Collaboration at the heart of Aurum on Clutha
The Aurum on Clutha team has been recognised as a finalist in the 2026 New Zealand Building People Awards. The nomination celebrates the collaboration between ownership, design, construction and village operations behind this growing Central Otago community.
HPA Group and Aurum on Clutha were proud to be named finalists in the 2026 New Zealand Building People Awards, recognised in the Collaboration Over $20 Million Projects category.
Successful developments are never delivered by one person or one company. They are built through hundreds of decisions made over many years, across ownership, design, construction, operations and the people who will ultimately call the finished community home.
That collaborative approach has been central to Aurum on Clutha from the beginning. We were therefore proud to see the project recognised as a finalist in the HUBEXO Collaboration Over $20 Million Projects | Kotahitanga Award at the 2026 Building People Awards.
The finalist team were:
- Simon Kelsall, HPA Group
- Gareth Newton, HPA Group
- Jim Whipp, Lifecare Construction
- Warren Galletly, Aurum on Clutha
- Pat Houlahan, Clyde RV
The recognition reflects something we believe strongly at HPA: the best project outcomes happen when everyone is working towards the same goal.
More than a construction project
Set beside the Mata-Au Clutha River in Clyde, Aurum on Clutha is being developed as a 153-villa lifestyle community shaped by its Central Otago location.
Delivering a retirement village of this scale requires more than good design and efficient construction. It requires the project team to think well beyond the next stage of work.
Every decision must consider how the village will feel and function for residents, how it will operate over the long term and how new construction can continue safely alongside a growing community.
That means designers, builders, owners and village management cannot work in isolation.
Design decisions need to reflect buildability and operational experience. Construction sequencing needs to account for residents already living in the village. Village management needs clear communication about what is happening on site and what comes next. Ownership and delivery teams need a shared understanding of programme, cost, quality and the long-term vision.
At Aurum, those conversations have happened early and often.
One team, one outcome
HPA’s role at Aurum spans multiple parts of the development journey. Our team is involved in design, development management, construction coordination, technical systems and the long-term thinking behind the village.
Lifecare Construction brings practical delivery capability on the ground. Clyde RV provides ownership, governance and a clear vision for the development. The Aurum village team provides the direct connection to residents and the day-to-day life of the community, as well as the considerable task of caring for residents’ needs.
Each party brings a different perspective. The value comes from bringing those perspectives together before decisions are made, not after problems appear.
It is not about every person agreeing on every detail. Good collaboration means being able to challenge an idea, have an honest conversation and arrive at a decision that serves the project as a whole.
That approach has helped the team navigate the complexity of delivering a major staged development while protecting the quality and character that make Aurum distinctive.
Keeping residents at the centre
The most important measure of a retirement village is not what it looks like on a drawing or how it performs against a construction programme.
It is what the finished place feels like to live in.
Aurum is already home to a growing community. Residents describe it as welcoming, peaceful and thoughtfully designed, with an active social life and a strong sense of belonging.
Their experience keeps the project grounded. It reminds everyone involved that we are not simply delivering villas and infrastructure. We are creating a place where people will spend an important stage of their lives.
That shared purpose makes collaboration easier. When difficult decisions arise, the team can return to the same question: what creates the best long-term outcome for the village and its residents?
Recognition for the wider team
Being selected as a finalist alongside some of New Zealand’s leading construction and development projects was a significant acknowledgement for everyone involved.
While five people represented Aurum and HPA in the award entry, the recognition belongs to the wider project team: the consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, site staff, village employees, owners and residents who have each contributed to the development.
Aurum on Clutha demonstrates what can be achieved when ownership, design, construction and operations remain connected throughout the journey.
For HPA, that is what delivering a village from the ground up really means. Not separate organisations completing separate scopes of work, but one team taking collective responsibility for the outcome.
Because the strongest communities begin with strong partnerships.
Aurum has never been about one company delivering a project for someone else. It has been a group of people with different skills and responsibilities working towards the same outcome. We are proud of what the team has achieved, but more importantly, we are proud of the community taking shape on the ground.
Gareth Newton