SELO is one of the key residential developments in West Auckland, which is also a study case for Auckland Council on multi-unit and community housing projects.

The West Auckland site (total area is 42,344m²) carries a rich history and has undergone a transformation into a people-oriented micro-neighbourhood. It incorporates a mix of terraced townhouses, preserving the area's horticultural roots, and emphasises community living while maintaining a harmonious relationship with the environment. The name "SELO”, which means village in Croatian, was thoughtfully chosen to acknowledge the special significance of this land in the closely-knit neighbourhood’s past.

Chancellor Construction efficiently managed the 236 homes to practical completion within 10 months; and full handover to the development client in 12 months, finishing under budget and well ahead of the contract programme. “We knew it would be an exciting challenge, but we were confident to undertake the contract due to our capacity to build 23,000m² per year. We also possess a reliable finance resource and great business partners. Steel & Tube is one of our best friends,” said Wayne Zeng, the Managing Director of Chancellor Construction.

Today, Wayne shared three key points that enabled Chancellor Construction to achieve this amazing feat:

Large-scale development requires efficient management

“The building industry continues to change and improve. We can see medium density developments are on the rise in popularity,” says Wayne. “Especially for large-scale developments, an efficient management system can not only speed up the project, but also reduce the risks. Chancellor continue to deliver projects on time and at a high quality, which make the developers confident to work with us. We always plan ahead and well. A considerable amount of work was done before we even started the project physically.”

Trustworthy support from suppliers makes the project smooth

“It has not been easy for the construction industry these last few years. But we have been lucky to work with Steel & Tube and many other reliable suppliers. When we were screening different suppliers of roofing products for SELO, Steel & Tube was very responsive, with specification and sales support.”

“For SELO, we used Plumbdek because it can be used on 3-degree roofs, it is modern and also very cost-efficient. So, we decided to use Plumbdek across most of the development. We and Steel & Tube planned and worked well together. There were some unexpected story lines, like the Auckland Floods not long ago, but Steel & Tube assisted in finding solutions without impacting our supply chain.”

On-site quality assurance system exceeds expectations

“We have a firm QA control system and an experienced site management team. When there are any minor changes from the architectural plan, we can respond immediately and get the job done to a high standard. Chancellor Construction prides itself on the core values of quality and efficiency, professionalism and customer experience.”

SELO has now been nominated for Kāinga Ora Homes & Communities Community & Affordable Housing Property Awards 2023 and Templeton Group Multi-Unit Residential Property Award. Steel & Tube sincerely wishes SELO the best outcome in their respective awards.