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Henderson Library – Unitec Facilities

Waitakere, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Project Team

Landscape Architect :  Wraight + Associates
Architect :  Athfield Architects
Architect :  Architectus
Client :  Waitakere City Council
Project Status: Completed

This project comprises the public domain associated with the development of a new Waitakere Central Library, Citizens Advice Bureau, new Unitec Facility and car parking building.

Project Objectives

  • Catalyse investment in the nearby town centre area.
  • Generate a new urban identity for the city of Waitakere that is aligned to their Eco City ethos.
  • Integrate combined Library and Unitec uses.
  • Improve the city’s stream health through the integration of Water Sensitive Urban Design principles.
  • Improve circulation and connection to Henderson’s main street, provide integrated parking.

Key Features

  • Three new public plazas of varying intimacy that respond to distinct site adjacencies and provide flexible public space useable for gatherings of various scales.
  • External spaces are designed to extend and integrate internal building uses, layouts and themes.
  • A new landscape palette for Henderson comprising a modular suite of urban furniture pieces and pavement treatments (to be used city wide) along with a planting selection that reflects aspects of Waitakere’s cultural and natural life.
  • Implementation of planted stormwater treatment devices (rain gardens and swales) – providing ecological amenity as well as stormwater detention and treatment.
  • Implementation of a distinct urban character that is visually attractive, practical and able to accommodate site specific interpretation.
  • Integration of commissioned art projects.
  • Employs the city wide urban furniture suite along with some site specific furniture elements.
  • A new laneway slices between the library and unitec facilities referencing the deep cut gullies of Henderson’s two streams.

Awards

Silver Award NZILA for commercial/industrial/institutional design – 2008

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