TwentyTwo has been closely involved in Tauranga City Council’s (TCC’s) planned new administration building at 90 Devonport Road which is designed to set new standards for sustainability in development and construction in New Zealand.
Importantly, it is set to be one of the largest timber office buildings in the country built from engineered timber compared to the traditional concrete and steel construction. The 10,000sqm building is aiming to achieve 6-Star Green Star and 5-Star NABERS ratings and will also feature rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging and facilities to encourage low-carbon commuting options.
Commission chair Anne Tolley says, “We wanted to push the boundaries to design a wholly sustainable, future-focused workplace which maximises the use of natural materials such as the exposed timber columns which celebrate the uniqueness of the building”.
The Council sold the site to its development partner Willis Bond in December under an agreement it would construct a building the Council would lease back for its staff – destined to be the first time since 2014 that all council staff will work from the same building.
“We’re proud to have had such a close involvement in making the project possible and delighted to see how the building is embracing leading sustainability initiatives and cultural design” says TwentyTwo’s David Lambie, who led the negotiation on behalf of Council to sell, develop and lease the site. “This project represents the real value of working with an expert development partner. Willis Bond have been true to the partnering principles that we expected and while the negotiation involved complexities, ultimately both parties leave with a sense of win-win.”
Mātauranga Māori principles (Māori knowledge systems) will also be incorporated and add to the look and feel of the building, construction of which will begin later this year and end in 2024.
“This will be our home for at least the duration of the 15-year lease” continues Anne. “It’s important that we get it right and create a facility that both speaks to Tauranga Moana origins and provides a welcoming and people-friendly space for our staff and the community.”
As well as guiding TCC’s workplace strategy and workplace technology outcomes, TwentyTwo is now closely involved in leading the fitout project which is in the early design phases.“We have assembled a first-class fit-out design team led by Warren and Mahoney and expect to merge the successful characteristics of the base building process/design into Council’s fitout and workplace” says David. “We are also in awe of the TCC Commission, Executive and project team lead by Mike Naude who have provided such clear and forward-thinking direction to this and many other TCC civic projects.”
90 Devonport Road is part of the wider Tauranga Civic Masterplan Refresh that involves the $304m Civic Precinct project Te Manawataki o Te Papa — a new Civic Whare, library, museum and exhibition space.
