Kathmandu’s new Christchurch headquarters, Papa Kainga, has made the city’s innovation precinct even greener by winning a 5 Green Star Design rating for efficiency and sustainability.
Officially opened in June, the 4,650 square-metre, three-level building follows hot on the heels of the neighbouring InnoV8 building that achieved the 5 Green Star Design rating that signifies ‘New Zealand excellence’ in late July.
Papa Kainga’s sustainability features include:
- a high-performance double-glazed façade and automated blinds that track the sun and move accordingly, to maximise daylight while balancing heat levels
- a highly efficient ventilation system that brings in outdoor air at a rate 50 per cent above that required by the Building Code to provide a healthier indoor environment for staff.
Green Star is an independent rating system that assesses buildings’ sustainability across a range of criteria at both Design and Built stage, and is certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) with ratings ranging from 4 Green Star (best practice) to 6 Green Star (world leadership).
Designed by AQUA Architecture and located at 223-231 Tuam St, Papa Kainga is being developed by Calder Stewart Development and Studio D4 (who together also developed the InnoV8 building), with the end investor being Tuam Street East Ltd. Papa Kainga will be leased under an exclusive long-term agreement with Kathmandu.
NZGBC chief executive Alex Cutler says in a time when consumers are increasingly looking for evidence of corporate responsibility, Green Star is a way to independently verify a company’s commitment to lightening their environmental footprint.
“We’re delighted to see that Kathmandu’s comprehensive sustainability strategy is extended to the buildings they occupy, both here and in Australia,” she says.
“Using Green Star from the beginning of the project is the most cost-effective way to build in sustainability, as well as energy efficiency, staff comfort and resilience.”
Kathmandu’s general manager marketing, online & international Paul Stern says the new Christchurch HQ is home to around 180 staff, and builds on the company’s strong commitment to sustainability.
“We recognise that how businesses are run has a major impact on the environment, and it was important that we moved into a building with a strong sustainability ethos,” he maintains. “The attention to reducing waste in all areas of the building is better for the environment and our running costs, so it’s a win-win situation.”
Development partner and Studio D4 Co-Director Paul Naylor says choosing to get a Green Star rating was “an easy decision”, given how valuable the independent verification is to both tenants and future purchasers.
“A smart long-term investment is one that’s attractive to tenants, while costing less to run and maintain, and a Green Star building ticks both those boxes,” he believes. “We aimed to set a high standard with the Papa Kainga and InnoV8 buildings, and we’re very pleased with the results.”
Fine features
Other sustainability features include:
· an integrated fit-out design to reduce waste
· low-flow water fittings, LED lighting and presence detectors
· 90 per cent of construction waste diverted from landfill, and storage systems for recycling waste
· dedicated fuel-efficient and carpool car parking, and cyclist facilities
· FSC-certified timber, and recycled timber from buildings destroyed in the quakes
· low-VOC floor covering and ceiling tiles, and zero ozone-depleting refrigerants.
The 8,500 square-metre InnoV8 building that comprises four levels of office space and a Vodafone Concept Store and cafés on the ground floor was the first in Christchurch’s Innovation Precinct to achieve a Green Star rating.
Among other features the building boasts:
- passive solar design and a high-performance façade to maximise daylight while balancing heat levels
- an integrated fit-out design to reduce waste; and the same highly efficient ventilation system that brings in outdoor air at a rate 50 per cent above that required by the Building Code.
Designed by Jasmax and located at 213-221 Tuam St, the InnoV8 building is being developed by Studio D4 and Calder Stewart Development with the end investor being Tuam Street West Ltd. InnoV8 is leased under an exclusive long-term agreement with Vodafone.
InnoV8 is Vodafone’s new South Island base and home to 350 Vodafone staff, as well as participants in the Vodafone xone ‘innovation incubator’.
Sustainability is a non-negotiable part of the future of working, argues Vodafone New Zealand Chief Executive Russell Stanners. “Because technology is at the centre of our business, we wanted to move into a building that helps us run that technology as efficiently as possible,” he explains. “InnoV8 also enhances staff wellbeing and productivity through clever design and material choice.”
InnoV8 boasts many of the same features as Papa Kainga, including:
- LED lighting and presence detectors throughout the office area, to reduce energy consumption
- water metering and alarmed leak detection to ensure water consumption is effectively managed, and low-flow water fittings
- building tuning for 12 months following completion to ensure building systems perform to their design potential
- diverting 90 per cent of site waste from landfill through reuse and recycling
- dedicated fuel-efficient and carpool car parking, and cyclist facilities
- FSC-certified timber
- low-VOC materials throughout to reduce the impact on occupant health from products (flooring, ceiling tiles, adhesives and sealants) that emit pollutants
- storage systems for recycling waste.
