Charlotte Philpott our most recent CPEng engineer has been working on the project for over three years and was happy to guide the office around the site. While the main building came through the earthquakes pretty well, strengthening works have included new reinforced shear walls and timber diaphragms. BMC’s solution for the four-storey clock tower that suffered the most damage, was a post-tensioning strategy. Due to the Category one historical building listing none of the strengthening works was to affect the exterior facade of the building, leading to some creative solutions. While the project has had its challenges and quirks (as all old buildings do), we look forward to the day it reopens to the public.