Naylor Love's Wellington branch operates from Level 2, 15 Walter Street in Te Aro, putting one of New Zealand's longest-standing construction companies right in the capital. Kiwi owned and operated since 1910, the company has spent 116 years building the schools, hospitals, galleries, civic facilities and commercial buildings that communities around the country rely on. Today Naylor Love runs more than 100 current projects nationwide with a team of over 900 people, including 85 apprentices and cadets in training.
The Wellington office forms part of a national network with branches from Auckland to Dunedin, offering a full range of commercial construction services: adaptive reuse, design and build, engineered timber, environmentally sustainable design and construction, heritage work, preconstruction, projects and interiors, and seismic strengthening. Around New Zealand, the team's recent work includes a three-storey extension to the Category 1 historic Forrester Gallery, the redevelopment of Otago Boys' High School with infrastructure, accessibility and seismic upgrades, the Dunedin Civic Centre refurbishment, energy-efficient upgrades at Huia Pool, and a high-quality hospital refurbishment delivered within a live hospital environment.
The company describes its purpose as 'Building People, Creating a Sustainable Future' — He whaihanga tangata, he waihanga anamata toitū — and backs that up with a commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 46% by 2030 and to lead sustainable construction practice in New Zealand. Combined with strong health and safety systems, an inclusive BIDE culture, and an active cadetship and apprenticeship programme, the Wellington branch is both a place to commission a build and a place to build a career.
On Level 2 at 15 Walter Street in Te Aro, Naylor Love's Wellington branch represents one of New Zealand's most enduring construction companies. Kiwi owned and operated since 1910, the business has been building the country for 116 years — a span that covers everything from schools and hospitals to galleries, pools and civic buildings. Today the company runs more than 100 current projects across New Zealand with over 900 staff, and its purpose is stated plainly on the wall: Building People, Creating a Sustainable Future, or in te reo Māori, He whaihanga tangata, he waihanga anamata toitū.
Naylor Love offers a full range of commercial construction services, and the Wellington branch draws on all of them. Its named capabilities include adaptive reuse, design and build, engineered timber, environmentally sustainable design and construction, heritage, preconstruction, projects and interiors, and seismic strengthening and earthquake resistance. That breadth means the team can be involved from the earliest planning conversations through to the final fitout.
The company's recent portfolio shows what that looks like in practice. Around New Zealand, Naylor Love has delivered a three-storey extension to the Forrester Gallery, a Category 1 historic building; a redevelopment of Otago Boys' High School covering infrastructure, accessibility and seismic upgrades; a refurbishment that turned the Dunedin Civic Centre into a contemporary civic facility; energy-efficient pool services upgrades at Huia Pool; and a hospital refurbishment completed to a high standard within a live hospital environment. Large-scale demolition, such as the AUT AR project, sits on the list too — completed, the company notes, safely and efficiently.
Sustainability is not a side note here. Naylor Love states a commitment to being the leader in sustainable construction practices in New Zealand, with a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 46% by 2030. It even offers a Building Carbon Calculator, a tool for understanding a project's carbon early in the process. Recent initiatives show the mindset on site as well: an Otaihanga Zero Waste partnership exploring new ways to reduce waste on Te Ara Whetū, the new library hub for Waikanae, and a workwear recycling programme that re-equipped the Dunedin team in warm, dry gear.
The company is candid that its strength is its people. It describes a strong culture aligned to its values and a BIDE approach that strives to create an inviting and supportive environment which values difference and celebrates uniqueness. Health and safety gets the same treatment, with innovative systems, consistently excellent results in safety audits and inspections, and structured training covering areas like in-ground services and asbestos in buildings.
That people-first ethos extends to careers. Naylor Love runs cadetships and apprenticeships, with 85 apprentices and cadets currently in training across the country, and it actively recruits site managers, project managers and administrators in regions throughout New Zealand. Job seekers should note one caution from the company itself: it has published a recruitment scam warning, so applications belong on its official careers portal.
For clients in the capital, the Walter Street office is the local entry point to a national network that also spans Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin. Whether the job is a heritage-strengthening project, a sustainable new build in engineered timber, or an interior fitout, the practical advice is the same: engage the preconstruction team early, look through the projects pages for comparable work, and expect a builder that treats carbon, safety and its own people with the same seriousness as the finished building. After 116 years, that combination of history and forward thinking is exactly what the Wellington branch trades on.