Award for police station

Senior constable Deb Hann inside the police station. Photo: Aaron Radford.

Judges singled out the Cambridge Police Station for a special award at the Master Builders national awards.

The award is given at the discretion of judges for a specific outstanding project or element of a project they feel is worthy of recognition.

The police hub was designed by Richard Mauriohooho of Paua Architects in collaboration with Renata Te Wiata of Tohunga Whakairo.

Paua practice principal and registered architect Antanas Procuta of Cambridge said the special award, and a silver award given at the same ceremony, were a testament to Tainui Group Holdings, the project’s developer/owner, project managers Greenstone and Alaska Construction Interiors.

The project was the only Waikato one at the awards won by Voco-Hie, a 39-storey, 140m tall hotel development in Auckland.

“The Cambridge Police Hub is unlike any other in New Zealand. It is the first police hub to be developed under a partnership agreement between Tainui Group Holdings and NZ Police to support the build of modern, sustainable, community-minded police facilities across the Waikato,” judges said.

“Designed to house 15 staff, while incorporating co-location spaces for community groups and local iwi, this new hub moves away from the traditional look and feel of a police station and incorporates the concept of manākitanga.

“The space provides services to the community, while enabling public safety. The building successfully incorporates many elements reflecting the local environment and community, including visual features of significance to Waikato-Tainui and use of the region’s Hinuera stonework.”

Materials used included brick, stone, aluminium and Corten steel. The project team sourced local materials wherever possible.