The flexible, student-oriented spaces inside the four-storey building will include student support services, informal spaces for individual and collaborative study, and places to socialise. A complex redevelopment, A1 elegantly stitches together old and new elements, to create a campus that functions as much more than just a place to attend lectures.

An innovative, post-tensioned LVL timber structure combined with the adaptive reuse of an existing building delivers this outstanding result. Additionally, this lightweight timber structure reduces the weight of the new building, consequently reducing the amount of concrete required in the foundations, which further reduces embodied carbon. At the end of its life, many of the building components are both recyclable and easily dismantled for reuse.

The cool fresh air that is introduced at low levels, rises slowly as it warms before being extracted at roof level, lifting heat and pollutants away from occupants to create a healthy and comfortable environment. Displacement ventilation is the optimal solution for Auckland’s temperate climate and demonstrates AUT’s commitment to sustainability and student wellbeing.