Behind Campbell House’s restored Art Deco façade sits Auckland’s newest student hub — 758 beds, heritage charm and city-centre convenience combined. Discover how UniLodge Auckland Central balances character, sustainability and community living just steps from the CBD.
UniLodge Auckland Central is purpose-built student accommodation providing 758 beds across 18 levels on a 1939sqm site. Located between Auckland’s tertiary campuses and the city centre, the design retains and restores Campbell House, a 1929 Art Deco brick building that occupies the street frontage, while introducing a new tower set back to maintain the heritage building’s prominence.
Procured under a D&B model with Icon, the team leveraged international experience in fabrication and modular systems. A unitised façade system was manufactured offshore and installed as complete panels, creating a high-performance, low-maintenance envelope, while accelerating the programme. Prefabricated bathroom pods imported from Australia enabled the standardisation of apartment layouts around fixed pod dimensions. Pod fabrication commenced in parallel with the base build documentation, reducing delivery time. The structure comprises post-tensioned floor systems and concrete shear walls constructed using jump form for efficient vertical progression, with retained brick façades strengthened to 100 per cent NBS to ensure durability and compliance. Building services include a centralised Q Ton heat-pump hot-water system, coordinated lighting, fire protection and security systems. Partial air conditioning via a high-efficiency centralised chiller system has future provision for full coverage through the sizing of the main risers and plant space provision on the roof. Accessibility includes 15 wheelchair-accessible rooms, 14 adaptable units and accessible community facilities developed with the Barrier Free Trust.
Social outcomes formed a core part of the brief. The building is arranged to support student connection and pastoral care, with shared amenities positioned to encourage interaction rather than isolation. Environmental ambitions were reinforced by overseas investors who required a formal ESG framework and Green Star certification, ultimately achieved at a 5 Star level. The resource-consent process centred on the heritage response and urban design impacts. Extensive studies demonstrated how the new tower could be set back to avoid façadism and maintain Campbell House as a clearly legible structure. Height and massing challenges arising from the site’s eight-metre slope were resolved through negotiated trade-offs, ensuring the building contributes positively to the surrounding streetscape and pedestrian movement. The retention and reuse of existing building fabric significantly reduced embodied carbon relative to a full demolition scenario, complemented by low-carbon materials, Environmental Choice-certified reinforcing, and construction practices focused on waste reduction and diversion from landfill. The building layout is planned for long-term efficiency with accessible plant rooms, clear service routes and the centralised heat-pump system to minimise operational emissions. Extensive metering and automated monitoring allow detailed tracking of energy and water use, supporting ongoing optimisation and reducing lifetime scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
The restoration of the Art Deco brick façade of Campbell House brings an elegant sense of heritage to the purpose-built student accommodation, which stretches up behind it over 18 floors.
Te Aranga Design Principles informed early concept development. Taiao guided the integration of native planting and acknowledgement of the historic landscape. Manaakitanga shaped the civic entry and pastoral care facilities, and the design of public interior spaces features references to the historic Wai Horotiu stream, which once flowed immediately past the site.
The building supports both independent living and opportunities for social connection, with shared kitchens, a gym, cinema, library and more.
The building, which supports both independent living and opportunities for social connection, is regarded as well suited to its purpose, with generous communal facilities including kitchens, study spaces, a gym, cinema, library, music rooms, hobby areas, laundry, bicycle parking and scooter storage. A large north-facing landscaped barbecue area offers valuable outdoor amenity within the CBD context. The facility is secure, with controlled access and comprehensive management oversight. The ground floor commercial spaces provide flexibility for future tenancy patterns and contribute to activity along all three street frontages.
UNILODGE AUCKLAND CENTRAL
70 Lorne Street, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
OWNER CEDAR PACIFIC
DEVELOPER CEDAR PACIFIC
PROJECT MANAGER MCCONNELL PROPERTY
CONSTRUCTION ICON
ARCHITECT ASHTON MITCHELL ARCHITECTS
SERVICE ENGINEER 22 DEGREES
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BGT STRUCTURES
MECHANICAL ENGINEER 22 DEGREES
BUILDING ENCLOSURE ENGINEER INHABIT
QUANTITY SURVEYOR WT NEW ZEALAND
ENGINEER TO THE CONTRACT URBAN OUTCOMES
HERITAGE ARCHITECT DPA ARCHITECTS
Photo credit: Neil Macbeth