NZI Centre

Completed in 2010, the NZI Centre set the benchmark for a new generation of environmentally responsible commercial office development in New Zealand. A decade on, NZI Centre's sustainability credentials have seldom, if ever been surpassed. The elegant design has become a defining landmark at the gateway to the Auckland CBD.

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Project Details

Client NZI and Newcrest
Sector Commercial
Location Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Discipline Architecture, Interior Design
Status Completed 2010
Size 9,250 sqm

Exceeding performance expectations

Upon opening, the multi-award winning NZI Centre achieved an NZGBC 5 Star Green Star Rating for Office Design. In 2015, after documenting a 17% reduction in energy use, this rating was increased to 5.5 Stars. As a result, NZI Centre  continues to be one of Auckland's most sustainably-designed and high-performing buildings.

A unique response to a complex urban environment

The NZI Building fronts onto the intersection of Fanshawe Street and Market Road, a car-dominated arterial intersection which marks gateways into the Auckland CBD and the waterfront. The building provides a physical buffer to the finer scaled pedestrian street network established around the Auckland Viaduct.

Its form characteristically mirrors the geometry of its site, presenting softly rounded façades to prominent intersections. In plan, the arc of this curve mimics the flow of people and vehicles around the site. In the context of the cityscape, the curves also introduce a grace and fluidity which distinguishes this design, providing a first indication that this building is something different and unique.

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A high-tech, multi-storey glasshouse

A key design feature is the 21m high internal atrium facing east towards the city. Situated behind the building’s primary façade, the atrium is overlooked by all office floors.

The high-performance façade is double glazed on the southern and eastern elevations, with twin skin–triple glazing to the north. Exterior shading protects the western façade.

Other environmental initiatives include use of the atrium for return air ventilation; increased natural light penetration to office floors with reduced floor plate depth and south-facing skylights; sustainable waste management; specification of low toxicity materials including a predominance of timber; and cyclist-friendly facilities (lockers and showers) to encourage people to bike to work. Lifts generate electricity, and a rooftop garden collects rainwater for flushing toilets.

Two outstanding features of this development are the quality of natural light and the airy generosity if the interior space. This is emphasised through the building's fine steel structure, cantilevering staircases and meeting pods which provide cliff-top like views out over the atrium.

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Awards

2010 PCNZ Awards - Interior - Supreme Winner
2010 NZIA National Awards - Commercial Architecture
2010 NZIA National Awards – Sustainability
2010 NZIA National Awards - Interior Architecture