LumberBank NZ Ltd

From an old office that needed replacing to a Silver Award at the 2026 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards — what a journey it's been. This build was the result of a lot of people working hard together, and we're grateful to everyone who played a part: Studio Fox Architects, Steve Collie and the team at Leisurecom Modular Homes and our own team here at LumberBank.

Here's the full story, from start to finish. If you're thinking about your next building and what engineered timber could bring to it, this is what's possible — we'd love to help you make it a standout.

Get in touch or explore the range at lumberbankarchitectural.co.nz

The final pieces go in. The last sections are lifted and settled into position, each one bringing the building closer to complete. After the journey from Cambridge, it's coming together on site — right where it was always meant to be. The finished building is next.

Lift day. This is the moment it all comes together — the sections craned into position and guided into place. It's a real team effort on the ground: hands steadying the building, ropes keeping it tracking, everyone double-checking as each piece is set down. Precise, careful work after months of planning.

Almost home. After the last stretch of motorway and a careful run through the Great South Road intersections, the building arrives at the LumberBank site. The section reversing into place is the one closest to the road — wrapped in PureOak cladding, and set to become the face of the building. The site's prepped and the crane's in position. Come morning, the lift begins.

On the road, and on the move. The building makes its way from Cambridge to Auckland — clocking up the Ks, a bit of night driving, and a full structure rolling down the street like it's the most normal thing in the world. It isn't. Thanks again to Relocation Contractors Limited for getting it there safely.

So, how do you actually move a building? You put it on a truck. After being built off site at Leisurecom, the completed building hits the road for Auckland — a full structure travelling the motorway in one piece. A big thank you to Relocation Contractors Limited, who moved the building and supported us through the entire journey. Not something you see on the motorway every day.

The building moves into its next phase — walls closing in, and the exterior starting to go on. You'll catch it here somewhere in between: some sections still open, others being wrapped in LumberTherm PureOak cladding. It brings warmth and character to the outside while standing up to the weather for the long run. Bit by bit, the building starts to look the part.

The frame goes up, and the building starts to read as a building. Walls are being closed in and prepped for cladding, while the roof comes together up top. The framing here is built in LVL, with our LumberWorx I-beams doing a lot of the work through the structure — engineered to be strong and light at the same time. That combination matters: the strength holds everything true, and the lighter weight makes the whole structure easier to move and place when the time comes.

The hero of the build. The Magna structural glulam — developed in-house by LumberBank — carries the outside of this building and does it in style. Laminated for stability, it barely moves; in fact, building inspectors on site were convinced the posts were steel. Architect Ron Fox of Studio Fox Architects designed to express it, not hide it. Engineered to perform, and made to be seen.