Tāwharau Lane Development
Highbrook

Tāwharau Lane occupies one of the last industrial sites at the South Auckland Highbrook Business Park, and as a prominent site, the client ‘s brief was to recognise this closing of a chapter with an architectural statement. The second key driver was to achieve a sector-leading Green Star 6 rating, a new chapter in the client’s development story.

The planning response arranges the buildings to optimise warehouse sizes, yard orientation and for the offices to be visible from Highbrook Drive, the main thoroughfare into the estate. To provide a strong street address and identity in an open landscape the offices are designed with distinct architectural gestures.

The orthogonal floor plates are wrapped in a curvaceous screen; like a Korowai (Māori Cloak) this screen protects, and is an acknowledgement of achievement. The protection is predominantly from solar gain, and the achievement is the project’s strong commitment to environmental stewardship, and a celebration of constructing almost 500,000m2 of space over the last twenty years. The curvilinear lines and shape echoes the wrapping of a cloak around the body, expressed with contrasting lighter and darker colours. The treatment of the warehouses is recessive, and echoes the same curved lines of the screens.

Client: Goodman New Zealand

Metrics: 1,000m2 offices, 7,100m2 warehouse. 6 Greenstar Design & Built Rating

Photography: Jono Parker

Awards: 2024 NZIA Auckland Architecture Awards Winner – Commercial Architecture. 2024 Property Council Industrial Property Award – Excellence. 2024 Property Council Sustainable Building Property Award – Excellence