Waipa Wood Technology Workshop
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Waiariki’s Waipa campus on the southern boundary of Rotorua has been growing, and it’s no longer used just for students of the forestry and timber industries.
In the last year $2.2 million has been spent on developments at the site, the first significant reinvestment there since the saw mill was built in 1995. The new wood manufacturing centre and a new gasification plant now rub elbows with new facilities for agriculture and horticulture. At the start of this year, agriculture and horticulture training shifted from Mokoia Campus to Waipa where there is simply more space available and it places all of Waiariki’s land-based training – agriculture, horticulture, forestry and wood processing – in one location. “It makes a lot of sense to have all our land-based primary industry training at the Waipa campus,” says Jeremy Christmas, Director, School of Forestry and Primary Industries. “Mokoia Campus is now full of students, and Waipa has a lot room for the school to expand into. The reinvestment in Waipa and the agriculture and horticulture students has certainly revived the campus.” The students cultivating their green thumbs have been enjoying new vegetable gardens and a new tunnel house, both of which are bigger than their predecessors. Agriculture students are also benefitting from the space to learn practical fencing, chainsaw skills and use the purpose-built ATV course on site. The new gasification plant has re-established a process flow of timber from the training saw mill to the high temperature kilns and onto timber machining and treating. This enables integrated saw milling, saw doctoring and timber machining training to occur on site. Additionally, the gasification plant will take waste products like sawdust, woodchip and dry shavings and turn it all into syngas (i.e., synthetic gas) to be used in the boiler to create heat for the dryers – a more sustainable and environmentally friendly process. Mr Christmas says it has been an exciting year for the school given all the developments, and the future is looking bright. “In the last few years we’ve reviewed and revised almost all our curricula in forestry and wood processing, and we’ve upskilled all our staff and improved facilities. “As you’d hope, we’re now attracting more students and better quality students from around the country so we’re well placed, providing wonderful vocational training for the forestry and wood processing industries.” Following on the success of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Trades Academy on Waiariki’s Whakatane campus, Waiariki has developed saw milling and wood processing related programmes undertaken by local high school students. (Source: Waiariki Today, October 2011) Oveerview The Wood Technology Workshop is an extension of the vision and practical capability of the National Centre of Excellence of the Forest and Wood Industry's. The building will have multi-use spaces by use of sliding and folding wall systems. The spaces can be arranged as a Classroom for 25, as offices, a Classroom for 50, a board room, an open plan exhibition space, or a social gathering space. The flexibility allows the easy transformation dependant on the demand. Flexibility is the key. STIC technology will be used for the construction of this building. LVL portal framed workshop and post tensioned post and beam grid to the office - classroom two level form. It is envisaged that the interiors will reflect the grains and warm hues of timber, incorporated into acoustic ceiling and wall panels, flooring and joinery. Timber also fits perfectly with our sustainable vision. Sustainable building features will also include -
The concept plans for this building can be viewed here - Waipa Wood Technology Workshop Concept Drawings For ongoing construction photos - click here. Related links - Structural Timber Innovation Company
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