Sustainable design principles and guidelines

• Achieve Green Building Certification for all new construction and major renovations at New Zealand Green Building Green Star 6 or above. 
• Achieve Green Building Certification for all new building fitouts and major renovation fitouts (e.g., New Zealand Green Building Council Green Star Fitouts 2025). 
• Achieve Green Certification for Construction and Demolition waste for all new buildings and major refurbishments.

• Apply whole-life costing to assess opportunities for the adaptive reuse of existing buildings during planning and business case stages. 
• Critically assess design aesthetics, prioritising those that align with sustainability goals, such as passive solar design, natural ventilation, green roofs and walls and biophilic design. 
• Prioritise performance-based architectural design to ensure aesthetic choices do not compromise energy performance or increase vulnerability to climate change related events. 
• Include specific equity and accessibility criteria at all stages of project planning and design, with appropriate measures and metrics in project reports.
• Incorporate sustainable space utilisation criteria to all projects and refurbishments.
• Include sustainable transport and commuting plans for all major projects and refurbishments. 

• Consider climate change, resilience and sustainability at the design phase for new buildings and major projects to allow the University to plan for comfortable, accessible and inspiring campuses in the long-term.
• Identify and assess climate change scenarios that could compromise normal use, operation, or lifecycle of the asset or building, or could put people or projects at risk. Explore the potential impacts of acute hazards (e.g., high wind, extreme heat, surface water) and chronic hazards (e.g., higher average temperatures).
• Consider the results of those assessments, and design to mitigate or minimise those impacts for new buildings or major refurbishments.
• Explore opportunities for increased energy and water resilience via reduced demand and increased independence from the grid and mains, including rainwater harvesting and on-site renewable energy generation.
• In the case of new buildings or major refurbishments, undertake a climate change resilience review in line with international best practice and delivered by an accredited professional. 

• Prioritise sustainable sourcing for material selection and consider Life Cycle Assessment credentials of materials when available.  Life cycle assessments are useful to evaluate the environmental impact of materials and products from production to disposal.

• Phase out fossil fuels and prioritise renewable energy sources for all projects. 
• Assess and report on the suitability of solar domestic hot water, photovoltaic cells, wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps and installations to harness renewable or low emissions energy.
• Develop whole-project energy models to inform design, provide input to lifecycle cost analysis, and assist with cost analysis and carbon projections. Models must include scenarios of key variables (e.g., fluctuations in temperature, occupancy and hours of operations) and the feasibility of effective metering technology. 
• Include building envelope related improvements to reduce energy demand, increase thermal comfort, maximise daylight and views and address glare. 
• Set stringent energy efficiency standards for all mechanical and electrical systems, ensuring they exceed local building codes and are in line with international best practice.

• Establish project boundaries that are inclusive of the outdoor and non-built environment. Apply landscape and site design to all projects. 
• Set clear targets and metrics (including a percentage increase of plantable area and canopy cover) for biodiversity net gains for all projects.
• Prioritise native planting, support bird corridors and sensitive species and areas. 
• Design and install advanced stormwater management systems such as rain gardens and permeable pavements to reduce surface runoff. 

• Implement a comprehensive approach to waste prevention, resource recovery and waste management that addresses all dimensions of waste generation resulting from developing the Estate. 
• For every project, develop and implement a Waste Prevention, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Plan, including a section on Site Waste and Resource Recovery Management.
• Identify waste streams likely to occur from the building or space once operational. Address opportunities for designing waste out and design fit-for-purpose waste management systems aligned with best practice and the university’s centralised approach. Note: There is no provision for waste bins at the individual office or desk level. 
• Design commercial kitchen projects to accommodate pre- and post-consumer food waste recovery for composting. Note: Staff kitchens require post-consumer food waste collection systems as part of the university-wide food scrap diversion.

• Incorporate measures and metrics for all project reports in line with the University's existing reporting frameworks for carbon and sustainability. This includes monitoring and reporting on investment towards carbon and sustainability improvements and benefits.
• Document risk in a format compatible with the University’s Enterprise Risk Management System. 

• Develop and implement plans to engage stakeholders on issues of carbon and sustainability related to projects and refurbishments. Include water and energy conservation and efficiency, waste prevention and biodiversity. 

Key environmental and social features of the B201 project include:

• New Zealand’s highest 6 Green Star Design and As Built NZ v1.0 Certified Design Rating with all ten innovation points awarded
• Seismic strengthening, which enables the reuse of the existing building structure reducing the embodied carbon by over 30 percent
• Elimination of combustion appliances and fossil fuel use on-site reduces operational carbon emissions by nearly 70 per cent
• A naturally ventilated central atrium provides a connection to the outside environment
• A Solar Photovoltaic System provides around 10 per cent of the energy demand
• A rainwater harvesting system and low-flow fittings are estimated to reduce potable water consumption by nearly 80 per cent
• Window-to-wall ratio is optimised for daylighting on work surfaces
• Construction waste diversion from landfills set at a target of > 80 per cent
• On-site training and education for construction workers around health, wellbeing and sustainability
• Connections to local public transport and prioritisation of low-carbon travel modes and end-of-trip facilities to encourage more cycling and walking
• A new natively planted sedum green roof on the level four podium