Legacy Series: Shearwater Lodge

A unique eco-lodge restoration project that enabled the continued protection of an endangered sea bird.Often legacy projects present unique challenges. Shearwater Lodge was no exception due to the remoteness of the site and the comprehensive nature of the work we needed to do.

Shearwater Lodge is a luxury wilderness eco-lodge situated on Puhi Peaks Station, deep in the Seaward Kaikoura Range. Developed sustainably with electricity sourced from a mini hydro-electric system in the nearby stream, the lodge is nestled in a high country valley, surrounded by big mountains and native bush.

Puhi Peaks Station is also home to the endangered Hutton’s Shearwater, the only seabird to nest in the high country and one of only two remaining breeding colonies in the world. Shearwater Lodge plays an important role in the management of this colony, providing accommodation for those who help with the conservation of the species.

Damaged in the Kaikoura earthquakes, Shearwater Lodge needed to be assessed for seismic damage. Fox and Associates was called in by the project structural engineer to undertake a floor levels and verticality survey, which assisted with designing a repair strategy.

The 4WD track to the Lodge was also earthquake damaged making helicopter access the only viable way of getting to the site. This meant there was no real economical option to go back so we needed to capture all the required data in one site visit.

To capture all the necessary information during the limited time available, we undertook a 3D laser scan survey of the building’s interior and exterior. This was completed within a day and gave us all the data we needed to deliver a quality end-product to the client.

This included:

• Ensuring the captured data met acceptable accuracy tolerances and that the modelled data correctly reflected the true state of the building on-site.
• Preparing and presenting a dataset that clearly and thoroughly depicted the state of the building in a manner that all users could interpret and understand.

It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in this project. Not only have we assisted in the restoring the lodge back to its former glory but we have also enabled the management and protection of the Hutton’s Shearwater colony.