Iwi’s historic site promises fresh design
The first buildings in Ngai Tahu’s $85 million King Edward Barracks development opposite the Bridge of Remembrance in Christchurch are opening in two weeks.
Warren and Mahoney architect and principal Graeme Finlay said the buildings represented a new urban design strategy for the city.
More than half the tenants are Crown agencies as negotiated with the Crown property manager, Property Management Centre of Expertise.
The Ministry of Education, Housing New Zealand and the Ministry of Health have been joined by Aurecon and Vero, leaving one floor and half of another vacant (about 2300 square metres of space).
A second proposed stage of two more office buildings and an apartment building will depend on market demand. The postearthquake central city currently has an oversupply of office space.
The site, which is bounded by Cambridge Tce and Hereford, Cashel and Montreal streets, will enclose a park, to be known as Nga¯ Ma¯ ra a Te Wera (The Gardens of Te Wera).
Warren and Mahoney project architect Vanessa Carswell created the masterplan for the three-phase development. She described it as a campus-style precinct with an inner courtyard providing offices with natural lighting from both sides.
One building is base isolated, while the other one has a bucklingrestrained bracing system in the event of earthquakes.
The first two buildings have photovoltaic panels on their roofs to generate power and both will be rated under the Green Star system.
The central garden will include a pathway for people to walk from the Bridge of Remembrance through to the Civic Centre and the Christchurch Art Gallery.
Nga¯ i Tahu took ownership of the site from the Crown about 15 years ago. It was historically a site of cultural significance, and also where soldiers trained and left for duty in World Wars I and II.
The design and commissioned artworks represent Nga¯ i Tahu and European history, with storyboards in the public space and seats constructed to reflect early reed boats, called mokihi.
The car park will include parking for bicycles as well as charging facilities for electric vehicles, licence plate recognition and technology to help find parks.
Engineers Aurecon have designed a central energy plant to service all the buildings.
It draws water from an aquifer and passes it through a heat exchange unit before re-injection back into the aquifer.
Nga¯ i Tahu Property’s Gordon Craig said the aim was to create a place for the public and tenants.