October 2022

How ECI will benefit delivery of new homes and amenities at Metlifecare’s Somervale Village

As one of a few building companies in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato to offer a specialised Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) team, the Foster Group have been heavily involved in the design phase of Metlifecare’s regeneration project at Somervale Village at Mount Maunganui.

ECI is a pre-construction phase that reduces risk for the client, the construction team, and in this case, everyone living and working at Somervale Village.

Combining preconstruction management and Building Information Modelling (BIM), building services management, and quantity surveying – Fosters ECI team take care of budget management, early materials and trade procurement, and final design coordination.

For Metlifecare, ECI provides clarification around every step of the project; ensuring delivery is smooth, budget and timeframes are protected, and any risks are identified and mitigated. And, with the project targeting a Homestar 7 rating, Fosters’ knowledge and experience in delivering sustainable builds has also supported the inclusion of key sustainability features into this project design.

Fosters Preconstruction Manager Craig McCullough notes that the ECI phase is especially helpful in projects on an operational site, where the needs of different groups of stakeholders require careful consideration and coordination.

“In the case of Somervale, there are several intricacies with existing services as well as a need to work closely with village staff and, importantly, village residents” he explains. “Our chief concern is managing the project in a live environment with minimal disruption to the village.

“Through the ECI phase, we’ve planned site access, phasing, and construction methodology. Our work will ensure the successful integration of construction innovations and that the project meets Homestar targets.

“It has been a pleasure working with Metlifecare and their design consultants” Craig continues. “With everyone committing to the ECI process, we successfully established a budget early on and have designed to it. We now have a comprehensive programme of works in place, with thought and consideration given to safety, cost-efficiency, and the project timeline.”

Stage 1 of this project will deliver a modern amenity building and 30 new independent living apartments into the retirement village by mid-2024.