DSC - PPB Enabling Works

Details

University of Canterbury Digital Screen Campus have an upcoming opportunity for a suitably experienced civils contractor to complete some enabling works for a new build.

As part of the Digital Screen project, UC is currently renovating and extending the Dovedale Campus to provide a set of shared and specialty facilities for their digital screen course offerings, as well as the wider film and game industry. As part of this programme of works, a key new building will be the Production and Postproduction Building (PPB).

The PPB will be a state-of-the-art facility that allows for both film and game production. This will include motion capture, green screen, and virtual production combined within the one building. The shared space will encourage creative collaboration and the use of advanced technology in both fields.

The facility needs to be operational for semester 1 in 2026. We have a tight timeframe, so in order to de-risk the main construction works and enable to project to be completed on time, we are going to be procuring a civils contractor to complete the enabling works while the rest of the design is being completed.

An underground piped portion of the Ilam Stream currently runs under the proposed building location, but otherwise the site is generally brownfields. The works will generally include:
Relocation of the underground 1350 dia piped section of the Ilam Stream
Daylighting of circa 1/3 of the 115m total length
Limited tree removal and stream creation works
Cut-over once completed
Excavation and removal of the existing pipe
Establish site access and laydown area for main contractor
All works associated with creating the building platform
Service lead in provisions providing connection points for future work
Create service supply trench

Other possible scope items (still being confirmed so not yet deemed in scope):
Storage swale
Stream bank stabilisation

The contract is proposed to be a NZS3910 Measure and Value contract, with a schedule of quantities to be provided. This is pending UC legal approval.

The project team are currently finishing the design for enabling works and working through resource consenting requirements. The current timeframe for this procurement is expected to be as follows:
Tender released to open market end of February 2024
Preferred supplied identified early April 2024
Proposed contract start date end of April 2024
Timeframes are subject to change and pending consent approvals and UC Legal reviews.