The ground-breaking ceremony has happened, the crane has arrived, and piling is underway for what’s set to become the country’s largest mass timber office building. The future home of Tauranga City Council’s administration staff at 90 Devonport Road is being constructed by property development and investment company Willis Bond with construction partner LT McGuinness, in collaboration with architects Warren and Mahoney, Council, and mana whenua. Once complete, Council will lease the building from Willis Bond.

The building is leading the way in environmentally sustainable design and in addition to the use of mass timber, will feature rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging, and facilities that encourage active transport options. Using engineered timber in place of more traditional concrete and steel elements will reduce embodied carbon – carbon emitted through the manufacturing, transportation, and installation of building materials and components – to its lowest possible point.

At over 10,000 square metres, this will be the largest mass timber office building ever built in New Zealand and will set a new standard for projects of scale that can be delivered with this environmentally sustainable methodology. 

The building is targeting the highest 6 Green Star – Design and As-Built NZv1.0 – Design Review Rating, demonstrating world leadership in sustainability. It also has a strong emphasis on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems) and connection with the surrounding natural environment.

Click here to read about the project.