Cultural Icon Restored to Original Splendour

The ASB Waterfront Theatre is a modern, 675 seat performing arts venue and the home of the Auckland Theatre Company.

It has received numerous awards for its design, efficiency, and sustainability, including a 2017 Auckland Architecture Award for Sustainable Architecture.

Built by Hawkins Construction and opened in 2016, the theatre’s aesthetic is defined in part by its impressive Cedar feature walls.

The building has two main Cedar walls high on the west and south faces. There are also Cedar doors at ground level on the west and north sides.

Maintenance Timeline

TimberTech was first contacted on the 3rd of March, 2025.

7th March, 2025 – Cedar Assessment completed.
18th March, 2025 – Quote sent.
19th May, 2025 – Job started.
16th June, 2025 – Job completed.

The job took 3 weeks in total, with some delays due to inclement weather.

We will check the Cedar again in 12 months and advise if further treatment is needed (usually if the timber was particularly dry). Otherwise, the building will move into a standard 10-year maintenance plan.

Cedar Assessment

The Cedar had been oiled previously, probably around the same time as installation 5 years ago, and nothing had been done to maintain it since.

That’s longer than we normally advise and the Cedar was starting to look dry and weathered, particularly on the high, exposed areas of the building.

The western face received the brunt of the afternoon sun, and the tint was starting to wear off unevenly in places, giving the Cedar a patchy look.

The southern face was largely sheltered from the sun and the pigment in the oil hadn’t broken down as much as the western face.

The doors on the west and north sides had also been affected by graffiti and people rubbing up against the boards and required some restoration.

To remediate these, we lightly sanded the Cedar before applying the oil.

Cedar Maintenance Process

No matter the size and scale, the first step in any Cedar maintenance job is to deep clean the timber with a penetrating surfactant and remove any built-up organic matter.

As the building is in the heart of Wynyard Quarter, the timber had been exposed to considerable dust, grime, air pollution, along with wind and salt coming from the ocean.

Before applying the oil, we had to mask the surrounding concrete to make sure the oil didn’t leave any stains.

We colour matched the tint using Wood-X to ensure the colour would match the original look of the building.

To reach the Cedar high on the western face, we used a 15-meter knuckle boom. The southern face was even higher and required an 18-meter scissor lift.

It was only once we got up close to the boards that we saw how dry they were. Cedar will tell you when the pores are full just by looking at the surface. In the end, we used much more oil than we expected.

Cedar Maintenance Challenges

There were two main challenges for this project: traffic management and the height of the building.

The building is situated in a busy area with a lot of pedestrian traffic, requiring appropriate safety measures such as signage, flagging and a spotter on the ground to direct pedestrians.

There was also a shared driveway along the western side of the property that could not be blocked.

Communication with both the public and the neighbouring tenants was essential in making sure the project ran smoothly, with as little disruption as possible.

The height also presented some unique challenges. The height itself was not an issue – we have a lot of experience working on tall buildings and using specialised equipment to reach high areas – but where the building was located.

Strong winds regularly came in from the ocean and funneled between the tall buildings all around, limiting when we could use the scissor lift and knuckle boom.

The Final Outcome

The result was stunning, retuning this prestigious building back to its original state and protecting it against the elements for years to come.

The Cedar went from grey and shabby to a vibrant and deep hue, beautifully contrasted by the metal and glass of the surrounding buildings.

The building managers were very satisfied with the outcome, highlighting the excellent colour match to the original aesthetic and minimal disruption to neighbours and pedestrians.

To see this landmark building for yourself, visit 138 Halsey Street next time you are down at Wynward Quarter.

Property Details

Year of Build:

2016

Location:

Wynyard Quarter

Coating:

Wood-X

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More Featured Properties

11 Jul 2023

Tree Nestled Cedar Home Restored to Golden Luster

This contemporary Cedar home, built in 2014, is located in Green Bay and surrounded by trees and leafy green foliage, beautifully accentuating the golden glow of the Cedar.

While the location is very pleasing to the eye, being surrounded by trees can increase the amount of airborne organic matter landing on the Cedar. The property is also north facing and receives plenty of sun throughout the year. These environmental factors make regular maintenance essential for the long-term health of the Cedar and to keep it looking clean and fresh all year round.

Thankfully, the owners of the property were aware of the Cedar maintenance requirements from the start and chose the right products, with the right Cedar maintenance plan.

To understand the benefits of a regular maintenance plan and how it can save you money over the long term, we need to first look at the history of the property.

Maintenance Timeline

In 2015, the homeowner asked us to visit the property and check over the health of the Cedar.

Although they had only moved in one year previous, the Cedar on newly built houses is often installed 3-6 months before the homeowner moves in, so the weathering process is already well under way.

