Trustpower – a trophy building for Tauranga

Tauranga’s multi-award winning Trustpower building was a combination of big ideas, insightful land development and a strong partnership with Zariba Holdings Ltd.

Located in Durham Street in the heart of Tauranga, Trustpower’s 9,000m2 head office building is home to more than 600 staff.

The build was completed by CBC Construction in April 2016 (with a value of $25 million), and is a local architectural masterpiece featuring a three-level atrium, interior walkway bridges over wide open spaces, saw tooth roof to enhance light penetration, double glazed façade for acoustic and thermal performance, and basement parking for 60 cars, 50 bicycles and 20 motorcycles.

The partnership.

“Zariba has been involved in the property investment and development industry for a long time,” says Dwayne Roper, Zariba Director.

“We’d watched Classic Group grow into the substantial residential and commercial development company it is today, with a stellar reputation for big commercial projects in Tauranga. At the time, Classic Group had recently been involved in the completion of the ANZ Centre which we understood was the work of CBC Construction under the watchful eye of Drew Beekie [CBC Managing Director].

“We admired the way Peter and Matt had developed a strong business in Classic Builders. They’re inherently local, they like to get ‘stuck in’ and get things done, and we enjoy partnering with like-minded people to undertake larger, more complex projects. Teaming up with Classic was an easy decision.”

The vision.

Trustpower’s vision for the purpose-built office was centred on connection, collaboration, energisation and fun. They wanted a space that staff and visitors would love walking into – a space that was welcoming, innovative and cohesive.

Classic Group and Zariba had an additional mission for the project: to create a building that would stand the test of time and offer a positive architectural contribution to the CBD.

“We wanted to demolish the old, decrepit building that’d become an eyesore and replace it with a fresh, modern office space. We wanted to add vibrancy to the inner city of Tauranga, which had been struggling for a number of years,” Dwayne explains.

The process.

With a huge job ahead of them, the team wasted no time getting started.

“Zariba worked alongside Classic Group the entire journey,” Dwayne recalls. “From when we were pitching for the project through to the negotiations, design and construction phases.”

There were a few challenges to overcome, too.

“The site has a very long street frontage, so it was hard to come up with a façade that would look good within the street while also fitting the budget. Inside, the central atrium was great for collaboration, but took some clever engineering!”

The outcome.

It took months of hard work, but the end result ticked everyone’s boxes.

“You simply can’t compare the new building to the old one,” says Dwayne. “Transpower now has a user friendly, open plan, fit-for-purpose and secure building right in the heart of the CBD with access to all the amenities on offer. I’d imagine staff retention has improved and the way in which they work has changed significantly. All of these things have a major impact on staff morale and productivity.”

Innovative design and conception is seen throughout the whole building, from the impressive glass façade highlighting an outstanding exterior (achieving both acoustic and thermal performance with gas filled double-glazed panels) to the range of break-out rooms, pod rooms and stand-up desks which make collaboration a breeze.

“The entire programme, along with the fit out programme, was managed very well,” says Dwayne.

“Whenever we came up against a challenge, CBC would tackle it head on with outstanding leadership and communication. They’ve got a great ability to bring together a team of designers and consultants and find good, cost effective solutions.”