Arup paves way for Auckland’s zero waste targets

The ‘Living Building Challenge’ asks the building industry to stretch their sustainability goals, striving to leave a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people and planet. This aligns with Auckland Council’s ‘Zero Waste by 2040’ goal as well as the te ao Māori (the Māori world view) concept of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) to sustain and restore our collective resources. 

Arup’s new, custom designed 620 square metre office space in the Hayman Kronfeld building officially opens to clients and stakeholders with a launch event on Wednesday 1 March.

The ‘Living Building Challenge’ asks the building industry to stretch their sustainability goals, striving to leave a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people and planet. This aligns with Auckland Council’s ‘Zero Waste by 2040’ goal as well as the te ao Māori (the Māori world view) concept of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) to sustain and restore our collective resources. 

Arup’s new, custom designed 620 square metre office space in the Hayman Kronfeld building officially opens to clients and stakeholders with a launch event on Wednesday 1 March.

Darcy Utting, Principal Design, Unispace said: “The Design and Construction industry is in a powerful position to make meaningful change for our environment, and this starts by building our understanding of kaitiakitanga. The Unispace team in partnership with Arup’s sustainability specialists achieved incredible energy performance and waste diversion in the project’s end-to-end delivery. This is an exemplar for the New Zealand market – and especially critical for Government Agencies and their contractors to provide sustainable fitouts across our country’s property portfolios.”

The independent Living Futures Institute will assess the building’s performance after 12 months to ensure it is genuinely having a positive impact on the environment and the people who use the space before certifying that it fulfils the Living Building Challenge. The certification is globally recognised as the leading international standard for sustainable buildings that protect and restore the natural environment. Other notable offices that feature certification from the International Living Futures Institute include Google’s Sunnyvale campus and Etsy’s Brooklyn headquarters.

Located at 15 Galway Street next to Britomart train station, in the heart of the vibrant waterfront precinct, the office enjoys excellent transport connections to the new city rail link, Downtown ferry terminal, and bus station, providing easy access to the desirable boutiques, award winning restaurants, bars, galleries, and public open spaces that define this celebrated destination.