Over the next 5 years, we maintained the house on 3 separate occasions:

2015 – Oxy-wash and recoat of the entire house.
2017 – Oxy-wash and recoat of the northern faces.
2020 – Oxy-wash and recoat of the northern faces.

The photos of the house were taken in 2020, after the last round of maintenance, and the work described below covers the regular maintenance undertaken in that period.

Cedar Maintenance Process

Upon first inspection, the Cedar had silvered in some areas and there was mould sitting around the windows. As the house is surrounded by bush, a build-up of organic matter was always going to be a factor. While the amount of mould and dirt wasn’t significant, the overall effect is unsightly and not great for the long-term health of the timber.

We started with a light oxy-wash to prepare the Cedar for treatment. Once clean of organic material, we recoated the northern faces of the house with a penetrating wood oil that matched the original treatment.

The original treatment used a light, golden-brown coloured oil to give the Cedar a natural finish that ties in with the joinery and the bush setting.

Lighter coloured oils have the same maintenance requirements as darker oils, however, they can help hide some of the natural weathering and make organic matter less noticeable. This can be useful in locations that are exposed to the elements, such as bush or coastal areas.

Cedar Maintenance Challenges

As the Cedar had originally been coated with a penetrating oil, ongoing maintenance was a straightforward process without any unforeseen challenges.

Compared to a film forming product such as a stain, a penetrating oil allows the Cedar to weather evenly and can usually be maintained with just a soft wash and a recoat of sun exposed areas.

As the house has 2 stories, the job also required mobile scaffolding, which was supplied and erected by the Cedar Technicians and included in the overall cost.

Ongoing Maintenance Requirements

Now that the whole house has been treated, ongoing maintenance becomes more affordable as only the sun-exposed faces need maintaining every 2-3 summers. The rest of the house may not need further maintenance for 5-7 years.

The Final Outcome

Over 9 years, the owners have spent less than $15,000 on exterior maintenance costs, which is excellent value for a property of this size.

It’s also worth noting that while the original work we did cost $5680, the recoat we did 3 years later was less than half that cost. Purely from a cost perspective, this is one of the main benefits of regular maintenance.

Looking at the before and after photos, the results speak for themselves. The washed out, dirty timber looks almost brand new after the maintenance, regaining its brown luster.

4 Apr 2023

Stunning Transformation of Lichen-Covered Home

This traditional Cedar home, located in West Harbour, was built in 1989 and has a distinctive red colouring common for the time, a style that has now come full-circle and makes the home feel vibrant and unique.

Upon first inspection, it was evident that the Cedar had not been treated for some years, with significant lichen, mould & dirt present. The north face (the back of the property) was very broken down, with porous boards that had started to cup and had been left 3 or 4 years too long without recoating.

As we needed to erect scaffolding to access the upper stories, the customer also asked if we could refresh their bargeboards with a new coat of paint.

This property is an excellent demonstration of the resilience of Cedar as a superior cladding material. Even after years of neglect, Cedar can be renewed with a wash and recoat, followed by regular maintenance to maintain its natural beauty.

The Maintenance Process

The first step in the maintenance process is a chemical wash from roofline to ground using a penetrating surfactant and soft wash. Particular attention is paid to the cladding, removing all organic material from the timber in preparation for the treatment.

Following the wash, we treated the timber with Resene Woodsman Waterborne stain. Unlike the original stain, the new generation of oil stains are emulsified in water instead of solvents, which is better for the environment, and come in a range of colours.

The south face of the house (which is the front of the property, as seen in the images) was reasonably protected from the sun and just needed a wash, lichen removal and a recoat. The north face required 3 solid coats of stain to bring the boards back up to standard.

To restore the bargeboards, we removed the existing spouting, filled the holes, lightly sanded to prime, then applied 2 coats of 100% acrylic paint.

Challenges with Older Homes

Many older homes are exposed to the sun for extended periods without regular maintenance and require additional treatment. The north face of this property was particularly weathered and required a stronger washing process and more stain applications to bring the Cedar back to life.

Stains produced back in the day were also very strong, almost like a hybrid paint, and were designed to stop the timber aging rather than enhance the natural beauty. This can make it difficult to work with, especially if you want to change the colour or transition to an oil.

The most cost-effective solution is to enhance what is already there, which is the approach we took with this property.

Ongoing Maintenance Requirements

The property is now set for another 2 or 3 summers before needing another recoat on the exposed faces. The southern face can sit comfortably for another 5-7 years with only a light wash to remove airborne pollutants from the surface.

The Final Outcome

The end result was a stunning transformation!

We were able to restore the Cedar to its former glory, while retaining the unique look of the red-stained timber. As we were given the opportunity to maintain the whole house, our team was able to take care of even the smallest details, giving the whole property a new lease of life.

We even cleaned up the letterbox and applied the same stain, the finishing touch on a very satisfying job!

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Cultural Icon Restored to Original Splendour