Caring for the whenua and the natural world is pivotal to the new Te Papa Biodiversity Research Centre in Upper Hutt.
As part of that kaitiakitanga the project is embedded with 5 Star Green Star sustainability standards.
Essentials
Name: Te Papa Biodiversity Research Centre (BRC)
What: new purpose-built facility supporting the care of taonga and ongoing scientific research; 6600 square metres; laboratories; highly technical temperature and humidity-controlled storage spaces; offices, research library, meeting rooms
Details: will house more than 866,000 specimens of fish, invertebrates and reptiles stored in jars of alcohol (known as a wet collection); specimens date back to the 1860s; forms the foundation of Aotearoa’s biodiversity research
Location: 4.8-hectare brownfield site; selected for its proximity to Te Papa; future capacity for growth, resilience and affordability; site vacant at purchase
Daily occupancy: up to 20 Te Papa staff plus visiting researchers and volunteers
Address: 28 Dante Road, Upper Hutt, Te Whanganui-a- Tara, Wellington
Project Snapshot
Owner: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Funding: New Zealand Government; Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage
Architect: Warren and Mahoney
Project GSAP: Mitch Colak, Arup
Project status: purchase of site September 2022; design commenced May 2023; construction commenced August 2025; estimated completion March 2028; transition completion 2029
Project certification: 5 Star Green Star Design and As Built NZ v1.1 Design rating (July 2025)
When the facility housing Te Papa’s natural history wet collection in central Wellington was no longer fit for purpose, a programme of works to safeguard the archives was activated.
Te Papa BRC project lead, Grant Manson, says Green Star was high up the agenda.
“One of Te Papa’s key priorities is to care for, protect and restore Aotearoa’s natural environment and biodiversity - so aligning a new building with the environmental benefits of Green Star has enabled Te Papa to demonstrate its commitment to papatūānuku.”
Early adoption of the tool put environmental sensitivities at the epicentre of the project.
Grant says applying those considerations across a complex building loaded with stringent operating procedures was not without challenge.
When the facility’s 4-hour fire ratings necessitated the use of very large amounts of concrete in the laboratory and collection storage spaces, Green Star problem-solving came into play.
The solution - the procurement of a low-carbon concrete which pushed the project well above its mandatory Green Star credits for upfront carbon reduction.
Warren and Mahoney project architect, Anna Synge, says the building has been shaped by its purpose.
“Our starting point for the design was the rigorous WorkSafe requirements which set clear parameters for how the building could be arranged on the site. From here the concept of ‘a kit of parts’ emerged - a building assembled with precision and intent.”
“The scientists who’ll inhabit this building are deeply connected to the natural world and the architecture reflects that relationship. Poetic in its undertone, it’s grounded in its place and draws inspiration from the cultural landmark Te Awa Kairangi, the Hutt River.”
A co-development relationship with mana whenua and Te Papa inspired a lyrical narrative for the project and the integration of Te Aranga Design principles.
Anna from Warren and Mahoney says Green Star propelled design innovations that will contribute to reducing the facility’s operational energy demand.
Project GSAP and principal engineer at Arup, Mitch Colak, says the highly specialised operational processes in the facility required creative design approaches to embed sustainability initiatives.
“The project’s design journey has been about delivering those complex functions, while also telling a story of place, providing a workspace with a biophilic connection for its users and treading softly in terms of its carbon impact. Grafting all this onto what is essentially an operationally demanding building is what makes this project so special and an exemplar for similar projects – though I think you’ll struggle to find many!”
He says the building’s most exciting green features include:
- timber roof - a striking architectural feature; contributes to a significant upfront carbon reduction; provides overhang shading to reduce solar load and glare; provides biophilic connection within the workplace
- clerestory windows - bringing high quality, diffuse light into the workplace allowing glimpses of the sky or timber roof
- precast insulated sandwich panels - highly functional; deliver a 4- hour fire rating, control internal moisture accumulation; provide exposed internal mass which helps regulate internal temperatures; reduce energy use in lab and storage areas
- high airtightness - ‘red pen tests’ and close review of the façade, roof and services detailing undertaken at every design stage to deliver a building fabric with extremely high airtightness; minimises air infiltration/exfiltration instrumental in reducing conditioning loads; blower door testing of the facility scheduled during commissioning.
- extensive green space - areas of native planting (10,000 sqm); reinvigorates the site to support native wildlife; provides water sensitive urban design interventions to process stormwater runoff; the project surpassed the highest stormwater pollutant reduction Green Star targets
Rubix director and project director, Sam Davis, says the Te Papa Biodiversity Research Centre is “a compelling and forward-thinking project.”
Its 5 Star Green Star rating is underpinned by:
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a shared goal: preserving and enhancing Aotearoa’s biodiversity research capacity
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inclusivity
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cross functional teamwork
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diligent procurement
He says beyond its own success story the BRC will deliver a raft of benefits to Upper Hutt including a construction workforce of over 2000 people, local business stimulation, support for industries and an elevated profile for the city as a centre for science and culture.
Green features summary:
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designed to consume less electricity through smart design; renewable energy integration
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LCA completed
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predicted water consumption 75 percent less than reference building
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electrical and water metering and monitoring
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use of low-impact, responsibly sourced materials supporting a circular economy
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seismic resilience: ensuring long-term safety; preservation of the collection
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ecological value of site improved
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futureproofing: designed to support scientific collections through to 2080; robust infrastructure and backup systems
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air tightness testing: showing how well designed and constructed the project was to minimise air leakage.