Blue Mountains Campus

The Blue Mountains Campus is a sustainability focused development in the Upper Hutt, offering private and shared workspace, with MBIE and Kiwirail as anchor tenants.  It is designed to be best-in-class, with stage one awarded a 5 Green Star rating.  This new stage is targeting the same rating, along with a 5 star NABERSNZ rating which would recognise the energy efficiency of the building.

The new campus buildings have taken an environment-first design approach, aiming at reduction in embodied carbon and a lower operational carbon burden.  To achieve this, large floorplates were used to reduce the wall-to-floor ratio, and timber framing was maximised with material sourced locally where possible.  Louvres running along the top length of glazing would provide shading, with a repeated line of louvres at the bottom for aesthetics.

Solaris 300 fixed aluminium louvres were used on all elevations.  Finished in a 20 micron light bronze anodized colour, they run horizontally to border the glazing at both top and bottom.  Whilst the louvre profiles are not overly deep they provide considerable shading properties and have been seasonally optimised using our shading calculator.  In summer, the shading comes further down the glazing to reduce thermal gain.  In winter, the louvres allow in more light to maximise daylight penetration and thermal gain.  

Visually, the louvres provide a separation between levels and add depth.  This is accentuated by the shade cast, which draws a straight line that wraps around but varies by elevation.  It’s a simple but effective aesthetic.  What’s more complicated and intricate is how the building elements work together to achieve the designs’ sustainability goals.  Earlier stages have an estimated carbon emission level that’s 51% less than a typical building.  It’s anticipated this new stage will achieve something similar, reinforcing the Blue Mountain Campus as a model project for sustainable commercial development. 

Architect  Studio Pacific Architecture     Contractor  LT McGuinness           

Location  Upper Hutt