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Eco city in action

Ten years ago the Waitakere City Council's eco city aspirations appeared ahead of their time, but as its latest building developments show, sustainability is now well and truly part of the mainstream

Civic library area with orange sofas, and view architecture, ceiling, daylighting, furniture, institution, interior design, library, gray, red
Civic library area with orange sofas, and view of ceiling ducting.

Multi-disciplinary consulting firm Connell Wagner designed mechanical and electrical services for many of Waitakere City's recent developments, all of which met the sustainable brief.

Design engineer Ashley Barnett says each project required specialist solutions, including combinations of Variable Air Volume (VAV) and displacement air conditioning, to match the usage.


Interior of civic building showing airconditioning ducting and architecture, building, daylighting, glass, structure, window, gray, black
Interior of civic building showing airconditioning ducting and lighting.

"The civic centre was a work of art. The offices feature open floor plates, so there's no need for ductwork or false ceilings. The shell beams provide displacement ventilation at floor level and also control the building's thermal mass directly. This opportunity to use 100% fresh air provides free cooling and high indoor air quality. The lighting system has occupancy sensors that work bay-by-bay and perimeter lighting that recognises the amount of natural light and dims accordingly."

Perimeter windows are also shielded with louvres designed using thermal modeling. For further energy efficiency, Connell Wagner designed a method of recovering and recycling the waste heat generated in the refrigeration cycle.

Exterior view of building showing timber fins, roof angle, architecture, beam, daylighting, glass, house, line, stairs, structure, wood, brown
Exterior view of building showing timber fins, roof overhang and windows.

For more details, contact Connnell Wagner, phone (09) 520 6019. Website: www.conwag.com.

Story by: Trendsideas

23 Jun, 2006