Fonterra NorthBloc

After successfully delivering Fonterra’s SouthBloc, Livingstone was engaged under an Early Contractor Involvement model to deliver NorthBloc. The project turned an existing Hamilton Central building into a modern, culturally connected workplace for one of New Zealand’s largest co-operatives.

We worked closely with Fonterra, Stark Property and The Building Intelligence Group from the start, alongside two design teams: Edwards White Architects, Holmes and Jewkes Boyd on the base build, and Chow:Hill, BECA and Maltbys on the fitout. Delivering both portions meant Livingstone could align the two, refining buildability, sequencing, cost planning and programme across the shared services and structural interfaces.

Chow:Hill’s fitout design, developed with Designwell, draws on the Waikato rohe and celebrates people, place, co-operation and innovation. Highlights include a large acoustic artwork designed as a cultural mosaic symbolising community, a Level 2 seismic timber ceiling with exposed services, and a bespoke water feature linking the awa to Fonterra’s farming roots.

Working in a live public environment, our team carefully planned staging, noise and traffic management alongside council, neighbouring businesses and stakeholders. When asbestos delays affected the programme, the whole project team resequenced work across both contracts to recover time without compromising safety or quality.

NorthBloc is a workplace that reflects Fonterra’s identity and contributes to the ongoing renewal of Hamilton’s city centre.