Northland Port Corporation

Northland Port Corporation Awards:
ADNZ – Commercial/Industrial Architectural Design Award Regional Winner 2014

The brief for this project was to provide a single-level, 200 m2 air-conditioned office space to cater for the current staff, with an additional 200 m2 of office space either as a separate tenancy or for NPC expansion. The new offices are situated on an un-utilised rail corridor, parallel to the main port road. This location was selected due to its prominent position viewed by passing traffic but also meant the building needed to be capable of relocation if required. The building aimed to be a catalyst for future development in the area.

The solution – two 20m x 10m relocatable “office pods”, connected to a central entrance and services unit, which would be “sacrificed” should the building be relocated. Each pod is highly insulated and fully glazed with high-performance IGUs in a seismic frame with glazed faces exposed to heat agins being extensively shaded. This allows for excellent natural light and efficient air conditioning while providing an open connection with the surrounding environment. On the south, east and west the glazing extends beyond the mono-pitched roof creating a simple glass box that acts as a “beacon” to the sparsely populated area at night.