January 2017 - Present
Three Kings, Auckland
Woods is the lead consultant to Fletcher Living in their mission to transform the former Three Kings Quarry in Auckland into a new community.
Three Kings Quarry, a former basalt quarry operating for over 80 years, had long been considered for redevelopment. Once exhausted of its extractable resources, the site was identified by leading developer Fletcher Living as an opportunity to create a significant brownfield development — a plan that would bring over 1,000 homes, new amenities, and a strong sense of community to this well located suburb.
Woods was engaged as lead consultant on the project, providing engineering and surveying expertise from early concept through to implementation. Our role included masterplanning support, bulk earthworks design, infrastructure planning, and on-the-ground engineering throughout the transformation of the former quarry site.
One of the first challenges was how to fill the vast hole to a suitable level for residential development. Working closely with project partners, Woods helped source and manage the placement of fill material to raise the land to a safe and buildable level.
Ageing infrastructure posed another major hurdle — particularly 100-year-old asbestos water mains and sewers, which were not equipped to service a new urban neighbourhood. Our team led the infrastructure strategy, designing robust, future-ready solutions to support the demands of over 1,000 dwellings.
The site’s low elevation, sitting below the surrounding land, also introduced stormwater complexities. To solve this, Woods developed a unique solution: using the site's historical geotechnical features — including old scoria veins formed by surrounding volcanic cones — as subterranean flow paths. These veins provided a natural, high-capacity stormwater storage and management system that aligned with the site’s existing structure.
Finally, Woods addressed the issue of surplus basalt rock left on-site. Rather than treating it as waste, we crushed the remaining rock and reused it in the construction of road pavements throughout the development — turning a logistical challenge into a sustainable advantage.
Residents are now beginning to call Three Kings Quarry home, with the community taking shape around shared spaces, amenities, and new infrastructure. While development will continue over the coming years, Woods is proud to contribute to the next chapter of this iconic Auckland site.
