National Biocontainment Laboratory 
& Offices, Wallaceville

The multi-purpose building is a place of reception and collaboration for the National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Diseases as well as the larger scientific community. The building contains a formal reception area, café, administration offices and multi-purpose rooms for meetings, seminars and functions. 

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The project was awarded a Green Star - Five rating for office design due to its simple yet environmentally sound design and construction - a first for a Government developed building in NZ. Working within a tight site and an equally tight budget, this rating was achieved by adhering to the principles of ‘passive solar design’.

 

The building, surrounded largely by trees, rises up on one side to collect as much sunlight as possible. This, combined with natural ventilation and high levels of insulation throughout, has removed the need for expensive climate control systems. Designers chose building materials for their environmental sustainability as well as quality. The use of timber throughout also reflects both the setting and the client’s close association with NZ’s forestry industry. 

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​The Green Star application’s computer simulation of energy use showed the building consumed just 39 kilowatt hours per square metre per year (a third of the Green Star benchmark), proving that sustainable design can be achieved without costing the earth.