NETWORK TASMAN OFFICES
HOPE

The new offices for Network Tasman Ltd. provide a comfortable and spacious work space for the 40 staff who keep the power supply to the Nelson/Tasman district on track. Located on a green field site on the outskirts of Richmond it has been designed with an environmental focus and incorporates rain water collection, natural lighting and ventilation, high levels of insulation, double glazing, heat pump powered in slab heating and low energy supplementary lighting.

The building has two key focal points being the block tower housing the control room and the tall clerestorey lit atrium which links all the work spaces. Entries are punctuated by leaning recycled power poles and this theme carries to the interior with 2 poles supporting the atrium roof. The staff social area opens on to a north facing garden sheltered from the wind and forming part of an integrated landscape design.

Buff coloured concrete blocks have been used for the control tower and a mix of block veneer and blue fibre cement board clad the rest of the building. These colours are carried through to the roofing and help the building to sit well in this rural environment.

Design: Brian Riley, Min Hall, Keni Hetet

Interiors: Rita Virtama

Builders: Ian McCully (Builders) Ltd
Project Managers: Opus International
Landscape: Rory Langbridge Landscape Architect
Photographs: Elspeth Collier