Watts & Hughes were selected under competitive tender as the main contractor to complete the NH90 Simulator Building at the New Zealand Defence Force base in Ohakea. NZDF had purchased an NH90 simulator to train NH90 crews and maintain their annual qualifications. The project was a new building alongside the existing A109 simulator building. The new building will house the new NH90 Helicopter simulator with support rooms around the simulator hall.

Using a detailed steel structure, the inside of the building remained sparse with the structure left exposed architecturally. The exterior was clad in a dark Kingspan panel with varied textures to break it up. Rodeca translucent cladding was used instead of large curtain walls to allow the space to be filled with light but remain private.

The floor was a concrete slab on grade at varied thicknesses and finishes with the mezzanine being a Comflor over steel structure. Finishes included grind and polished, carpets, vinyl’s and concrete paints.

The services were generally exposed with exception to areas like the bathrooms. Finishes within the areas complemented the façade and structure, where a striking black kitchen was installed, and mezzanine walls clad in a décor tech plywood. The underside of the Kingspan roof was generally exposed and partially lined in autex fabric panels for acoustics.

The comms / UPS room used a gas flood system for fire protection whilst a VESDA system was installed in the simulator hall for a very sensitive monitoring of the simulator. The New Zealand Defence Force has strict security clearance procedures which W&H and all sub-contractors have complied with