Firth Contributes to Award Winning Projects
The annual New Zealand Architecture Awards held last November, celebrated excellence across 29 projects in 11 categories, showcasing the very best of the country’s architecture, with Firth once again playing a pivotal role, supplying multiple award-winning projects and helping them achieve top honours.
Firth performs in tight spaces | Photograph courtesy of BNZ Centre - Jasmax
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BNZ Place, Wellington |
BNZ Place, developed for long-time Jasmax client Newcrest LP, sets a new standard for seismically resilient A‑grade office space in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. This 12-storey landmark maximises a central city site with sweeping harbour views and base isolation, making it one of the safest and most desirable buildings in the city. It also holds a 6 Green Star Office Built v3 rating, reflecting its premium, sustainable, and future-proofed design.
"This is a very tight inner-city location, which meant deliveries had to be carefully planned with our customers Richardson Drilling and Wallace Building Contractors," says Aaron Chateris, Head of Lower North Island for Firth. "From the pilling to the self-compacting mix for the column infills, we supplied about 8,000m3 of concrete for this award-winning building. Congratulations to Jasmax and our customers Richardson Drilling and Wallace Building Contracts - we are grateful to be part of the overall project."
Concrete for 'Living Building Challenge' is easy — Just call Firth | Photograph courtesy of Ngā Mokopuna - Jason Mann
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Ngā Mokopuna Education Architecture Tennant Brown Architects Declare Labelled Concrete |
Ngā Mokopuna (the grandchildren) is the name of the marae wharekai at Victoria University of Wellington, formerly known as The Living Pā. Designed by Tennant Brown Architects, the new building aspires to Living Building™ certification, which requires all suppliers to meet stringent environmental standards. This includes specifying the use of ‘Declare’-labelled concrete from Firth, helping to meet the rigorous requirements of the certification.
“We are the only concrete supplier in New Zealand that architects such as Tennant Brown can turn to - one that has done all the hard work to achieve the Declare label for our concrete and concrete products,” says Bernice Cumming, Architectural Consultant for Firth. “Specifying concrete for a Living Building Challenge project is easy - just call Firth.”
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Opened in December 2024 at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, Ngā Mokopuna is more than just a new building - it is a groundbreaking, eco-friendly, and culturally significant landmark. Here’s why it’s special: A Living Building is designed to meet the Living Building Challenge™- the world’s most stringent environmental certification. This 3,000 m² mass timber structure is designed to be fully self-sufficient. The ground floor houses the wharekai for the marae complex, along with an open engagement space at the northern end. The second floor includes student study areas, small-group teaching and seminar spaces, a larger flat-floor teaching space, and offices for Āwhina, Ngāi Tauira, and the marae team. The third-floor houses Te Kawa a Māui-School of Māori Studies, the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, and the University’s Sustainability Office. |