Foodstuffs North Island’s Support Centre Awarded World-leading 6 Green Star Interiors Rating

Foodstuffs North Island’s support centre at Landing Drive Māngere has recently been awarded a 6 Green Star Interiors rating, the highest possible rating for its sustainable office fitout.

This achievement follows Auckland International Airport’s 6 Green Star Built rating for the base building in March last year. It’s one of only seven fitouts in the country to receive a 6 Green Star Interiors rating.

Foodstuffs North Island Head of Property Nick Hanson oversaw the build and says it's great to be recognised for the organisation's commitment to environmental sustainability for such a large-scale project.

“One of our ‘Here for NZ’ promises is to be sustainability leaders and to always make sure we’re doing all that we can to help reduce our impact on the planet, and this was front of mind with this project,” he says.

The site at Auckland Airport's business park is New Zealand’s biggest office and industrial campus style facility and includes a 77,000m2 distribution centre as well as 8,500m2 support centre, home to over 1,000 Foodstuffs employees.

The facility has some impressive features including one of the country's largest rooftop solar panel displays comprising of 2,880 panels as well as 67,500 litres of rainwater harvesting system.

The support centre has been designed around hospitality and collaboration, with spaces for cooking demonstrations, product tastings as well as a subsidised cafe for employees and even a mini supermarket so staff can pick up essential items.

The space also has areas for co-operative members to meet and work as well as a conference and meeting centre to facilitate events and training.

The interior fit out included 93% of the organisation's furniture from its previous premises being reused or donated to charity. Around 84% of construction waste was diverted from landfill and the support centre uses 53% less water than a typical office. In the first two years of operation the support centre has also generated 11% more energy than it has consumed.

“We approached this build as a once in a lifetime opportunity to ensure sustainability was embedded throughout the building interior and exterior, as well as throughout the process of the build too.

“The organisation is now set up very well to support our carbon emission reduction goals now and into the future,” says Nick.

With the built environment contributing to as much as 20% of all global carbon emissions, Nick says it’s important that the property sector changes how it approaches construction.

“New Zealand is behind the rest of the world when it comes to environmentally sustainable builds, and it does require a big commitment as well as a bit of bravery.

“Achieving the 6-star rating was extremely satisfying for not only our own team, but everyone involved in the project and the culmination of many years of planning and collaboration to get us to this point,” he says.

RDT Pacific Director Simon Wilson who project managed the build says the Green Star rating is something that only happens with a bold vision and a dedicated team.

“To achieve this level of energy efficiency for a building of this size, and to be generating more energy that it consumes is nothing short of extraordinary. It sets the standard for the future.

“Being awarded a world-leading Green Star Interiors rating is a celebration for the entire project team. We extend our commendation to Foodstuffs for their leadership for demonstrating foresight and commitment to such a high-quality sustainable build,” he says.

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