Old age no barrier to smart feat
Chloe Winter visits a 1970s building that boasts a better energy rating than the average office.
A1970s office block in central Wellington is now an energy-smart show stopper. Once outdated, the 46-yearold Aorangi House in Molesworth St now has an energy performance rating that is more than 50 per cent better than the average office.
The five-star rating, given by Nabers NZ, is a governmentbacked tool that gauges energy efficiency in the commercial property sector.
The tool measures the energy performance of a building’s core services including lifts, stairwell lighting, toilets, airconditioning and ventilation.
Buildings are rated on a scale of one to six stars.
Nabers NZ assessor Ben Masters said the 12-storey office block was built in 1970, but over time its systems became problematic.
The building was later transformed and refurbished with a raft of energy smart features that set the stage for energy saving.
Engineering consultancy Beca, which is the anchor tenant, provided an environmentally sustainable design for the project. The company moved into Aorangi House soon after its renovation.
Masters, who was also the spokesman for Beca, said the fivestar rating for Aorangi House was considered a thumbs up for the revival of older commercial buildings. The result proved age did not impede the possibility of making a building commercially and environmentally sustainable, he said.
‘‘What makes the five-star rating so significant is that Aorangi House is a recycled building. It shows sustainable refurbishment is a viable option to the carbon-hungry alternative of demolition and replacement.’’
The design would not suit all buildings, but Aorangi House showed that ageing office blocks could be refurbished to achieve high-energy performance and low greenhouse gas emissions, Masters said. Constant energy monitoring and building tuning had been crucial to achieving low energy usage, he said.
Aorangi House is owned by Anaro Group, which manages 44 commercial properties around New Zealand on behalf of private investor groups.
Anaro Group general manager Toby Scott said a Nabers NZ rating was increasingly relevant in the commercial property market.
‘‘It’s a tool which brings obvious benefits for both owners and occupiers. For the tenant, it brings transparency while benchmarking and propelling constant reviewing and improvement in energy use.
‘‘From the owner’s perspective, there’s growing evidence to support the view that efficient energy use ultimately improves a building’s value.’’
Aorangi House is not the only Wellington building with a Nabers NZ rating. Te Puni Kokiri House on Lambton Quay, which was built in 1940 and is the former State Insurance building, was given a rating of 4.5 stars.
A $7.9 million redevelopment, and a 30 per cent reduction in energy use, helped the Wellington office block take out a major prize in the country’s largest energy awards scheme. The building is owned by Argosy Property.
Another building with a Nabers NZ rating is 1-3 The Terrace, which is owned by Precinct Properties New Zealand.
The building is home to the New Zealand Treasury. It was given a rating of three stars.
Nabers NZ is licensed by the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority and administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council.