SOCIAL SECURITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 99, 27 March 1939, Page 6

SOCIAL SECURITY

NEW HEADQUARTERS. BUILDING RECORD. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, March 27. The most remarkable building record ever achieved in the Dominion, eclipsing even the quick work done to house the Napier banks after the earthquake, has been completed in Wellington, where this afternoon the Prime Dlinister is opening the head offices of the Social Security Department. Seven weeks ago, the site was a rub-bish-strewn part of a harbour reclamation. To-day it holds a finely constructed edifice, well designed, finished with no evidence of hurried work. Some idea of the extent of the job is pro- \ ided in the figures relating to its floor space. This nearly reaches 50,000 square feet, an area only approached by the country’s largest modern skyscrapers. Just to show that the work could be done with a bit of time to spare the construction company has also completed an ornamental approach consisting of a central circle ior flowers —and the flowers were actually brought from Napier during the week-end to be placed in the beds—radiating paths, asphaltcovered and brick curbed. Turf is growing with no evidence of the current drought, and there arc flourishing flax plants and New Zealand shrubs dotted around. TEAMWORK IN BUILDING. This remarkable building achievement has involved organisation and direction of the most detailed character. Whatever could be fabricated oif the job, anil completed ready tor fixing, has been done at the exhibition, the State housing joinery factory, and in many other factories. This co-ordinated effort seems to point to the way to a now method of building in New Zealand. “Such a building could not have been erected at this speed,” remarked Dir James Fletcher (managing-director of the construction company), “without an enormous strain on the executive officers directing operations. At the same time it provided lessons in mass production of materials, and the utilisation of factories for production of finished goods which required the minimum of fixing on the job. Necessity is the mother of invention, it is said, and on this job we had to find new ways of producing some fittings, notably the heavy ones needed for the lavatories. They could not be imported, but they were made up in New Zealand of a serviceable material, and the cost has been 50 per cent., less. New Zealand materials have provided a firstclass finish.” “It docs not look like a temporary building, eh?” continued Dir Fletcher. “As a matter of fact, both in design and construction, and in workmanship, it is a job which will be good in fifty years. At the same time, it is one of the cheapest office buildings erected in the country, and its maintenance cost will bo low because of the materials used.” FOUR HUNDRED DIEN.

In the emergency caused by the fire destroying the social security building in Aitken Street on February 2, the building trades unions agreed to waive certain conditions of their awards, so tlmt longer shifts could he worked. The job has been almost a continuous one, as there have been two shifts of 10 hours each, and other gangs of men have come oil at various times, particularly on Saturdays. The normal working force, apart from the scores of others engaged in factory work for the building, has been about 400 men per day, rising on occasion to nearly 500. The building has a frontage of 200 feet, a depth of 90 feet, and its height is 60 feet. There are lour storeys in the centre, breaks in the elevation on either side by the introduction of a two-storev section, rising at either end to three storeys. Oregon pine has been utilised in the heavy framework, on which were placed asbestos sheets, carrying the “key” of netting for the final finish of cement plaster of a neat biscuit tint. The floors are of matai and practically all the other fittings of rimu. The roofs are of corrugated asbestos. Fire precautions are thorough. The building at night will be divided into throe sections bv sets of revolving steel shutters, and there is a complete system of fire mains for every floor. Government departments need a tremendous amount of filing space, and the cabinets are all of steel. One of the side-jobs associated with the organisation of an entirely new department has been the furnishing. Dlaterial from the Pensions and Health Departments is being used, and over 200 articles of furniture have been reconditioned so that they will be presentable in their new and well-lighted surroundings. Many of the offices are already equipped, the principal ones having attractive carpeting. One of the well thought out ideas was to plan the location of desks requiring telephones, so that the wires could come through the floor invisibly. Though there is central heating throughout the building, no pipes are visible. The central telephone exchange has fifteen lines to the outside, and 80 connections within the building, a completed job for which the contractors pay high tribute to the Post and Telegraph Department. Electric clocks are fitted to all important rooms, and they are already working, as also is a lift to the highest floor. A mail chute in the centre of the building enables letters to be dropped to the reeeptahle on the ground floor, and the same principle has been adopted for rubbish, with a chute leading into the concreted basement.

Fireproof storage for records is provided in a basement, built partly above ground. It needed over a thousand tons of cement for its construction. In this well lighted section is a cafeteria on the ‘‘helii yourself” principle, and it will seat over 150 customers.

The smooth operation of continuous shifts has been made possible by a staff of capable foremen, who have so managed tlieir hours that incoming shifts have been directed where to take up the job. The general direction has been in the hands of Air J. J. Craig, a director of the construction company.