Providing timber engineering performance well above code level requirements the 3 storey Young Hunter house was the first Pres-Lam response to the devastation of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. Situated on Victoria Street in the heart of the rebuild, three storey Pres-Lam frames support a timber-concrete-composite floor creating wide open spaces occupied by shops and business.

Construction of the Pres-Lam frames was rapid with a vacant site next to the foundation being used as a staging area for post-tensioning works. All tendons were threaded through the beams and preloaded on the ground allowing full frames to be lifted into place creating a safe and sturdy platform instantaneously.

Laboratory testing was used in order to confirm the structural design and optimise the use of Pres-Lam and its innovative elements. The end result was a cost effective, open-plan, quake-resistance structure - crucial for post-quake Christchurch.

Image 1 (top): Exterior view (north/west facade).
Image 2 (right): Stairwell.
Image 3 (below): Exterior north facade.