The principal of the design firm responsible for the CTV building, which collapsed and killed 115 people on February 22 last year, today apologised to bereaved families for a building that did not meet his own standards.
Alan Reay, of Christchurch company Alan Reay Consultants Ltd, made the admission before the royal commission of inquiry hearing into the building's collapse today.
"This is a terrible tragedy and I really feel for those who have lost their loved ones,'' he said.
"To the extent I can, I've tried to provide the commission assistance to understand the cause of this tragedy.
"I've spent my life working in engineering and have always tried to maintain the highest standards of the profession.
"I apologise to all the families affected as this building did not meet my standards.''
Dr Reay last week admitted he had not read all of the evidence before the hearing.
Marcus Elliott, counsel assisting the commission, said that offended the bereaved families and asked him to go away and read the evidence, and come back with a response to them.
Commission lawyer Mark Zarifeh quizzed him over what he meant when he said the building did not meet his standards when he had previously stated he had "very little to do with the CTV building''.
Mr Zarifeh asked if he meant his "standards'' meant code compliance.
"I'm talking about my standards,'' Dr Reay said.
"I'm not necessarily talking about code compliance - the building could well have been code compliant, or it may have had some elements that aren't.
``I am uncertain as to the degree or the effect of the non-compliance.''
Dr Reay has repeatedly said the "sole responsibility'' for the design lay with his structural engineer, David Harding, who was inexperienced in building multi-storey structures.
Mr Zarifeh asked Dr Reay that if it didn't meet his own standards, and it wasn't his own fault, then it must have been Mr Harding's fault.
"I've said already that... if Mr Harding has made an error, that ultimately it is the responsibility of my company.''
The hearing continues.
