Our own light, industrial-feel office beside a wetland reserve, designed for a growing team and awarded Bronze at the 2018 NZ Commercial Project Awards.
- Client
- ACH Consulting Engineers
- Services
- Structural & civil engineering
- Location
- 3 Kawakawa Place, Westgate, Auckland
- Scale
- 50+ staff
- Status
- Complete 2017
01 / Project overview
The brief
Our staff numbers were rising steadily and our old office was too small. After a few years of planning, we sourced land in the new Northwest commercial precinct at Westgate and set out to design and build a home for the firm.
We engineered the building ourselves, working with architectural designer Mark Butler and builder Lawtons. The brief was a light, spacious office with room for more than 50 staff that would perform well for years to come.
02 / Our approach
How we delivered it
Engineering our own workplace
This time we were the client as well as the engineers. After outgrowing our previous headquarters, we bought land in the new Northwest commercial precinct at Westgate. Our engineers designed the building with architectural designer Mark Butler, and Lawtons built it. Designing for ourselves meant every decision was tested by the people who would work there every day.
Designed around the wetland
The site backs onto a wetland reserve, and the design makes the most of it. Large windows and an outdoor deck open the office to the reserve. They bring daylight deep into the building and give the team a green outlook in the middle of a growing commercial area.
Light, spacious and industrial
The brief was a light, spacious office with an industrial feel, built as an eco-build to perform well into the future. That character carries through consistently from the exterior to the interior, giving the building a clear identity that suits an engineering firm.
Room to grow
The building has room for more than 50 staff. That gives ACH space to grow and brings more jobs to Auckland’s north-west. Alongside the workspace, a staff kitchen and gym support the people who work here. The aim was a comfortable, inspiring place to work that keeps the team engaged and attracts new engineers.
03 / The outcome
“The building earned a Bronze award at the 2018 NZ Commercial Project Awards, and gave ACH a home with room to grow beside the Westgate wetland.”
04 / Gallery
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