Te Hono

When sustainable design sits at the heart of a public spaces project great things happen. 

Avondale’s new 5 Star Green Star design rated community centrepiece demonstrates those decisive outcomes.

Essentials
Name: Te Hono
What: new community centre and library; integrated 2300 square metre-built form offering multiple spaces; two levels and mezzanine in Northern Building; single level in Southern Building; flexibly designed to accommodate diverse activities; adjoining 2400 square metre upgraded town square
Location: Centre of Avondale
Name: Te Hono means ‘connection’; acknowledging the foundational premise of the project - to connect place, people and purpose
Address: 1971-1987 Great North Road, Te Whau Avondale, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Project Snapshot
Building owner: Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council
Project manager: Auckland Council
Architect: Athfield Architects
Landscape architect: Isthmus
Project GSAP: eCubed Building Workshop Ltd
Services engineer: eCubed Building Workshop Ltd
Project status: need for updated amenities identified 2016; design phase November 2020; deconstruction of existing buildings on site November 2024; on site early works commenced June 2025; completion 2027
Project certification: 5 Star Green Star Design and As-Built NZ v1.0 certified rating

Auckland Council Principal Sustainable Outcomes Advisor, Duncan Monro

Rapid population growth and intensification is part of Avondale’s recent story –bringing with it the need to ramp up civic amenities.

The suburb had been well served by its library and community centre but over time these buildings had fallen behind.

“The existing facilities were disjointed across two buildings located on the edge of the town centre and were too small for a fast-growing community,” says Duncan Munro, principal sustainable outcomes advisor at Auckland Council’s Urban Development Office (AUDO).

In response Auckland Council pushed the go button on an ambitious plan to reformulate the heart of Avondale with a striking multi-purpose community hub anchored in a refurbished public square, as part of a wider urban regeneration programme.

Unity, wānanga, cultural identity, creativity, learning and environmental responsibility was the theme.

Deep engagement propelled by a council, iwi and community partnership was the pathway.

“Collaboration has shaped Te Hono from the ground up, enriching its design and creating space for iwi to share the cultural narratives of the area - ensuring it showcases the identity, values and hopes of its community.”

In tandem with Avondale’s aspirations – sustainability and resilience set in motion the design process.

Duncan says Green Star was crucial from the outset “substantiating how we’re walking the talk on our environmental aims.”

He says Green Star:

• aligns with the Auckland Climate Plan
• aligns with the Auckland Council’s Sustainable Asset Standard
• reduces operating costs due to improved energy and water efficiency
• delivers invaluable benchmarking
• ensures highly sustainable urban regeneration in Avondale
• contributes towards green financing (Auckland Council has a green bond programme as part of its Sustainable Financing Programme; part of its wider group debt raising activities)

Athfield Architects’ project lead, Jon Rennie, says the design concept for Te Hono was developed in 2019 and 2020 “when the Australian bushfires were raging and Tāmaki Makaurau’s skies glowed red.”

“Our world was literally on fire and the need for sustainable responses even more undeniable. The project team sought where possible to exceed the Green Star targets – with consideration of the carbon, energy, social and economic sustainability of Te Hono from a whole of life perspective.”

Those carbon considerations included the ‘deconstruction’ rather than ‘demolition’ of five existing buildings to make way for Te Hono. The project team worked with NZGBC to create an innovation credit to reward the project for this positive approach of reusing rather than downcycling building materials. It is hoped future projects pursue this innovation.

The deconstruction process included the following:

• buildings inspected; materials identified
• careful dismantling, salvaging; preserving integrity for reuse
• no devaluation of items through recycling and or sending to landfill
• deconstructed materials rehomed locally through contractor’s community salvage days; items sent to the Pacific Islands
• encourages a societal shift towards utilisation of second-hand materials; supports community projects which may have been unaffordable
• materials included internal doors, insulation, PVC pipes, timber etc.
• 7.3 tonnes of materials retrieved during deconstruction
• 0.6 tonne of glass removed by local glazier for reuse
• Tawa and Oregon timber flooring reclaimed; potential reuse in Te Hono

Project GSAP and eCubed director, Eric Dronet, says while deconstruction is an invisible feature, it’s a stand-out.

“Deconstruction is a real success story. We hope others are inspired, especially contractors, who can see how meaningful their contribution can be.”

He says eCubed fed into the design brief for Te Hono as it was formed.

Modelling pathways were used for many credits, rather than prescriptive pathways, ensuring no oversizing of services or unnecessary costs.

From left to right: Duncan Munro, Louise Toohill (Senior Project Manager), Lisa Gooding (Senior Communications & Engagement Advisor) and Richard Davison (Priority Location Director)

Te Hono’s key design features and outcomes:

• mixed mode ventilation; solar chimney; prominent architectural feature of Te Hono; uses buoyancy of air to escape at high level when windows at lower levels are open without mechanical power; occupants have active control of their surroundings using natural ventilation; creates an environment connected to place and whenua, human-centred; more welcoming
• 131 rooftop photo-voltaic panels; potential to offset 39 percent of annual energy usage; signifies resilience and care for neighbours by exporting renewable energy to the grid
• new public space; extensive native planting; amalgamates building and landscape; connection to nature; importance of beauty and biophilia in our lives; light coloured recycled granite pavers reduce urban heat island effect

Isthmus project landscape architect, David Sullivan, says Green Star’s impact on the revised town square included:

• repurposing existing hardscape materials into the new design, including granite cladding material removed from another council building to be used in the production of new terrazzo tiles inside the library and within the public realm
• increasing green space; over 4000 new native plants; 60 new trees
• water-sensitive urban design; a climate responsive public space
• low-carbon outcomes; EC30 concrete, recycled aggregate, reduced embodied carbon; driving sustainable goals across the wider project

“After years of planning and anticipation, Te Hono is now happening. But more than just progress - this is a visionary project that marks the beginning of the Avondale community coming together in a collective new civic heart, library and community centre,” says David.

Other green features include:

• re-use of land
• improved ecological value of site
• comparative Life Cycle Assessment completed
• reduced energy use and GHG emissions compared to reference building
• predicted water consumption 65 percent below reference building
• high levels of daylighting to 54 percent of nominated area
• localised lighting control giving occupants control of immediate environment
• excellent access to public transport/high walk score
  

   

Photo Credit: Auckland Council