The striking new Waste Management New Zealand (WM) Auckland headquarters, winner of the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award, the Resene Green Building Award and the CBRE Industrial Property Award at this year’s Property Industry Awards, is a fit-for-purpose, world-class development.
Stride Property (SP) and WM developed the 9100sqm facility on a 5.2-hectare site in East Tāmaki. The new build meets current needs but is also designed to adapt as and when the organisation evolves. The project also achieves WM’s vision of consolidating four sites into one.
Among its list of other trendsetting achievements is how it combines both operational and non-operational activities in one innovative centre, and improves corporate welfare. By merging operational and corporate functions, this is a workplace design concept that prioritises culture and enhances employee experience.
Central to the design is the Hub, which was given prominence in the strategic brief and is the most tangible driver of organisational culture following the move-in. The Hub is important because it provides a connection between the corporate and operational activities, which is fundamental to the success of this project.
The building design physically separates health and safety-sensitive operations from the rest of the site.
It also features a purpose-built workshop that allows for innovative safety features not present at WM’s previous facilities.
Access points into operational areas are tightly controlled and minimise the effects of the operation on the surrounding roads. Traffic movement on the site uses a one-way system for efficiency of movement and safety.
WM is setting itself apart through its focus on initiatives such as sustainability in an industrial context, always considering the impact on the environment from its activities. Incorporating sustainable solutions was fundamental: efficient low-E glazing allows maximum light transmittance, while maintaining an efficient thermal envelope. Thermo-mass concrete combines the durable aesthetic of concrete with a thermally efficient panel.
The facility is a pilot project for the New Zealand Green Building Council’s Green Star – Design & As Built NZ tool and is registered for an As Built Rating. It is likely to be the first project in New Zealand to be assessed using the new tool, which will be used to rate all types of buildings and projects.
This industrial and commercial development shows how excellent design can provide a sustainable environment that stakeholders can be proud of. Through culture, inclusion, health, safety and sustainability initiatives, this new facility succeeds in improving the daily lives of staff, while allowing WM to operate as responsible corporate citizens.
“A fully integrated development, with sustainability at its heart, Waste Management’s Auckland headquarters has been a true collaboration between lessor and lessee,” says Mark Luker, General Manager, Development at Stride Property.
“By unifying visions across various project disciplines and stages, the project has ultimately achieved a 5-star green rating and meets Waste Management’s workplace principles of safety, comfort, flexibility, brand expression, connectivity and an uplifting environment. This is a truly world-class facility.”
Waste Management NZ Auckland Headquarters
318 East Tamaki Road, East Tamaki, Auckland
OWNER STRIDE PROPERTY GROUP
DEVELOPER STRIDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
CONSTRUCTION HAYDN & ROLLETT
QUANTITY SURVEYOR CUESKO
PROJECT MANAGER RDT PACIFIC
ARCHITECT JASMAX AND ECLIPSE
SERVICE ENGINEER COSGROVES
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER HOLMES CONSULTING
MECHANICAL ENGINEER COSGROVES