Image Credit : Lawrence Anderson and Unispace
Project Overview
Merging modern-day, world-leading sustainable design and construction with a 120-year-old heritage icon.
2,932kg of carbon emissions avoided by recycling plastic waste | 95% waste diverted from landfill | 90% materials toxicity-free
Meridian Energy is New Zealand’s leading provider of renewable energy – generating 30%-50% of the country’s electricity and with wind, water and solar operations nationally.
Reflecting their commitment to care for New Zealand’s environment, Meridian is targeting the gold standard in sustainability accreditation – Living Building Challenge (Interior). This requires regenerative design and construction practices while leaving a net-positive impact on both the natural environment and people.
Adding a layer of complexity, Meridian relocated into one of NZ’s most iconic buildings – the 120-year-old Category-1 listed heritage Old Bank Arcade. carefully unpicking decades of poorly conceived and disjointed interior fit-outs to create one of the healthiest workplaces in the world. This was a move of safety for Meridian’s people, after receiving a low seismic assessment on their previous building. A unique opportunity to give the building a new lease of life, extending its legacy, and enabling use for future generations.
The result is a workplace that reflects the highest standards of sustainability, wellbeing and resilience. It unites Meridian’s people and continues the legacy of a Wellington icon.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
The project team consisted of workplace strategists, designers, project managers and site managers from Unispace working in collaboration with Meridian Energy as the client and additional sustainability advisors, and project engineers.
Project Brief
“Our land, our people, in our waka”
A move of necessity, Meridian Energy required relocation due to seismic concerns of their existing premises. Unique opportunity to move into one of Wellington’s most iconic landmarks, the Old Bank Arcade. It was a challenge and an honour to compassionately restore and transform its ‘penthouse level’ to be the new guardian of one of the world’s healthiest interiors.
Driven by ‘doing the right things today so our planet and people can survive and thrive’, Meridian are true custodians of our land. A publicly-listed company, indexed to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (APAC) and 51% Government-owned, they have a responsibility to New Zealanders and the natural environment that is far beyond most organizations.
With regeneration and sustainability, the driving forces for Meridian’s mission, the Living Building Challenge (LBC) aligns seamlessly with these goals, enabling Meridian to continue to create a better future for New Zealanders, our environment, and the continued preservation of iconic New Zealand architecture.
A co-creative partnership with Meridian’s in-house cultural advisor, deriving a cultural narrative from Meridian’s waiata (Māori song). A balance of energy, connecting three key pillars of Meridian’s core business - wind, water, and sun, to the history of the land on which they operate. This is reflected in the floorplate zoning, connecting to the gods of weather, water and forest.
Tāwhirimātea – god of weather
Tangaroa – god of water
Tāne Mahuta – god of the forest and all that lives within it
Project Need
Meridian’s new home sets the standard for the future – for Meridian, Wellington and NZ’s renewable energy industry. This project is invaluable for its impact on the local/wider industry, creating a new standard and best practice through education/upskilling of trades and discovery of new, innovative suppliers – demonstrating how the industry can operate in a more sustainable and thoughtful way:
The project cements Meridian’s legacy as one of New Zealand’s most sustainable and respected companies within a heritage building – one that has its own legacy in Wellington. Achieving their ‘One Meridian’ brief, Meridian’s new home safely unites their people, evoking pride, and belonging and sets the benchmark for responsible environments.
LBC is the world’s most comprehensive sustainability accreditation. It goes beyond reducing harm- it positively impacts the future. The project’s unique features and achievements promote a circular economy, reuse and biophilic elements. The challenge was to design a permanent place while touching as lightly on the architecture and environment as possible.
Partnerships with innovative suppliers enabled a thoughtful, responsible outcome, providing exposure for smaller businesses that are positively changing the industry:
XFrame: pre-fabricated timber-framed meeting pods that are demountable for easy future change – no glue/permanent fixtures, and inserted without touching the building, promoting a circular economy.
SaveBOARD: diverted old Meridian marketing paper/waste from landfill, reused as reception/EOT wall-panelling, reflecting brand colours.
Critical: repurposing waste into benchtops, avoiding 2,932kg carbon emissions through recycling waste: 3,465 pieces of post-consumer plastic packaging, 8m commercial fishing nets, 56,333 plastic bags, and 8,750 plastic bottle caps.
Design Challenge
Adherence to LBC requirements and working in a sensitive heritage environment posed several challenges:
Avoid using materials on the Living Futures Institute Red List to ensure the environment is free of toxins/harmful chemicals. All materials on site were vetted, and suppliers/trades needed to be educated to ensure compliance.
Design/construction within heritage base build: OBA is made up of four interconnected buildings, resulting in several complexities, many unknown at the start
Design elements thoughtfully considered: met with a planner/Council and Heritage NZ to present floorplans for feedback/recommendation
High vaulted timber ceilings require an innovative, free-standing product that meets LBC sustainability requirements e.g. no toxic materials/glue, minimal waste
Structural improvements/infill of the 120-year-old timber floor to enable weight/growth of two biophilic gardens:
Input from a biophilia specialist to ensure the optimal location and light conditions to ensure growth for a 40kg tree
Iwi consultation included relocating 300kg pounamu stone from Meridian’s previous site to OBA.
Responsible sourcing: at least 50% of materials from NZ businesses to support local economies, and reduce transport impacts.
100% of timber is FSC-certified – maintain chain of custody, delivered directly from the source who complies with certification.
Zero waste: designing custom joinery to ensure all materials were cut to size to minimise additional waste – required meticulous planning and management of suppliers.
It was a significant challenge to source suitable, high-quality materials within both region and toxicity requirements while maintaining costs/timing commitments. An incredible result to achieve completion on time and on budget within 12 months end-to-end.
Sustainability
Living Buildings are regenerative and positive, requiring a progressive, thoughtful approach to design and construction.
This project addresses Meridian’s and Unispace’s joint desire to improve today’s design/construction industry and the wider social landscape, reshaping the way we all work.
Key sustainability achievements:
• 95% of waste diverted from landfill
• 90% of materials have zero-toxicity levels/avoid LBC Red Listed products
• Responsible sourcing: 50% of materials sourced from NZ
• 95% of spaces with access to views/ daylight
• 100% timber FSC-certified
• Developed biophilic framework – incorporate nature, and native planting, speakers surround the gardens with sounds of Tui and native NZ fauna
• Salvaged base build materials:
o Removed ply ceilings and reused them for TV mountings
o Salvaged lights for reuse by the landlord in OBA
o Re-used removed base build timber to patch up holes
o 30% of furniture repurposed from the previous site
•Adherence to heritage/conservation laws, category-1 listed protected property. An additional layer of fixed glazing to the interior of the façade, providing a thermal seal on the perimeter glazing to resolve building wind leakage issues. Creating a space of high energy efficiency due to the triple brick skin of the heritage façade and new roof insulation.
•Sustainable suppliers (see Project Need section)
LBC compliance is based on actual, rather than anticipated performance. All projects undergo a 12-month performance verification – when completed, Meridian’s workplace will be the one of two to receive LBC certification in NZ.
Interior Design - International Commercial
Open to all international projects this award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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