RICS Award: Building Consultancy of the Year 2026
At the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2026 in Auckland, Hampton Jones was named Building Consultancy of the Year, recognising the firm's technical excellence, collaborative approach, and commitment to delivering outstanding outcomes for clients.
A key project underpinning this achievement was the re-cladding of the Manukau Health Park Elective Surgical Hospital, where Hampton Jones Property Consultancy was appointed by Built Environs Ltd during the tender stage to provide specialist weathertightness and façade design expertise.
Delivered under a Design and Build procurement model, the project formed part of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s $316 million Manukau Health Park redevelopment and showcased Hampton Jones' ability to provide specialist advisory services on complex healthcare infrastructure projects.
Hampton Jones Property Consultancy was appointed by Built Environs Ltd at the tender stage to provide specialist weathertightness and façade design expertise for the re‑cladding of the Manukau Health Park Elective Surgical Hospital. The project formed part of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s $316 million Manukau Health Park redevelopment and was delivered under a Design and Build procurement model.
The MESH hospital, opened in 1997, is a landmark healthcare facility serving South Auckland. The original hospital building required modernisation to address systemic weathertightness defects and to improve long‑term durability and performance. A critical requirement of the project was maintaining continuity of hospital services within a live clinical environment, ensuring minimal disruption to patients, clinical staff and critical medical procedures.
Hampton Jones led the building surveying and façade design process for the existing hospital building, coordinating closely with the contractor, client, and specialist sub‑consultants. Our role encompassed investigation, scope definition, design leadership, construction monitoring and stakeholder engagement. Our expertise enabled early risk identification, robust scope confirmation and cost certainty within the Design and Build procurement model.
The outcome was a contemporary, lightweight façade and joinery system that modernised the building, resolved known and latent weathertightness risks, improved thermal and durability performance, and visually integrated the original hospital with the newly constructed hospital wings. The re‑cladding solution extended the building's lifespan and supports the long‑term delivery of essential healthcare services to a rapidly growing community.
Hampton Jones applied specialist building surveying and façade design expertise to manage the inherent uncertainty and risk associated with large‑scale re‑cladding projects in New Zealand. Early engagement at the tender stage enabled the team to conduct detailed reviews of historical weathertightness defects, followed by further invasive investigations to validate and confirm the full scope of remediation works.
A key example of professional judgement was the investigation of the ground-floor timber‑framed structure concealed behind a brick façade. Hampton Jones identified extensive decay that had not been previously recognised and where it had been assumed the brick façade could remain. Early identification of this issue avoided significant programme delays and cost escalation, particularly at junctions where the new hospital wings connected to the existing building.
Hampton Jones also worked closely with the façade engineer and the client to advocate for a continuous building envelope wrap that extended beyond the original scope, including the replacement of soffits, fascias, and gutters. This solution delivered a higher‑performing, maintenance‑free envelope and avoided future costly access requirements. These decisions demonstrated that they were acting in the client's best interests and prioritising long‑term asset performance.
The procurement of specialist sub‑consultants for fire, façade, and structural design was carefully managed, including scope definition and pricing. Hampton Jones led staged design development that aligned with hospital operations and construction sequencing. Construction monitoring, timber remediation advice, condition surveys and disabled access audits were undertaken in accordance with professional standards, including adherence to RICS ethical principles.
The project was delivered through close collaboration between Hampton Jones, Built Environs, Te Whatu Ora and a wider specialist consultant team. Hampton Jones worked as part of a joint delivery model, bringing specialist expertise not available in‑house to the contractor while maintaining clear professional independence.
Coordination was essential due to the active hospital environment. Hampton Jones participated in stakeholder sessions with hospital representatives, including clinical staff, and patient advocate groups, to understand operational impacts and minimise disruption to medical procedures. Design staging, investigations and construction works were planned with these stakeholders to ensure continuity of care.
Hampton Jones led a consultation with Mana Whenua to inform the façade design, ensuring that the colour palette and visual expression acknowledged the cultural and historical significance of the site and reflected the land's rich history.
The building surveying investigation team comprised a mix of male and female surveyors and lead female Architect, supporting diversity within the profession and the delivery team. Regular design team meetings, safety-in-design workshops, and structured stakeholder engagement supported effective coordination and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
Site observation was done by a joint team of Hampton Jones architects, structural engineers, facade engineers and contractors, often accompanied by specialist trades. This facilitated collaboration directly on site to make sure all team members were satisfied and on board with the matters discussed.
The MESH hospital re‑cladding project was delivered on time and within the agreed budget, achieving the client’s objectives within a highly complex live hospital environment.
The project successfully resolved systemic weathertightness defects, improved durability and thermal performance, and integrated the existing hospital building with the newly constructed wings forming part of the wider Manukau Health Park redevelopment.
A key project outcome was the early identification of concealed structural decay within the existing building envelope. Through targeted invasive investigations led by Hampton Jones, previously unknown decay in ground-floor timber framing was identified at an early stage. This directly avoided significant cost escalation and programme disruption, particularly at critical interfaces between the existing hospital and new wings. Addressing this risk early enabled informed scope decisions and maintained programme certainty.
