Walk the talk

Queenstown is one of New Zealand's most scenic tourist drawcards, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) is one organisation entrusted with managing this key natural asset.

Not surprisingly, the department needed an office that would reflect its focus on the environment. Insitu Architecture was consequently commissioned to transform a tired, poorly insulated 1990s building into a world-class performance building for the department, one that would meet Green Star and government sustainability requirements.

Hamish Learmonth and Janine van Leeuwen of Insitu Architecture say the building needed to be fully sustainable, innovative and energy efficient.

"It was also essential that the interior had a connection to the outdoors, and the magnificent scenery the office sits in the Morning Star Recreation Reserve and has views to surrounding mountains, the Shotover River and the historic Edith Cavell Bridge," says Learmonth.

Insitu Architecture's innovations, which are expected to result in energy cost savings of more than 80% per year, included several firsts.

The retrofit incorporates the first installation of a ground-source heating and cooling system in a commercial building in Australasia. This system utilises 150m-deep probes, with the heating and cooling delivered by underfloor pipes set within a low-weight floating floor layer another first for an Australasia building retrofit.

"It is also the first design and installation in New Zealand of a warm roof system that uses XPS insulation boards and specific architectural detailing to prevent heat loss," says Learmonth.

In addition, the project celebrates the first commercial installation of an air-tight membrane with a double-skin wall system that meets European building standards.

"These standards far exceed the New Zealand building code, bringing the refurbishment in line with leading innovations in renewable energy and sustainable buildings worldwide."

Learmonth says the DOC office also features New Zealand's first active ventilation system that doesn't use air conditioning units with mechanical ventilation, but instead utilises heat recovery and ventilation units with radiant floor cooling.

Janine van Leeuwen says although the building has a 332m² floor plate, 25% of the original space was restricted by low ceilings.

"By introducing a 27m-long modern dormer that improves the visual connection to the outdoors, we were able to considerably increase the usable space inside the office," she says. "This also brings increased natural light levels."

Van Leeuwen says Insitu Architecture seamlessly integrated Green Star credit requirements into a crisp interior with a simple, fresh material palette.

"Our main focus was to increase the indoor air quality, comfort and energy performance, while providing an innovative interior that incorporates new technologies and raw materials and textures."

Purpose-designed raw steel and white Enviroboard shelving is placed on angles in the open-plan workspace to create flexible, functional work spaces. Each workstation is custom designed to incorporate an extension that can double as an informal meeting space for two.

"We went for organic desk forms to contrast with and soften the angular interior of the building," says Learmonth.

Native ferns appear to sprout through the tops of the desks part of an indoor plant collection that helps purify and filter the indoor air. Learmonth says the plant containers, like the building itself, reference DOC's motto, Te Papa Atawhai, which signifies a box or container for taonga (treasures) and caring, nurturing and preserving.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes