21-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Residential college wins construction award
University of Otago organisational delivery senior project manager Kirsten Eichstaedt and capital works head Wes Jenkins with this year's Project Management Institute of New Zealand Aotearoa Construction Project of the Year awards for construction management of Te Rangihīroa College. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN
Te Rangihīroa College has become more than just a place to sleep for University of Otago students.
It is now a multi-award-winning home away from home.
The university's first new purpose-built residential college in over 50 years has picked up another major award — this year's Aotearoa Construction Project of the Year, at the Project Management Institute of New Zealand (PMINZ) awards.
PMINZ president Carol Speirs said the winners exemplified the very best of project delivery in New Zealand.
"They represent the talent, innovation, and resilience driving progress across the country — from digital transformation to infrastructure and sustainability."
University of Otago property and campus development director Tanya Syddall said the award was in recognition of the construction project's outstanding project management and leadership team.
She was proud of the project, which had become an "example" for others in the construction industry.
"It's an amazing space for our tauira/students and has become a major feature on the Dunedin campus and a very popular choice for those coming to study at Otago."
The facilities include 450 bedrooms, flexible study spaces, a large student lounge, a movie room, a sound-proof music room, a media room equipped for gaming and a courtyard with a half basketball court.
Eight of the rooms also have a remote vibrating unit, which helps hearing-impaired students to wake up if a fire alarm is activated.
Last year, Te Rangihīroa College won three other industry awards, including an Excellence Award in the Multi-Unit Residential Property category at the Property Industry Awards.
The 7730sqm, seven-floor facility was designed by Jasmax architects and constructed by Southbase Construction.
Te Rangihīroa was the name of an Otago alumni (Sir Peter Buck), who was the first Māori medical graduate from a New Zealand university, in 1904.
Ngāti Mutunga, the iwi of Te Rangihīroa, gifted the name to the university in 2013.
