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Located in Motueka, Te Āwhina Marae papakāinga has been designed to provide affordable living for marae whānau with 20 new homes — a mix of two, three and four bedrooms — plus a central community whare. The project, which has been 15 years in the works, is the largest papakāinga development Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry for Māori Development, has supported. Care has been taken in material selection to ensure minimum impact on the land, starting from the foundations with StopDigging’s Groundscrew Foundation System.
When considering foundation options, contractors Scott Construction wanted to make sure the system chosen aligned with the clients’ values. “Putting more treated timber in the ground didn’t seem like the right thing,” explains Brook Johnston, Scott Construction. “So we looked at options based on what’s environmentally friendly — understanding that the earth and water are of cultural significance. We came up with this solution of using groundscrews as an alternative measure.”
The CodeMark-certified StopDigging Groundscrew Foundation System has a lower carbon footprint than traditional foundations, and eliminates the risk of copper arsenic leaching associated with treated timber piling. The low impact, zero waste system prevents the need for extensive groundworks, making it ideal for iwi projects where minimal ground disturbance is important. At end of life, or if buildings need to be relocated, the screws can be easily removed and used again in future, providing a smart, circular solution.
This was Scott Construction’s first project using the groundscrew system, and they were pleased with the support the StopDigging crew provided throughout the process. The StopDigging team visited the site to conduct load testing on the screws, to determine the specific screws needed to meet engineering requirements, and later returned to manage the install of over 850 groundscrews for the homes, plus a further 400 groundscrews for decks.
The speed of install of the StopDigging groundscrews helped provide greater efficiency on site. “It was astonishing how quickly it sped up the programme,” says Brook. “What would take several days with traditional construction methods was done in a matter of hours without the mess, so there was a huge programme advantage using the groundscrews.”
Overall, it took just seven days to install groundscrews for the 21 buildings — 850 groundscrews in total. “And 50% of the time it was raining,” says Jeremy Cosgrove, the StopDigging contractor who managed the install. “So if that was a conventional foundation, you probably wouldn’t be doing it in the rain as you’d have holes that could cave in and fill with dirt and debris.”
The cleanliness on site — with no groundworks or concrete slurry — was another big benefit for the Scott Construction team. “I think a big part of a project being successful comes right back to the start, and at the start of the project it was clean, it was tidy, and therefore morale was better,” says Brook. “Having that tidy site had a positive impact for everyone involved and the way the project was delivered.”
The StopDigging groundscrews are just one of many sustainable materials incorporated into this build. Other environmentally-conscious features include high performing insulation for walls, ceilings and floors, solar panels for power generation, and the use of stormwater for gardens.
Ultimately, the StopDigging groundscrew foundations provided a smart solution for Te Āwhina Marae papakāinga — minimising ground disturbance, keeping the project on track, and contributing to the clients’ goal to live lightly on the land.
“The overall project was fantastic, it went very seamlessly,” says Brook. “We’ve since used their product on another site and we would definitely be using it where we can on further projects.”
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