Project Summary:
Built on a brownfield site in Auckland, the building features numerous sustainable design features ranging from mixed mode natural ventilation and exposed thermal mass in the office to stack ventilation and LED lighting in the warehouse. The project picked up points for innovation, including for the stringent carbon footprinting used by Ceres to measure the building’s impact.
Ceres Organics is the first food warehouse complex in New Zealand to gain a Green Star rating. The 5,500 square metre building at 82 Carbine Road, Mt Wellington, is a two level office building attached to a large precast concrete warehouse. From the outset, sustainability was integral to the project. The building is owned and developed for Ceres Organics by Norak Properties Ltd.
Only two other buildings in New Zealand have been certified under the Green Star Industrial tool, and this is the first food warehouse to do so. A rating of 5 Green Star denotes New Zealand excellence.
Project Name: Ceres Organics
Address: 82 Carbine Rd, Mt. Wellington, Auckland 1060
Points Awarded: 63 points
Rating Achieved: 5 Green Star Industrial Built
Building Owner: Norak Properties
Architect: Williams Architects Ltd.
Mechanical Engineering: 22 Degrees Ltd.
Structural Engineering: HLK Ltd.
Project Manager: Watts & Hughes Construction
Main contractor: Watts & Hughes Construction
GSAP: Paul Jurasovich
The key sustainable features of the building are:
- The building is oriented to make the most of passive solar heating and natural light.
- The project incorporates material recycled from the former derelict building.
- Concrete was chosen for the bulk of the building structure to give good thermal mass, helping it stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
- Over 95% of demolition and construction waste recycled, re-used or diverted from landfill.
- Use of natural ventilation
- Increased open plan area for reduced lighting and space conditioning energy use
- Extensive internal planting
- Controlled office lighting levels and high performance glass
- Night time cooling, and mixed mode, multi-unit VRF air conditioning for supplementary peak load use
- Carparks allocated for car pool participants / fuel efficient cars
- The site offers change facilities and secure bicycle storage
- Located close to public transport and major retail hub
- Harvesting rain water with automatic DCW switchover for toilet flushing and custodial use to reduce potable water consumption
- The site uses solar hot water, an air-cooled conditioning system and all hot water pipe work is insulated
- Fully integrated building includes high levels of exposed concrete for structure, thermal mass, temperature stability, durability and low maintenance
- There is dedicated waste and recycling, and worm farms for organic waste
- Re-use of a brownfield site, with enhanced ecologically through native landscaping
- The company uses zero ozone depletion potential refrigerants and insulation
- Water efficient fittings and fixtures to reduce flow to sewer
- The external lighting was designed so no direct light is spilled to the night sky
Innovation Points Awarded:
- Use of carbon footprinting to drive sustainable development and performance of the building
- Exceeding benchmarks in waste management, car park minimisation and indoor plants