Goodman’s new Auckland office aims for Five Star Green Star rating

Making sustainability a top priority

“This was also a catalyst for us to reassess our existing work practices and embark on a comprehensive review of our Auckland office requirements,” Goodman says. Under a $2 million renovation project, with designs by GHD Woodhead, Goodman’s 51 staff moved from a traditional allocated desk environment to an activity based workspace by the water. “Employee health and wellbeing were at the forefront of our decision making,” says Goodman. “We wanted to improve the quality of the work spaces while reducing energy and water consumption, working towards a Five Star Green Star rating.”

Upcycle and recycle

“A flexible and collaborative workspace that provided better facilities and a higher quality work environment for our people was the overriding objective of the new office,” says Goodman. “The target of a Five Star Green Star Office Interior rating ensured the new office was designed to be as energy efficient as possible, helping minimise our impact on the environment.”

Looking to achieve the Green Star rating, Goodman worked to implement energy, water and waste monitoring programmes, improved recycling efforts through centralised rubbish stations, and ensured that more than 90% of construction waste from the new site was recycled. In addition, the new office is in close proximity to public transport, and features end of trip facilities to support the team riding, walking or catching public transport to work, encouraging ideas of eco-friendly and healthy living.

In fostering such a sustainable and wellness-focused workplace, it was important to Goodman that its furniture and building materials were low VOC. With Green Star product and ISO ratings, Schiavello’s Krossi desking gave Goodman the confidence that its work stations met all requirements. In addition, Schiavello La La Stools were reused from the previous office. Made of polyethylene, La La is virtually indestructible, allowing its classic design to stand the test of time.

Embracing flexible working

A softened industrial aesthetic dominates the fitout, with polished concrete floors, warm timbers and exposed ceilings. Colour blocks differentiate areas, while bursts of greenery add an extra dimension. Goodman’s previous office featured 55 individually assigned workstations, however the new Viaduct space has been designed with only 44 due to the flexible nature of today’s workforce.

“Our surveys showed that occupancy within the existing office was typically between 40% and 50%,” says Goodman. “With a significant proportion of our team on-site or absent at any time, we decided that activity based working would be a more efficient use of space, reducing the number of required workspaces.”

Thanks to the adoption of activity based work methodologies, Goodman was able to reduce the number of desks while supplying its people with many more options for working across the floor plate. The new office features collaborative zones, including bump zones, as well as solo and group worktables that sit within the centre zone and harbour side of the building. Meanwhile, the city side caters to the social end of work – with the kitchen and café located in a corner position with views over the bustling CBD.

Large bespoke, amoeba-shaped workstations created by Schiavello provide options for collaborative work, casual team meetings or individual work on a shared station. Schiavello’s Krossi also caters to focused work – a cluster of the fixed height desks sit in an area edged by the coat cupboards and lockers, blocking sound from the surrounding office for uninterrupted concentration. Aiding this further are Schiavello Vide screens, which border each desk, aiding in buffering not just audible interruptions but also visual ones.

Creating a seamless look across the work points, at the building’s core sit two clusters of kidney-shaped sit/stand Krossi desks, enabling the team to alternate between sitting and standing postures. Schiavello’s research suggests that the average worker spends 80% of their work hours sitting, equating to around 80,000 hours (or nine years) over the course of their working life. Incorporating Krossi sit/stand desks within the workplace supports Goodman’s commitment to wellness, allowing team members to move about during the day while engaging in their work.

This project was completed through Kada, our partner in New Zealand.