Green-Starred outcomes
“I am sure that being owner-operators and responsible for the environment has played a large part in the sustainability drive. In the aftermath of the earthquake rebuild in Christchurch, a number of buildings have untold sustainability stories.”
The Government commissioned Warren and Mahoney to create a blueprint for the regeneration of Christchurch and out of it came the Metro Sports Facility, which includes an indoor aquatic hall with 79m competition swimming pool and seating for more than 1000 spectators; a leisure pool with hydroslides; indoor running track; nine indoors netball and basketball courts and retractable seating for 2500 spectators.
Finlay says the facility is a world class venue and centre of excellence, accessible to people of all ages, abilities and skills.
“At 30,000sq m, Metro Sport combines a large programme of sport and wellness facilities under one roof on a 6ha site. The challenge of such a large-scale building was overcome through the creation of a central social hub which collects and connects all users and activities.”
Warren and Mahoney then moved on to the Melbourne Darebin City Council’s NZ$68m redevelopment of the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre built in 1968 — a 6 Green Star project.
The replacement facility include an enhanced outdoor 50m pool, and indoor lane, warm water, leisure, splash and learn-to-swim pools. There are multi-purpose spaces for group fitness and yoga, and consulting rooms for health professionals.
Warren and Mahoney associate principal Fiona Short, the firm’s sustainability champion, says the Darebin project is a fantastic example of climate design.
“The council was the first globally to declare a climate emergency in 2016 and “we hope this project can set an example of what climate responsive design can look like.”
Short says the all-electric facility is highly energy efficient — aquatic centres are traditionally the highest emission buildings — with the lowmaintenance timber structure reducing the carbon footprint, and a large renewable energy solar panel system on the roof providing most of the energy. No fossil fuels are burned on the site.
The main challenge was to create a design that’s sympathetic to the local, largely residential neighbourhood, and framing a new 50m pool and external space.
Warren and Mahoney met the challenge by using materials sympathetic to the neighbourhood — brick and timber — and breaking down the overall visual mass through careful modulation of facade and roof elements.
Finlay says tertiary institutes are embracing sustainability.
His firm has designed Lincoln University’s Sciences North building which incorporates a new laboratory, research workplace and teaching facility.
The building will use renewable energy sources including geothermal drawn from the aquifer below the campus and photovoltaic arrays (solar panel system) on the roof and external walls.
For cost efficiency, Warren and Mahoney provided an innovative seismic solution that decreases the steel weight.
And being close to Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), the stormwater run
off is filtered and purified and integrated into the surrounding landscape.
Finlay says sustainablility has now become part of Otago Polytechnic’s culture and brand.
The polytechnic is constructing its second large-scale timber building to house the Trades Training Centre and showcase the potential of crosslaminated timber structures to reduce the embodied carbon energy of construction.
Warren and Mahoney is also involved in designing Otago University’s new medical school in Christchurch — a project that is targeting 5 Green Star.
Ngai Tahu Property is developing the sustainable Pita Te Hori Centre mixed use neighbourhood — the location of the old King Edward Barracks — on a downtown city block next to Avon River in Christchurch.
Warren and Mahoney is preparing an urban designed masterplan for four office buildings, a multi-storey carpark, 70 apartments, public gardens and park, and laneways.
A pedestrian pathway flows from the Bridge of Remembrance to the civic centre and art gallery.
Finlay says phase one includes two Green Star buildings which will have a photovoltaic array and central energy system using aquifers.
“This centralised system allows energy and waste heat to be shared between buildings across the whole city block, further improving the efficiency of the campus.
“The advantage in designing a complete block is much better use of land with the creation of a campusstyle commercial precinct with an inner courtyard.
“Office accommodation enjoys natural lighting from two sides and the courtyard brings people into the heart of the site.
“There are no back alleys with wasted space, and the buildings are better able to deal with overheating and shading.”
Finlay says the Pita Te Hori Centre is a new urban design strategy for Christchurch and a significant departure from the old city model. The city’s working population is migrating west to be based along the Avon River, and ironically the Pita Te Hori block was once the historical commercial centre and known as West End in the19th Century. That name has been reclaimed.
Finlay gives credit to a number of major property developers leading the green building charge in New Zealand and Australia.
By 2017 Lendlease had delivered 100 Green Star buildings, and Finlay says the company’s focus at the moment is extending the potential of cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction to reduce the embodied carbon of their buildings.
“They have recently purchased manufacturing capability to fabricate their own CLT, and we are working with them on design of a major CLT building in central Melbourne,” he says.
Precinct Properties in New Zealand have protected their assets by designing them to Green Star and higher environmental standards — such as Commercial Bay office and retail centre at the bottom of Queen St, and 10 and 12 Madden St and Mason Bros. buildings in the Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct.
Warren and Mahoney is working with Precinct on a low carbon design which has the potential to become carbon neutral.
Finlay says while business response varies widely, sustainability has become a key requirement for all future-focused businesses.
“Google is seeking the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating for the building we are designing for them in Sydney, and sustainability is the core consideration for Fisher and Paykel’s new buildings we’ve designed in New Zealand,” he says.