PCNZ Award wins 2024

Judges for the Resene Sustainable Building Property Award commended the B201 team for seeking a 6 star Green Star rating, noting ​“This ambitious goal subsequently steered every major design decision towards minimising embodied carbon and operational energy… B201 has now established a new benchmark for sustainable buildings in Aotearoa with the redevelopment achieving the highest Green Star rating to date (93 out of 100 points). The new building will operate as a living laboratory and educational resource for the research, monitoring and teaching of the performance of the various sustainability initiatives and renewable energy measures incorporated into the design.” 

Property Industry Awards chief judge, Andrew Evans said, ​“There is a notable demand for educational facilities across the country, and it’s encouraging to see many of these projects prioritising sustainable practices in recognition that it is the right thing to do, but also the expectation of users and occupiers.”

Described as ​“an iconic mass timber building”, The Pā, at The University of Waikato’s Hillcrest campus in Hamilton was described as a standout example of a building deeply rooted in local culture and designed to bring the community together, winning Best in Category in the Colliers Project Leaders Education Property Award. ​“This is the most significant capital development that the university has ever made and its impact on the people of Hamilton will be felt for a long time to come,” said Andrew Evans, chief judge, Property Industry Awards.

The low carbon and adaptive re-use aspects of The Pā project were also commended by the judges, who noted ​“The building was developed through a significant upgrade to the original ​‘A Block’ which had been built in the 1960s. By keeping the existing structure but bringing in glulam timber frames – some pieces over 36m long – the team were able to retain the embodied carbon in the structure.”