SUMMARY

This heritage property located on The Terrace in Wellington has undergone a seismic upgrade overseen by renowned Wellington based architects - Alistair Cox Architects.

This project has transformed this space into a beautiful bar and eatery. Newton Specialist Contractor Riteway Waterproofing played a pivotal role in the renovation project, effectively tackling water infiltration problems the lower level and basement area of this sloping site.

THE PROJECT

This building is located on the lower side of The Terrace that sweeps down to Wellington’s waterfront. During bouts of rain, water gathers and flows down The Terrace and the adjacent staircase that lies against the structure. This surface water compounds the pressure of the existing ground water and as this hydrostatic pressure builds, water depressurizes itself by finding its way through weak points in the structure, thus entering the lower ground floor and basement.

As this upgrade had been architecturally designed to be a habitable space with contemporary and high-end finishes then water ingress of any kind was not acceptable.

This is also a heritage building in an area of high earthquake risk with no ability to access or “dig out” the external side of the structure, so all waterproofing had to occur internally and cater for the needs of the building.

After considering all of the above - Newton Cavity Drain Membrane (CDM) was recommended, designed and installed.

THE SOLUTION

The Newton CDM System 500 is the most reliable form of waterproofing protection in New Zealand. This system comprises of CODEMARK approved cavity drain membrane and drainage channels that encompass the space to create a solution that depressurises the water before safely managing and removing it from the structure.

The selection of the Newton System 500 stems from its compatibility with historic buildings. Its application is gentle on the structure, with the added benefits of flexibility and reversibility.

THE RESULT

We are very proud to have been involved in the regeneration of this rich heritage site. This site is now upgraded to a beautiful bar and restaurant in central Wellington. All of the high-end flooring, fixtures and finishes are protected by the Newton Cavity Membrane System. As this is the only system that is maintainable in New Zealand then we know that we have prolonged the life of this iconic structure.

The work was carried out in the agreed time frames, within budget, by Newton Specialist Contractor - Riteway Waterproofing.