Te Awamutu Hub nabs design award
26 October 2018
Te Awamutu's hub was announced a winner at the Property Council of New Zealand - We Are Waikato - Property People Awards 2018.
Last night in Hamilton, Waipā and Beca scooped the Property Council New Zealand Urban Design Award for the development of the Te Awamutu Hub including the Pioneer Park Playground and Pop n' Good Bike Park.
Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest said the project was the result of 10 years of planning and both Council and Beca had achieved something quite special for the community.
The development includes a water play area, under-5 play area, balance and slide area, new playground equipment as well as the bike skills park. The existing BBQ and picnic area were upgraded to make the area a community focal point, sitting alongside the Mangaohoi Stream.
But more importantly, it was how the development created a focal point for the community that was most impressive, Mylchreest said.
The new playground and bike skills park are fantastic additions to the Selwyn Park area and sit alongside the existing library, events centre and rose gardens. We were able to create a wonderful family atmosphere, attract visitors to the heart of our town and build on the real sense of community Te Awamutu is already well known for.
Beca's Waikato regional manager Richard Douch said it was great to be recognised amongst six other outstanding entries, including nationally recognised projects in their own right, such as Victoria on the River.
We're incredibly proud of the Hub' and what it means for the community. It incorporates both best practice urban design principles and the needs of the people of Te Awamutu. It is more than just a playground, bike skills park and street upgrade - it incorporates the collective effort of the past 10 years, from strategy, to design, to implementation and securing the Selwyn street area as a community hub.
The vision and leadership by Council, and the role the community has played along each stage has been particularly exciting for our team to be involved in. We hope children and adults alike make the most of it.
The community were taken on a journey from concept through to the finished product, including using virtual reality, hosting walking tours to show how the bike park would integrate with the established rose gardens and hosting an opening party attracting 1,500 adults, children and their bikes.
The Pop n' Good bike park was generously funded by Te Awamutu-based company, Davies Food, who launched the healthy popcorn brand in their Te Awamutu home kitchen in 1984.