Nelson Real Estate

Wood, just for today, stronger than Steel?

Ok…….. so a statement like this may indicate that I might be inciting some comment?

Well on the merit of this local story I could just be the first person you have ever met to encourage you to possibly incline yourself to re-think some long held beliefs.

Local Nelson longstanding construction firm, Gibbons Construction, have been commissioned to build a 1431 m2 building that is proposed to be the new local base for NZ Couriers and Poste Haste Couriers.

Not in Nelson central as some would think, but in a steadily increasing forward thinking trend, out towards “the suburbs” (that’s Nelson speak) to a more central position regionally to take advantage of available transport corridor options, in Stoke.

The Nelson Mail is reporting that the construction will be one of the first of this type locally, and in this case I certainly in no way, disagree.

Why?

Well I’m proud to report it has a lot to do with local sustainability……..huh?

Yes, well….but in the Nelson local region we don’t have any steel trees, and last time I looked……..even less of the ironwood variety.

According to the report, the building would normally have required approx. 22 tonnes of steel, and the builders have decided to…….get ready for this…….replace this with 50 cubics of locally grown and manufactured wood products.

C’mon guys,…………..novel thought, or what!

As I have said before, we aren’t backward when it comes to thinking forward.

The local supplied, and interestingly enough (in these times) untreated Douglas Fir purlins will form the basis of the building, in a move that Scott Gibbons, MD of local construction co, Gibbons Construction… believes will “provide more work for local businesses and reduce (reduced) the buildings carbon footprint.”

Hello?

Hold on a moment ….did I hear that right ….can you ……….repeat that?

And just in case you didn’t

He said ……………….. “provide more work for local businesses”.

Moreover, and importantly in these seemingly unpredictable times, he has to be commended (right or wrong but he stuck his head way up out of the sand here…and I believe its the right decision by a country mile) for what I see as an incredibly perceptive forthright and visible statement, backed up in real-time with demonstrable and fiscal action. Put frankly, positive “local” action if I have ever seen it.

Furthermore Scott said….”prospective tenants were increasingly interested in sustainability” and in his personal thoughts “this form of construction is the way of the future.”

Pinch me………Is this small local New Zealand provincial town Nelson …………or Auckland/Sydney/Tokyo/London?

I can imagine Scott saying “lets move it up a gear….”

No…well then maybe just someone locally like me appreciating what we have…and then showing that appreciation in protecting what we have now and moving forward….(remember the three “f”s I have blogged about previously) as far as to implement really forward thinking strategies that will protect not just his, but my and my friends/families future generations.

Tell me, how good is it to live in a town that has people that think this way?

Just a few short years ago, the word Luddite may have sprung to mind when such ideas or proposals were prostigated?

Now ……….that individual may be called a Laputan or at the outermost – a prestidigitator…..but in my words……just plainly a good bloke.

Well done Scott, a true Nelsonian if ever I’d seen one.

Wouldn’t you want to live somewhere where you know that the citizenry demonstrate they (theory is good, but backing it up financially shows more than just a thread of commimitment in my personal belief) really think forward, isn’t this something you would be pleased to hear your town do?

May 19 2009 12:46 am | Nelson

No Responses to “Wood, just for today, stronger than Steel?”

Peter Driscoll on 19 May 2009 at 2:07 pm #

Well said and well written – makes sense what you say but are there cost implications? which are normally the reasons cited for alternative methods
David Leggott on 20 May 2009 at 8:02 am #

Peter. We are quite fortunate in the forestry department locally and that undoubtedly adds extra to the situation.