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Rebuilding a resilient, inclusive Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand

After Extensive Damage Caused by an Earthquake, Architects Warren and Mahoney Help Restore Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand, Enhancing its Resilience and Inclusivity.

  • Client: Warren and Mahoney

  • Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

  • Industry: Construction

  • Autodesk Solutions: Revit, Forma, Construction Cloud

OVERVIEW:

On Feb. 22, 2011, a shallow, intense, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, near the city’s business center district, causing widespread damage and claiming 185 lives. The damage to the city’s buildings and infrastructure was severe, as these structures were already weakened from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred just five months earlier on Sept. 4, 2010. 

CHALLENGES:

Multiple buildings collapsed, roads were cracked, and water mains burst. Christ Church Cathedral—situated in front of Cathedral Square and considered to be the center and heart of the city—suffered extensive damage, to the point where no one could enter it. The cathedral and the square are very important to the people of Christchurch, including the local indigenous Tangata Whenua and Iwi. 

Before the earthquake, there wasn’t much of an indigenous presence in the square, so when international architecture and design practice Warren and Mahoney began work on the project, the firm formed a partnership with residents of Christchurch and the area’s indigenous locals, retaining historical elements of the cathedral while rebuilding the square to be more inclusive.

SOLUTIONS:

Warren and Mahoney used several key digital tools to restore the Christ Church Cathedral after the 2011 earthquake. They adopted Autodesk Revit for 3D modeling, enabling detailed design work and cloud-based collaboration among their team. Tools were used to capture laser point cloud scans and drone footage of the cathedral's interior, which were then integrated into a collaborative cloud environment, Autodesk Creative Cloud to guide the design process. Additionally, the firm utilized Autodesk Forma to explore design options early in the project.

BENEFITS & OUTCOME:

The project managed to preserve the cathedral’s heritage while enhancing its resilience for the future. The cloud-based platforms also facilitated collaboration among architects, engineers, and contractors, ensuring effective contributions from all parties. As a result, Warren and Mahoney not only successfully delivered the cathedral restoration but also - Download the full Case Study to read all project outcomes and conclusions...

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