Cool €˜til after school

In the past, you could bet your bottom dollar that a typical educational facility would be encased in a staid, rectangular box. However, Auckland's new business school, with its abundance of curves and contemporary materials, is anything but typical.

As a member of the Hastie Group, Australasia's largest supplier of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services, Hastie New Zealand was an obvious choice for the supply of these services at the business school. The company supplied and installed multimillion-dollar heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for the project, which included over 5000kW of cooling, 1000kW of heating, over 20,000m² of ductwork, and over 50km of mechanical and electrical wiring. The iconic shape of the building was the main challenge for the company, says CEO Paul Austin.

"The design breaks away from tradition. The unusual nature of the structure, and the myriad facilities and usage areas, including lecture theatres, breakout rooms and large open spaces, meant the HVAC system had to cope with a significant number of variances in air conditioning loads in any one day."

This level of construction demanded not only a significant resource pool, but also a meticulous approach to project management. The company worked closely with Fletcher Building's experienced site-management team, along with other contractors, architects and consultants.

"This was essential to ensure that the building's spatial challenges, not least of which was the limited ceiling void space, were overcome, allowing the architects' use of light and space to be retained."

For details, contact Hastie New Zealand, PO Box 71055, Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland, phone (09) 828 5400. Website: www.hastie.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas