K3 has emerged as a turnkey solution to the ever- growing housing crisis in Hawke’s Bay with its latest move establishing an offsite building facility in the Irongate Industrial zone.
The offsite build facility, officially named Te Whare Tipu, currently has 22 transportable homes under construction either for local Papakāinga or for immediate flood relief housing. K3 chief executive Aayden Clarke says the facility, is a hive of activity with builders, electricians, plumbers, painters and scaffolder teams.
“It’s all go at the facility both inside and outside with builders and other tradies spurring each other on as they build well-designed five star quality housing for our whanau. The houses are of contemporary design but follow an efficient build process that takes about 12 weeks to construct before being transported to properties.”
K3’s broader goal is to provide training, employment and business opportunities for Māori, increasing living standards and income levels.
“K3 is committed to make real progress in building affordable homes for those living in the Kahungunu rohe. We believe all whānau should have the opportunity to live in a warm, dry and beautiful home,” says Aayden.
It currently has 65 apprentices overseen by trades training manager James Thurston as part of the Government’s Māori Trades and Training Fund. Apprentices are connected to one of the 122 Māori and tauiwi (non-Māori) owned business which K3 has partnered or providing business skills support.
“We are focussed on creating career pathways for youth and providing wrap around business support for Māori businesses so that they remain sustainable in a challenging economic environment.”
As well as the modern prefabrication building facility, K3 is building 49 houses for the government’s housing agency Kainga Ora onsite in Maraenui, with two already completed, eight near completion with the remainder to start in coming months. K3 was established in 2019 as a land development entity, sitting under the Ngati Kahungunu Asset Holding Company on behalf of iwi Ngati Kahungunu.
Aayden says K3 is now well established to offer a ‘one stop shop’ to get whanau into new houses across parts of Hawke’s Bay that has been hit hardest by Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We’re ready and it’s obviously more important than ever to have a range of housing solutions that take the pressure off those that were already in transitional or emergency housing as well as for those that have lost their homes due to the cyclone.”
Mr Clarke says K3 will continue to refine their designs and streamline building processes to further fast track whanau into housing. It is also continuing to progress a Government fast track consent for a large 600+ mixed-use affordable housing development on 22 hectares of land adjacent to Maraenui Park.
