"Hamilton’s most significant new office building in at least 5 years.”
Site, context, presence
The design brief called for 3,000m2 of commercial office space to be accommodated in a purpose-built office building. The site is an elevated platform bordering the Waikato River reserve and Bridge Street in Hamilton East, just outside Hamilton’s CBD. Geotechnical conditions determined the need to avoid site excavation. Neighbouring buildings include a 2-storey commercial building to the east and a 4-storey laboratory building to the south. A building with strong visual presence was desirable for commercial branding purposes.
Relationship between concept, form, structure
The built envelope is necessarily determined through strict conformance with local authority requirements, combined with an efficient structural grid. Secure staff car parking has been confined to the building footprint, enabling extensive planting around the building to blend with the adjoining reserve. Deceptively simple from the exterior, the built form incorporates a generous internal courtyard to provide natural daylighting to the office space located near the centre of an otherwise deep plan form.
Structure, construction, materials, detail
Steel columns and beams provide support to concrete floor slabs and decks. The façade is largely glazed with structural units assembled from within the building, reducing the need for scaffolding during construction. The glazed sections provide natural daylighting to the building interior, as well as a theme of corporate transparency. Part-height concrete tilt panels are used at ground level -in combination with open fencing - to further support transparency.
Environmental
The building has been designed using the Greenstar guidelines, incorporating environmental features such as cycle parks, energy efficient plant and lighting, specialised solar double glazing, and rainwater harvesting. The central courtyard is utilised for storage of rainwater, prior to recycling through building services.
User satisfaction
With extensive river and city views to the exterior – and views of the central water feature within the building - the building provides a high level of amenity to office staff and visitors alike. Additional features such as balcony decks and staff showers on each level have been cited by tenants as being vastly superior to previous accommodation.
Contribution/spirit
The finished product provides a simple and supremely functional commercial office building. A high degree of transparency and openness assists in making this a particularly user-friendly work environment, with a simple yet powerful aesthetic befitting the corporate identity.