The centre, Whare Mahana, will be the first community facility within New Zealand to be built to Passive House standards.
Queenstown Lakes District Council property director Quintin Howard said contractors had completed all other work possible while waiting for the windows.
"This Passive House build requires special, highly energy-efficient windows that we had originally sourced from New Zealand. Unfortunately, our domestic supplier went out of business during the pandemic, leaving us with no choice but to import. There has since been a longer-than-expected delay in them arriving from Germany due to well-publicised global supply chain issues," Mr Howard said.
Opting for a lower-spec alternative was not an option, as it would have compromised the rationale behind the build, in catering to the community’s long-term needs.
"General progress has been excellent: most GIB stopping and interior painting is complete, new grass is growing where it won’t be disturbed, outside concrete paths have been laid, and the car park and Hopkins St have been sealed," he said.
With the project nearing completion, the surrounding of the hall will be landscaped, with existing play equipment replaced, picnic tables, seating, and a barbecue.
"The Luggate Community Association is aware of the revised opening date and I’m positive local residents will be rightly proud of the new centre — a true first for New Zealand in terms of its environmental credentials," Mr Howard said.
Passive House standards require builds to remain 20-22 degrees, year-round.
There are four stages in a Passive House project: concept or preliminary design stage, design stage review, construction review and final certification.
The final certification process is undertaken by an independent, third-party review.
In order to meet the certified standard, the build must include high-performance windows and doors, excellent insulation, an airtight building envelope, no thermal bridges, mechanical ventilation and design-stage energy modelling.
The original Luggate Memorial Hall was built in 1954 and demolished in June 2021.
Construction of the new hall began in July 2021.
Bookings to hire the new centre will open around mid-September through the Council website.
-- Staff Reporter
