The Mataukareao Development is a six-storey A-grade commercial office building in central Ōtepoti Dunedin, delivered for Hāpai Commercial LP (Hāpai) in close partnership with mana whenua, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou. Featuring four levels of premium office space and two levels of car parking – including public parking operated by Dunedin City Council – the project is targeting a 5-star Green Star Built rating.

For Hāpai, this marks a forward-looking investment designed to drive long-term value, sustainability, and Tenant appeal, with Pacific Radiology as the anchor tenant. The building’s architectural design reflects the site’s cultural history, guided by mana whenua and design lead Morgan Darlison (Kaitiaki Studios), and includes modern, efficient facilities.

The name Mataukareao was gifted by Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, acknowledging the site’s history as a waka landing place and mahinga kai. A cultural narrative developed by Dr Megan Pōtiki brings this kōrero to life, reflecting the deep relationship between the rūnanga, Otago Harbour, and the city of Ōtepoti.

RDT Pacific acted as the representative for Hāpai, providing comprehensive Project Management, Quantity Surveying, and Engineer to the Contract services under an NZS3916 contract, along with Bank Quantity Surveyor (QS) reporting.

More than just consultants, we served as a unified interface between Hāpai, Tenants, and Contractor – reducing complexity and ensuring all voices were heard throughout the build. Our integrated services allowed us to manage evolving Tenant needs and ensure delivery within budget, while maintaining programme continuity on a challenging, tightly constrained urban site.

We supported Hāpai through complex Tenant fit-out coordination, managing updates throughout construction to all stakeholders. Working on a boundary-to-boundary site with an active shared laneway required detailed logistical planning, while relocating a neighbouring retail entrance – including consenting – was handled as a Separable Portion to the new development.

Economically, socially, and environmentally, Mataukareao is designed for long-term performance. Features such as EV charging, public transport proximity, and high acoustic performance make it a modern, adaptive, and efficient workplace. For Hāpai, it’s a secure, sustainable asset – built to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s expectations.

A key takeaway was the value of clearly defined requirements for Hāpai early in the process. Clear scope definition supports both Contractor alignment and smoother Tenant onboarding, particularly when ATL negotiations and fit-out activities overlap with base build delivery.