{"id":462758,"date":"2026-06-05T18:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/462758\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T18:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:21:09","slug":"icon-construction-director-dan-bosher-building-chief-drummer-master-architectural-graduate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/462758\/","title":{"rendered":"Icon Construction director Dan Bosher – building chief, drummer, Master architectural graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"

His office looks across to the ghost tower, the $300m 56-level Seascape, which China Construction partially built before the developer, Shundi Customs, ran into financial strife. Icon considered finishing<\/a> the tower construction, but never did.<\/p>\n

Shundi was declared last month<\/a> to owe $588.8m.<\/p>\n

Icon has completed $1.7 billion of work in New Zealand since establishing itself here as a standalone business in 2017. <\/p>\n

Tokyo-listed construction giant Kajima Corporation owns Icon.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe foyer of the new Munroe Lane by Asset Plus at Albany. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n

Bosher tells of his childhood and how he arrived in the position he is today.<\/p>\n

He recalled how his mother was frustrated about his progress after five years of schooling, so she home-schooled him until he was 15. <\/p>\n

His family moved from Tauranga to Auckland because of his father\u2019s business and his grandparents lived here.<\/p>\n

At 15, he went to Senior College on Lorne St.<\/p>\n

\"UniLodgeUniLodge Auckland Central, 66-77 Lorne St, Auckland CBD, Auckland. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n

Ironically, it was that building where many years later Icon won the contract to build UniLodge Auckland Central, gutting the heritage school and building the tower above.<\/p>\n

Once Bosher finished secondary school, the keen photographer could see no commercial opportunities for that skill.<\/p>\n

But he was keen on architecture, so he studied that for six years in Auckland.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Pacifica, built by Icon Construction.<\/p>\n

He is also a keen musician and, as a drummer, initially played with the \u201cprog rock band\u201d Decortica. <\/p>\n

His now-wife\u2019s band, Battle Circus, ran short of a drummer, so he stepped into that role. He still plays in a covers band, often in the Chancery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI followed Yvonne [Wu] to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe abandoned Seascape tower on Customs St, Auckland, pictured from a neighbouring building. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray<\/p>\n

There, Battle Circus toured, the couple enjoying the lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had nothing. Yvonne had $1300.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave him that to fly to Sydney \u201cwith a flock of seagulls\u2019 haircut\u201d to apply for a job.<\/p>\n

\"Icon'sIcon’s Dan Bosher at 256 Queen St. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n

His first position was as a project co-ordinator with Southern Cross Constructions (NSW). <\/p>\n

It turned out architecture had prepared him well to manage people, tasks and the complexity of building.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew $250m, 41-level tower Hotel Indigo (centre) on the Auckland CBD skyline. Photo \/ Jason Oxenham<\/p>\n

And he could return Yvonne\u2019s generosity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got my first pay cheque, I flew her to Sydney so we could start a life together. Starting with nothing together is a very equitable place from the outset of a relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

He got a chance to return to New Zealand in 2015 via former Icon Construction chief Dan Ashby, working with Probuild, then Fletcher Construction for a year.<\/p>\n

By 2017, Icon had established itself here from Australia under Ashby, who recruited Bosher: \u201cWe started the business off the back of an early contractor engagement on The Pacifica\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"DanDan Ashby headed Icon before Bosher took over. Photo \/ Sandra Mu<\/p>\n

Bosher is referring to the 57-level apartment tower in Auckland\u2019s CBD.<\/p>\n

Ashby only wanted to head Icon here for about five years, so was ready to hand over to Bosher by the early 2020s.<\/p>\n

And by 2023, Bosher was ready to step up.<\/p>\n

\"Bosher:Bosher: builder, musician. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n

Next year, Icon will mark its first decade in New Zealand. <\/p>\n

Although the builder worked with Leighs Construction on Christchurch\u2019s Burwood Hospital in 2016, it was not until a year later that Icon established itself separately here.<\/p>\n

Icon Construction\u2019s next 10 years will be marked by a planned national expansion, Bosher announced today.<\/p>\n

It will be the major project partner for the eight-business, regionally based New Zealand Construction Alliance. <\/p>\n

That, says Bosher, aims to bring Icon jobs throughout New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Icon Construction projects since 2016:<\/p>\n

Burwood Hospital redevelopment, Christchurch, joint venture with Leighs Construction, for the Canterbury District Health Board, $200mThe Pacifica<\/a>, New Zealand\u2019s tallest apartment building, 57 levels, Gore St, Auckland: $210mWakefield St 697-unit student accommodation tower<\/a> for Cedar Pacific, $120mVoco-HIE Hotel<\/a>, 495 rooms, 39-level, corner Albert St\/Wyndham St for Pro-Invest, $181mMunroe Lane offices<\/a> developed by Asset Plus Munroe Lane, Albany for Auckland Council, 26,500sq m six-level building, $102mGreys Ave social housing apartments<\/a> for K\u0101inga Ora, 276 units, $145mHotel Indigo Auckland and apartments<\/a>, 41 levels, 51 Albert St, Auckland, 225 hotel rooms and 30 apartments above, $135mAuckland Airport\u2019s new transport hub<\/a>, five levels, 75,000sq m, $370mUniLodge Auckland Central<\/a> on Lorne St, student accommodation, 20,000sq m, 758-unit block above heritage building, $137mFitout of new Microsoft data centre<\/a>, base build by Hawkins: a hyperscale centre at Westgate, confidential valueNew Zealand\u2019s tallest student accommodation tower, under construction at 256 Queen St for Precinct Properties, 32 levels, 638-units, $136m contract<\/p>\n

Daniel John Bosher<\/p>\n

Age: 40Position: Director, Icon NZFamily: Wife is Yvonne Wu, two childrenLives: OnehungaBorn in Tauranga, moved to Auckland aged 10Education: Senior College in the CBD, then University of Auckland, Master of Architecture2011-2012: Project co-ordinator, Southern Cross Constructions (NSW)2012-2016: Project manager, Probuild Constructions2016-2017: Project manager, Fletcher Construction2017: Joined Icon Construction in New Zealand2023: Appointed director Icon NZ, meaning he heads operations;Offices: Level 19, SAP Tower, 151 Queen St, Auckland.<\/p>\n

Anne Gibson<\/a> has been the Herald\u2019s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.<\/p>\n

Stay ahead with the latest market moves, corporate updates, and economic insights by subscribing to our Business newsletter<\/a> \u2013 your essential weekly round-up of all the business news you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"His office looks across to the ghost tower, the $300m 56-level Seascape, which China Construction partially built before…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":462759,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[21042,1889,442,498,499,500,234571,8988,674,3937,1568,13842,501,3936,13243,156,2209,17625,7799,3218,234572,7124,9862,111,139,69,26859,3366,234573,80],"class_list":["post-462758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architectural","tag-architecture","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-bosher","tag-builder","tag-building","tag-chief","tag-construction","tag-dan","tag-design","tag-director","tag-drummer","tag-entertainment","tag-father","tag-graduate","tag-heads","tag-icon","tag-japaneseowned","tag-master","tag-meet","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-operations","tag-queen","tag-stheadquartered","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=462758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462758\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/462759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=462758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=462758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=462758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}