of the Year Award

The NGA Newmarket alliance is tasked with delivery of the NZ Transport Agency’s Newmarket Connection- the Viaduct Replacement project in central Auckland. This award recognises the success of a campaign to minimise the speed of motorists travelling through the works. The NGA Newmarket alliance includes Beca, NZ Transport Agency, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors, VSL, URS, Tonkin & Taylor and Boffa Miskell.

World Class New Zealand Awards - Winner

Presented by Kea and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, the World Class awards have been awarded annually for the last seven years to individuals who make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s success in the world.

Since retiring as Beca Chairman, Sir Ron Carter has dedicated his time to serving New Zealand through a variety of directorships, advisory boards and non-profit organisations. Knighted in 1998 for his contribution to engineering and business administration, Sir Ron was awarded ‘living legend’ status in 2007 by the Auckland City Council and is currently sitting on the board for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

CFO Awards, New Zealand - Finance Team of the Year Award

The CFO awards aim to celebrate the achievements of New Zealand’s top financial teams and highlight the changing role of senior financial executives in the business environment. Echoing this theme, Beca's Finance Team developed the Beca Management Reporting Tool, a finalist in the Project Initiative category. This in-hosue tool facilitates management reporting and enable Beca’s Finance team to focus on high-value advisory rather than transactional support.