Otago/Queenstown Lakes District Leads Residential Building Growth – NZ
Engineers Backing Otago/Queenstown Lakes District as It Leads New Zealand in Residential Building Growth
While many major cities are struggling to maintain momentum in new residential builds, the Otago region – and particularly the Queenstown-Lakes District – is thriving (Stats NZ, 2025).
According to Stats NZ, Otago recorded a 37% increase in residential consents year-on-year to May 2025, making it the fastest-growing region in the country for new builds. This surge is largely driven by Queenstown-Lakes developments, which saw nearly $1 billion worth of building consent applications during July 2023 – July 2024 (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 2024).
In 2023, the district’s residential consents were almost evenly split between standalone homes and multi-unit developments – reflecting a diverse housing mix that requires equally diverse engineering solutions. And while nationally residential consents have fallen 34% over the past three years (from 50,688 in April 2022 to 33,554 in April 2025), Queenstown continues to defy the trend with large-scale subdivisions, bespoke architectural builds, and complex commercial projects.
Why This Matters for Developers and Builders
A booming consent pipeline means more than just numbers. It signals intense demand for quality engineering services that can keep pace with the scale, variety, and complexity of projects in the region. Queenstown’s alpine environment, steep topography, and seismic conditions mean every build needs thoughtful, site-specific solutions that balance creativity, safety, and efficiency.
Multi-disciplinary engineering for Queenstown’s Rapid Expansion
Over the past three years, our team has delivered fire reports, hundreds of geotechnical investigations, and structural engineering designs for projects across the Queenstown-Lakes District. With structural and geotechnical engineers based in Queenstown, supported by our nationwide network of specialists, we’re able to deliver the depth of expertise big projects demand, while maintaining the personal service and cost-efficiency of a local office.
We’re the perfect size for the region’s needs – big enough to draw on a multi-disciplinary team covering structural, geotechnical, environmental, civil, fire engineering, and architectural design, yet small enough to offer local relationships and site knowledge that save time and reduce travel costs.
From hillside builds with complex foundation requirements to large-scale mixed use developments like Three Parks, Wanaka and specialist projects such as Hope Home and wildfire reporting, we’ve proven we can adapt to any challenge the Queenstown market presents.
Queenstown Engineers
- Local knowledge, national scale – 3 years in Queenstown backed by 20 years NZ-wide.
- Multi-disciplinary expertise – Structural, geotechnical, environmental, civil, fire, and architectural design in-house.
- Alpine specialists – Designs for snow, wind, seismic, and challenging hillside sites.
- Proven track record – ~150 Queenstown-Lakes projects this year.
Queenstown/Lakes district Projects
The Hope Home, Queenstown – Fowler Homes support Mike King’s I Am Hope Foundation
Lot 33, Three Parks, Wanaka – 2024 New Zealand Commercial Projects Awards – Commercial – Silver
Toru Apartments – Addressing the housing shortage in Queenstown
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