Several Rondo systems were specified for the Elizabeth St Towers project in Tauranga, New Zealand to provide a complete solution to the luxury build.

Located in the city’s CBD, the $200-million ‘gateway to the CBD’ is home to residential luxury apartments and sky townhouses that rise out of a newly opened podium base of retail fashion and beauty, including food and beverage offerings that welcome a new vibrancy to the coastal city. Built on a site of deep cultural significance and history, Elizabeth St Towers represents one of the most remarkably restorative transformations taking shape in Tauranga.

Entering the project early in the development phase, Rondo worked alongside Ignite Architects to deliver a full, non-structural envelope design comprising of external wall framing, external soffits and canopies, and internal walls and ceilings. This project is an excellent example of Rondo’s unrivalled design support and diverse range of systems working to provide a full solution.

The bespoke 3D design façade of the apartments with overhang and bulkhead details included extremely large openings that were a crucial detail of the luxury design, allowing for expansive views of the harbour and beyond.

These design details were achieved with the use of Rondo MAXIframe, an external wall framing system that added increased strength to the external walls, minimising the need to introduce secondary structural steel to the project. This benefited the construction program in terms of both time and installation efficiencies.

The proximity to the waterfront coupled with the scale, meant that the project would be highly exposed to wind, creating a significant double-duty for the MAXIframe system.

To ensure a fully non-combustible façade system, it was important to exclude timber framing elements from design and construction, particularly on the external framing envelope. Rondo top hats, along with Rondo steel studs were utilised to successfully deliver on this objective for the external soffits, while MAXIframe ensured successful inclusion of the external walls as part of the non-combustible system.

The Rondo design team collaborated with the contractors to deliver an effective design, with particular focus on site specific situations. Minimising design variations and assisting with a fluent construction sequence were important aspects for the entire project team.

Rondo partnered with EQSTRUC to ensure all Rondo designs were independently reviewed and certified with PS1 documentation. The EQSTRUC collaboration also included an extensive construction monitoring program, addressing requests for information on site, and making design changes to suit specific constraints.

Rondo is proud to have collaborated with key industry partners to accomplish the high standard of construction, and compliance of the Elizabeth St Towers development.

Featured Rondo products:

  • MAXIframe external wall framing system
  • KEY-LOCK concealed ceiling system
  • Steel stud & track framing system
  • Top hats