Completed works at Project Kelly, two massive film studios in Auckland that we delivered with Haydn & Rollett. The Aotearoa New Zealand film industry produces some world-class content, so we knew our part had to deliver in a way that would live up to international standards.

Huge air conditioning platforms, stairs, and 800m of latticework trusses all put special demands on a film space. Not only do these units have to be functional, but critically they also have to be isolated and prevented from transmitting vibration and noise into the studio spaces.

Our part started in mid 2021, with the installation just wrapping up. We worked with the structural and design engineers on the job to develop a hanging ply-decked XBEAM walkway that ran from portal to portal, as well as some huge aircon platforms outside, ladders, and central-column stairs with acoustic breaks built in. The walkway handrails were engineered to allow the studios to hang lighting and speakers off it safely – something that they were able to do, having saved a lot of weight by switching from steel to aluminium.

It was a complex, six-week install that required us to feed up modular segments of each solution and assemble in situ. But the result was ideal: more floor space for the studio to use, and enough vibration elimination to keep things quiet on set.

The project was developed by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and was co-funded by Government and Auckland Council. The project received funding from the Government’s Covid Infrastructure Covid Recovery Fund.