Client: Contact Energy
Project Type: Commercial Office And Retail
Project Timeframe: 2011-2012; 2014
Architects: Studio Pacific Architecture
In recent years LT McGuinness has completed several fit-outs for one of New Zealand’s largest listed companies, Contact Energy, in their Harbour City Centre head office.
The six-storey centre is a Category II registered landmark and the first stage was a seismic upgrade of the entire base building. As well as refurbishing their existing floors, Contact opted to take an extra floor. The overall project was spilt into three stages which meant careful timing and certainty on the programme.
A challenging feature of the next two stages was putting in a big internal atrium staircase. The old building had an uncovered light well, open to the elements, that ran from level 1 to level 6. Combined with small offices on each floor it meant a lot of wasted interior space. The steel staircase, manufactured off site, was craned in through the roof and bolted in place. The roof was then covered over and fitted with big circular skylights.
Floor-by-floor fitouts were completed as the staircase was inserted. They provide for open plan offices that radiate around a central hub of kitchen and meeting areas adjacent to the stairwell. Each has feature ceilings, LED lights, timber flooring and a smart overall finish that meets the technological requirements of a firm that supplies 25% of the country’s electricity.
Contact has stringent health and safety policies and took an active role in that aspect of the project. It was pleasing to see a client so involved and to employ a collaborative team approach to minimising hazards.
