Switched On first into Belfast Business Park

Switched On is the first business to move to Christchurch’s new Belfast Business Park. Bill English officially opened their new building earlier this week.

General Manager Chris Hughes says that the new building is a milestone in Switched On’s 35-year history in Canterbury. 
“This is our first ever purpose-built building. It’s an investment in our staff and the region. We started out here and we’re confident that Christchurch’s future is bright,” he says. 

Switched On’s builders, electricians and painters have fitted-out the entire building themselves, starting with a pre-cast concrete shell in February.
“Our team have put a lot of hard work into this build. We’ve used it as an opportunity to not only give our staff a more modern working environment, but to also show off what they can do. Their attention to the finer details has been really impressive,” Hughes says. 

Designed by Walker Architecture, with interior design by Redesign Group, the building has been crafted to reflect the trades that make up the business. Features such as text-artwork made of screws; natural timber walls; exposed ceilings; and metal-mesh lights further enhance the building’s unique, industrial look and feel.

“We needed a building that would suit the business, give our brand visibility and be a great new home for our staff. I think we have well and truly achieved that. It is beautifully finished,” Leon Grandy, Board Chair, says. 

With easy access to the north and south, and a new motorway in progress, building in Belfast was a strategic decision for Switched On. The move also brings the whole team together for the first time, after being accommodated in old, villa-style offices in Shirley and Wainoni since the earthquakes.