6 Green Star Project
Recreation and Wellness Centre
The B201 project was borne from a desire for the University’s estate to set a positive example and be leading the way in terms of sustainability in Aotearoa. The building had been scheduled for a simple refurbishment pending full replacement in ten to fifteen years-time. University of Auckland Chief Property Officer, Simon Neale, says the University took the decision to turn this unloved and poorly performing building into an example of how adaptive reuse can be transformative and as good, or better, than demolition and replacement. “The change in approach allowed us to get the project out of the ground quicker by reducing the amount of demolition and through reusing all of the exiting foundations and structural frame. This is a good example of where a sustainable approach is achieving on multiple fronts; improved sustainability outcomes, reducing the embedded carbon, shorter build time, and financial savings.”
A new Recreation and Wellness Centre (RWC) is currently under construction and will open in late 2024, it will accommodate the significant increase in numbers since the original Recreation Centre opened in 1978 and provide world-class facilities at our City campus. The University is committed to providing outstanding facilities that offer an exceptional university experience to students, staff and our stakeholders. An enhanced experience will include distinctive and high-quality extracurricular facilities that maximise the value to students. The new Recreation and Wellness Centre is designed to enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of staff and students. This is expected to contribute to the academic success of students and contribute to the retention of high performing students and academic staff. Due to land constraints the new building will be a high rise “stacked’ building providing modern recreation facilities including indoor swimming and diving pools. It will have 9 levels and a Gross Built Area (GBA) of approximately 21,600 m 2 . Facilities include two sports halls (including a 1,500 seat glass floor show court) one aquatic hall accommodating a 20x34m pool tank, 3m dive board, spa pool and sauna, three squash courts, studios for boxing, spin, group fitness, circuit training, cardio, weights, dance, mind and body along with indoor and outdoor running tracks, an office hub and retail facilities. The facility can accommodate bouldering, table tennis, futsal, tennis, netball, basketball, water polo, badminton, volleyball and handball and spaces are provided for relaxation and general wellbeing. The RWC design incorporate some sustainability features including electricity and water meters, low flow fixtures, rainwater harvesting, centralised and sensor control of heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems. In recognition of the prominent place in the City Campus and the duration of the construction works, Property Services worked with colleagues to enhance the environment around the construction site and to make the safety hoardings aesthetically pleasing to our community. The Quad and Symonds Street vicinity benefit from bright, informative and attractive visuals on the hoardings. The concept of 'ambient hoardings' has extended throughout our constructions sites in City Campus and have received positive feedback from staff and students.
With a commitment to adaptive reuse, the University is on track to create a world leading low-carbon space for students and staff. Constructed in and stamped with the global architectural vocabulary of 1970s academic institutions, Building 201 was outmoded and sat as a concrete-dominated form referencing mid-century brutalism. Over time the building’s infrastructure had become outdated. Despite undergoing a raft of remedial work over the decades it had reached end-of-life status with mechanical and building services no longer fit-for-purpose, poor environmental performance, and a seismically poor deteriorating heavy concrete façade. University of Auckland Associate Director of Planning and Development, Tristram Collett, says there was little to suggest Building 201 had any connection with Tāmaki Makaurau or Aotearoa.
“ Its layout was highly segregated, it was difficult to navigate and didn’t acknowledge its prime position on Symonds Street or the University campus behind. It was a big concrete block with the extra challenge of having no obvious front entrance.” The tired 70s structure has been transformed into a state-of-the- art educational environment to create a new home for the Faculty of Education and Social Work (EDSW) and Faculty of Arts. The concept was spearheaded by a project team committed to sustainable development, and the University of Auckland’s estate strategy Te Rautaki Tūāpapa 2021- 2030 which advocates for innovative green campuses. The hard work has been rewarded with a world leading 6 Green Star design review, setting a new benchmark for projects in Aotearoa.
“To achieve the highest score awarded since the inception of the New Zealand Green Building Council’s design rating - 93 points - is an awesome achievement and an exciting milestone,” Simon says. With a strong alignment between the University’s values, Te Rautaki Tūāpapa and Green Star, green-thinking was embedded in Building 201’s refurbishment from the start. “We wanted to be aspirational and innovative in our approach to B201’s upgrade and set a new benchmark. On reviewing previous uncertified University projects against a Green Star criteria we could see we were already building projects that could potentially meet 5 Green Stars. This time we wanted to aim even higher.”
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Recreation Centre Development
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University of Auckland – Social Sciences Building B201
NZGBC Director of Market Transformation Sam Archer and University of Auckland Director of Property Services Simon Neale
Associate Director Capital Works
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Associate Director Capital Works
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