Long Awaited 6 Green Star Geyser Building Opening Its Doors

4 September 2012

Long Awaited 6 Green Star Geyser Building Is Opening Its Doors

Green walls, passive heating and 100% fresh air - the first building to be awarded a 6 Green Star rating in New Zealand is ready for business.

Located in Parnell, Auckland, the Geyser building has set a new benchmark for environmentally sustainable design, earning its 6 Green Star – Office Design certified rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council in late 2009.

Designed by Patterson Associates and owned by Samson Corporation; Geyser boasts a spacious retail floor, 24 offices and a 165 car stacking machine.

Samson Corporation General Manager Marco Creemers says Geyser takes sustainable design to the next level.

“It’s not only architecturally innovative, it offers huge cost-savings for businesses with an impressive range of green features and a workplace to be proud of,” he says.

A 6 Green Star certified rating represents world leadership in the Green Star building rating system, which was developed to assess environmentally sustainable design initiatives, says New Zealand Green Building Council’s CEO Alex Cutler.

“Businesses here will be making a statement about their commitment to staff, customers and the planet. Much of the focus of green buildings is on benefits such as energy and water savings but just as important is the quality of the working and living environment,” she says.

International research shows improving the quality of the workplace boosts productivity and reduces sick days. “Geyser promotes environmental, cultural and social well being,” says Marco Creemers. “The buildings are positioned around a courtyard and there’s a system of atriums with pedestrian linkages to promote networking and a sense of community.”

Other features include state-of-the-art eco-technology that enables the building to heat itself by trapping warm air between its walls in the winter, whilein summer the entire outer skin opens electronically for full ventilation. It also has an automated car-stacking machine that actually parks your car for you.

“You park in a virtual garage and then a turntable spins the car around, loads it onto a lift and takes it to an available space,” says Mr Creemers. “You just swipe your card when you come back and the machine finds and returns your car to you.”

Geyser’s range of high-tech, sustainable features mean inhabitants can benefit from:
• Using nearly a third less energy
• Using half the amount of artificial lighting and water - Breathing 100% fresh air (compared with 25% in air conditioned offices)
• Accessing a 165 vehicle automated car stacker (all disabled car parks)
• Using a rainwater harvesting system to store and supply water to the toilets and irrigation system
• Utilising showers, lockers and cycle parks to encourage active transport, as well as being close to major public transport hubs.

Background Information

What is the Geyser building?
The Geyser building was designed by Patterson Associates and completed in 2012.

Where is Geyser located?
Geyser is located in the upmarket, central Auckland suburb of Parnell at 100 Parnell Road.

When will Geyser be available for lease?
September 1, 2012.

What does Geyser offer in terms of office and retail space?
Geyser has 24 offices and six retail/hospitality spaces that can be combined to make larger spaces. It has 182 car parks, 165 of which are located in an automated car-stacker. Geyser is ideally suited for mediumto large sized businesses interested in cost savings while looking after their staff, clients and the planet.

Where can businesses go for more information?
www.geyserparnell.co.nz and www.forlease.co.nz

What is the 6 Green Star – Office Design Rating?
The New Zealand Green Building Council awarded Geyser New Zealand’s first 6 Green Star – Office Design certified rating in 2009. The rating system was developed in 2007 to assess environmentally sustainable building design and construction initiatives.

What sustainable features does Geyser offer businesses and visitors?

• Uses nearly a third less energy than a typical building of its size - Uses half the amount of artificial lighting and water
• Provides 100% fresh air (compared with an average of 25% for air conditioned offices in New Zealand) 165 vehicle automated car park stacking system with 25% of spaces nominated for small, more fuel-efficient cars
• Rainwater harvesting system to store and supply water to toilets and irrigation system
• Maximises natural daylight by dividing the structure into five individual sub-buildings, which are set around a system of atriums with pedestrian linkages
• Creates natural heating and cooling ventilation
• Encourages active transport by providing showers, lockers and cycle parks, as well as being close to major public transport hubs
• Boosts productivity and reduces absenteeism (international research shows ‘green’ buildings achieve this)
• Generates a sense of community by being built around an internal courtyard.

Patterson Associates
Last year, Patterson Associates was named by the world’s most searched architectural journal, World Architecture News, as one of five firms “whose directional ideas are helping to shape the future of world architecture.” www.pattersons.com

The New Zealand Green Building Council
The NZGBC is a not-for-profit, industry organisation dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of market-based green building practices. www.nzgbc.org.nz

ENDS

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