Adoption of a continuous building envelope solution improved overall façade performance and reduced future maintenance risk by replacing existing timber soffits, exposed rafters and poor condition guttering. By explaining the benefits to the client and by agreement extending remediation beyond the client's original scope, the team achieved a higher‑performing, more durable asset while protecting the client from recurrent defect risk and future unplanned expenditure. The new maintenance free option provided improved operational health and safety by avoiding the need for maintenance works at height.
Best-practice building surveying and façade consultancy were demonstrated through a robust investigation methodology, evidence‑based design decisions, proactive risk management, and ongoing construction monitoring. Hampton Jones’ early and continuous involvement supported cost-effectiveness by validating the scope prior to construction and reducing the likelihood of reactive design changes during delivery.
Programme management was achieved through staged investigations and design development aligned with hospital operations. Careful planning and sequencing ensured clinical services remained uninterrupted, despite the complexity of working within an occupied healthcare facility.
The wider Manukau Health Park redevelopment introduced critical new healthcare facilities, including operating theatres, radiology hubs, renal services and advanced breast‑care facilities. Outpatient demand in the region is expected to increase by more than 20 per cent over the coming decade, and the successful re‑cladding of the existing hospital building plays a key role in supporting this growth.
Client feedback has described the MESH project as a “shining light” within the broader Manukau Health Park redevelopment programme, reflecting strong satisfaction with technical leadership, risk management and delivery outcomes.
Innovation on the MESH re‑cladding project was driven by adaptive delivery, risk‑led planning and collaborative problem‑solving rather than technological novelty. The project adopted an early contractor engagement and Design and Build delivery approach to manage the inherent uncertainty and risk associated with re‑cladding an occupied hospital building in New Zealand.
Hampton Jones provided specialist weathertightness and façade expertise to inform bid strategy, scope definition and risk pricing. This approach was used in place of a more conventional sequential design–bid–build model, enabling informed decision‑making and greater cost certainty for the client before committing to construction.
A tailored design, staging and investigation strategy was developed to suit live hospital operations. Invasive investigations, design development, and construction works were sequenced to maintain uninterrupted clinical services, requiring flexible planning and creative sequencing. This adaptive approach enabled the team to respond quickly to newly identified conditions, including concealed structural decay, without compromising programme outcomes.
Innovation was embedded through the application of best‑practice building science and risk-mitigation strategies, including early validation of the scope, advocacy for continuous-envelope solutions, and whole‑of‑life performance considerations. These strategies improved asset durability and reduced future maintenance risk, delivering long‑term value beyond the immediate project.
The team demonstrated resilience and adaptability by continuously adjusting design and construction approaches as new information emerged, while maintaining alignment with stakeholder needs, programme constraints and patient care priorities. This collaborative and responsive delivery model enabled successful outcomes within a complex, high‑sensitivity environment and delivered meaningful social impact through the ongoing operation of a critical healthcare facility.
Sustainability principles were embedded in the project through a strong focus on asset longevity, whole‑of‑life performance and social value within a critical piece of healthcare infrastructure. The project prioritised climate change mitigation and adaptation by extending the service life of the existing hospital building through targeted remediation rather than replacement, avoiding the significant embodied carbon associated with demolition and reconstruction.
The contemporary façade and joinery system addressed systemic weathertightness defects and improved thermal performance, durability and weather resistance. Improving insulation and airtightness has reduced heat loss and moisture ingress, supporting lower operational energy demand over the building’s remaining life and improving resilience to increasingly severe weather events.
Material selection focused on robust, low‑maintenance systems, including replacement of soffits, fascias and gutters with durable materials. These choices reduce the need for future scaffold access, lowering long‑term resource use, waste generation and carbon emissions associated with maintenance activities.
While a full carbon assessment was not undertaken, extending the building’s operational life represents a significant avoided carbon outcome compared with replacement construction. Biodiversity impacts were managed by working within the existing building footprint and avoiding unnecessary disturbance to surrounding site areas. The design approach respected the existing landscape and minimised further environmental disruption.
Social sustainability was a central consideration. Hampton Jones engaged meaningfully with Te Whatu Ora stakeholders, hospital staff, surgeons and patient advocate groups to ensure the works were planned and staged to minimise disruption to clinical services.
Engagement with Mana Whenua informed the façade design, colour palette and visual expression, reflecting the cultural and historical significance of the site and contributing to a sense of place for future generations.
The project contributes to health and well-being by improving the internal environments in a live hospital, enhancing comfort for patients and staff through improved thermal performance and reduced moisture‑related risks. By safeguarding and upgrading a vital healthcare facility, the project supports improved long‑term health outcomes for South Auckland’s growing community.
Hampton Jones Property Consultancy provided specialist building surveying and façade design services for the re‑cladding of the Manukau Health Park Elective Surgical Hospital (MESH), part of Te Whatu Ora’s $316 million redevelopment. Working within a live hospital environment, the team led investigations, design, and construction monitoring to address systemic weathertightness defects and improve long‑term durability. Early identification of hidden structural decay and advocacy for a high‑performance continuous building envelope protected the client from increased cost and programme risk as well as whole of life and future maintenance costs. The project was delivered on time and within budget, extending the life of a vital healthcare facility serving South Auckland.