Plans for a multi million-dollar innovation centre in Rotorua are gaining momentum, with the architects selected and potential tenants being approached.
Scion announced today it had chosen the architects for its innovation centre to be built at its Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, with construction set to start next April.
The successful proposal was submitted by RTA Studio (Auckland) and Irving Smith Jack Architects (Nelson) who paired up to put together a concept for the building.
The Rotorua centre's purpose is to foster innovation in forestry and wood processing industries, and it was the conceptual design innovation that gave RTA Studio and Irving Smith Jack Architects the edge over the other three short-listed submissions.
In April Scion was allocated up to $2.5 million from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Regional Infrastructure Fund towards the construction of the proposed innovation centre.
Scion chief financial officer Rob Trass said the innovation centre was part of wider efforts to establish Rotorua as a forestry and wood processing industry centre of excellence.
"The architects we have selected demonstrated the type of innovation we are seeking for a building that will be an inspirational showcase of new wood products and building techniques. Novel thinking will be employed in the design concept, taking the best properties of wood to create an affordable, building of high structural integrity," he said.
Scion intends the innovation centre building to be a prototype demonstrating a different way to use wood and wood products capitalising on precision manufacturing, and resulting in construction methods that are lighter and faster than the conventional.
Mr Trass said April 2015 was the target date for construction to start, with completion by December 2015.
"Now that we have a design team in place we are approaching potential tenants, both start-up businesses and small-to-large operations, who will foster collaboration and innovation across the forest and wood processing value chain and with Scion. This is an ideal time to be involved in the project because the input of future tenants will be valued as the concept is firmed up and detailed design work is undertaken," he said.
The project is part of plans to expand Scion's Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, adjacent to its research campus on the fringe of Whakarewarewa Forest and already home to 27 forestry-related businesses.
Regional councillor Lyall Thurston said the project had the potential to provide a significant boost to not only the Rotorua economy, but that of the wider region, bringing employment, economic benefits and innovation.