One of a team
Jonathan Walker architect – ‘Purpose-built yet elegant’ is how Jonathan Walker describes IBM’s Highbrook facility. Purpose-built and elegant’ better describes the many JWA-designed buildings in Auckland.
While the team at this well-established architectural practice have undertaken design work ranging from industrial, health care, apartments and intensive housing to infra-structure projects, their focus remains the same, regardless of the nature or scale of the project.
Their aim is to raise the standard of commercial design.
IBM Warehouse
Roll former: Steel & Tube
COLORSTEEL® Endura
Colour: TItania
Profile: HiRib
Roofing Installer: KIwi Roofing
Telephone: 263 9988
Their commitment to sound design, and to providing smart solutions to implement their design, is complemented by timely project delivery. Their speciality is designing commercial buildings that are both fit-for-purpose and pleasing to the eye; their concept: that the warehouse and office together work together as a composition of strong forms, colours and textures.
They achieve this by cladding and roofing the large steel frameworks with a combination of variously profiled steel and glass – a functional necessity – which identifies the administration areas. The glass brings a kinetic element to the form by yielding glimpses within while also reflecting its surrounding and its ever-changing skyscape.
In collaboration with JWA colleague Joanne Cheng, Jonathan’s first project was to design a factory and office. The client just wanted a standard warehouse – and quickly. Compared with Europe where the process can take years, in New Zealand a simple warehouse can be developed from concept to built completion within a year.
JWA recognised that Auckland’s need for new warehouses and to replace old unwanted stock was strong and that therefore there’d always be a steady demand for commercial buildings. However, he also wanted these buildings to have a high standard of architecture.
A site-specific project, like Mainstream’s hub in Otahuhu, posed challenges, not least of which were how to blend character with functionality on a site accessed across a railway track – a siding of which was to feed into the complex.
In a mainly industrial area with little evidence of architectural input, Jonathan’s brief was to create a handsome facility to accommodate the integrating of and interchange between road and rail freight – and to provide for long-term storage.
With access to the main 6428m2 warehouse, a 3700m2 open warehouse accommodates the new rail siding and truck loading and unloading and is where the main interchange of freight occurs. To the east a canopy-covered 2806m2 container yard allows all-weather access to the warehouse.
Glass and charcoal-coloured precast panels precisely identify the office building to approaching vehicles while within, a natural light well between the warehouse and the open-plan office with desk-high spandrels create a pleasant, heat-controlled work environment for office staff.
Mainstream Warehouse
Roll former: Steel & Tube
COLORSTEEL® Endura
Colour: Corporate Mainstream green double sided Titania
Profile: ST 963
Roofing Installer: KIwi Roofing Telephone: 263 9988
While Mainstream’s facility was relatively straight forward, JWA’s involvement with IBM’s ‘leading edge’ data centre in the Highbrook Business Park was anything but.
Defined in the original IBM brief, the design philosophy required that seismic issues be addressed by creating a separation between the structure and rooms built within rooms. Balancing innovation with international standards was a further integral element of the brief.
JWA could take nothing for granted as they worked their way through the design requirements: every aspect was discussed and questioned. As a result, not only does IBM have a state-of-the-art data centre, its building, with its understated concrete-and-glass exterior and semi-rural aspect, achieves a high standard of commercial design.
Stanley Black & Decker Warehouse
Roll former: Steel & Tube
COLORSTEEL® Endura
Colour: Metallic Silver
Roofing Installer: Steel Roofing
In designing Stanley Black & Decker’s 3,000m² custom-built distribution centre at Highbrook, JWA’s brief was again to integrate the warehouse and the administration area.
Covering the vast expanse of glass is a sculptural form of aluminium screening which follows the sun and creates a sense of movement while also screening the entry to the trade store from the street. The glass reflects the arresting landscape, the sky and the movement of clouds – and ever-changing vista that adds to the sense of movement and gives the building that ‘wow’ factor.
Steel and Tube Warehouse
Roll former: Steel &Tube
COLORSTEEL® Endura
Colour: Titania double sided
Roof Profile: Multispan Cladding STC 900
Roofing Installer: Kiwi Roofing
Telephone: 263 9988
Steel & Tube’s warehouse also carries that JWA hallmark: a combination of long run steel, this time broken with recessed downpipes, precast panels, expansive glass and boldly contrasting colour. No matter what they are working on, colour and character count considerably in JWA’s designs.
JWA’s projects don’t have to be huge to be challenging. One task was to design a hospital to be built off site and when ready, the existing ‘cottage hospital’ was to be removed and replaced by the new structure – all within a five-week timeframe in which time the new hospital had to be functioning. JWA have also completed terrace housing projects and a 41- apartment block in Albany Village.
Much of JWA’s design work is for owners who are building to the requirements of their tenants. Nowadays, while time is always of the essence, creating an attractive environment for their tenants and their employees is as important as the bricks-and-mortar structure.
So how does JWA achieve this?
Jonathan explains: “It’s important for us to maintain a strong design ethic. We strive to be attentive and apply a thoughtful, logical approach to our clients’ needs. We respect the wishes of our clients and of their tenants. In fact we aim to create a workplace environment where consideration for others prevails. It’s important to us to maintain a healthy relationship, not only with our clients, but also with the Councils we deal with, with project managers, with sub-contractors and tradesmen and with surrounding neighbours.
“As architects, we always need to negotiate and compromise. Practicality and external factors have to be integrated with the design concept. We believe a good design process balances competing requirements.”
So what is compromised when it comes to sustainability issues?
“We aim to create sustainable environments but we do what we can within budget and site constraints.” Jonathan advocates persuasion: “We explain our preference for 800cm-high spandrels over floor-to-ceiling glass which for a smaller office floor plate is both practical for desks and provides insulation to the exterior envelope.”
JWA-designed buildings win accolades because people have not in the past expected to come across such attractive establishments within industrial environments. Today, that’s changing.
Says Jonathan: “Our buildings please, both in design and in functionality, and we’re proud of that, reflecting architectural taste in Auckland’s industrial regions.”