Rollforming Services Ltd - Victoria Lane Apartments

⏱️ 2 min read

Rising above the vibrant Cuba Quarter in Wellington, New Zealand, the Victoria Lane Apartments is a first for many reasons. 

Not only is it the first base-isolated residential development in Wellington, but it is also one of the first major projects in New Zealand to incorporate telescopic panels which are adjustable, expandable panels which are manufactured to fit interior spaces easily and quickly.

Manufactured by Rollforming Services using the X-TENDA™ 3600, these telescopic panels are a ground-breaking solution that contractors reported cut installation time by 50%, compared with traditional stick framing with stud and track. They also dramatically reduced waste and associated labour costs.

The project: Victoria Lane Apartments

The Victoria Lane Apartments is a NZ$140 million mixed-use development that includes 123 apartments across 12 floors. Incorporating different floorplans for 1-3 bedrooms, each apartment has been finished to high specifications with tiled bathrooms, engineered timber floors and stone benchtops.

Completed in March 2023, by a major New Zealand construction firm, this project was delivered on time and within budget.

The technology: X-TENDA^TM 3600 proves its versatility

When working with multiple floor plans and high-end finishing, speed, precision and accuracy for interior framing is paramount.

That is why the project team approached Rollforming Services. Rollforming Services, sister company of Howick Ltd, manufactures high quality, roll-formed light gauge steel solutions from a purpose-built factory in Auckland. 

With access to the latest Howick technology, Rollforming Services was able to put the Howick X-TENDA™ 3600 to work. 

For a project of this complexity, this machine is a standout performer, thanks to its versatility and ground-breaking telescopic framing. Panels made from Howick X-TENDA™ 3600 can be made to slide in all directions to perfectly fit uneven and non-level spaces, without any measuring and cutting onsite. The telescopic panels are also lightweight and retractable, making them easy to manoeuvre around tight spaces.

Contractor used 3-step process

To streamline the interior construction of each level, the contractor took a three-stage approach

Step 1 – Main corridor

First, acoustically rated corridor walls were installed. These walls consisted of 92mm top and bottom tracks with a deflection header and 63mm telescopic studs. The telescopic studs were staggered at 30cm and could be adjusted to reach the slab without re-measuring and cutting onsite.

Step 2 – Inter-tenancy walls

Next, inter-tenancy walls were added using 63mm telescopic stud walls with a deflection header and 50mm air gap between them. The wall ends were also made horizontally telescopic to meet up with the outside of the structure and the corridor wall. These walls were diagonally braced to keep them straight. They also included a nogging below the deflection header to fix the plasterboard and holes for easy access to fix the panel to the slab above.

Step 3 – Internal apartment walls

Finally, each apartment had internal fixed-height walls installed with a false ceiling. These walls were horizontally telescopic to extend out between inter-tenancy walls and the exterior of the structure.

Online 3D models to help crew onsite

Rollforming Services manufactured more than 67,000 metres of framing for this project, which was flat-packed and assembled onsite by the installation crew. Each component had a QR code printed on it that linked to a web-based viewer that hosted 3D models of every aspect of the job. By scanning the code, anyone onsite could easily see how each frame interacted, where they connected, and which way the bracing should go.

The result was a faster and easier installation that required 50% less labour than traditional stick framing with stud and track. 

Benefits delivered:

• 50% less labour required compared with stick framing
• Drastic reduction of material wastage
• Contributed to overall build delivered on time and on budget