Tait wins energy efficiency award for new high-tech campus
The company was recognized for its new high-tech campus at the prestigious EECA awards ceremony held at the Auckland Museum on Wednesday, 28 May.
Tait was named winner of the Christchurch Energy Champion award, in recognition of its leadership in energy efficiency and innovation during the Christchurch rebuild.
The $35 million Tait campus development is set on 11ha of land alongside Tait’s existing buildings and features the construction of an über energy efficient new headquarters for up to 350 of its Christchurch-based employees.
Tait’s Campus Project Manager, Jürg Hönger, says that the ultimate vision for the new campus is to embrace the principles of innovation, sustainability and collaboration and to capture the vision for the new city of Christchurch.
“We have a unique opportunity in the Christchurch rebuild to create a forward looking city. Our new campus will be a vibrant collaborative campus with a central town square, open spaces and a green corridor. We’re using innovative technologies to promote sustainability and support local industries. And it’s hoped that other technology companies will join us on the new campus to create a new high-tech hub for Christchurch.”
The new Tait headquarters features a state of the art groundwater heating and cooling system, energy efficient fluorescent and LED lighting, and a modular design that maximizes space efficiency. A 12m high light-filled atrium anchors the two wings and Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC) LVL timber, developed at the University of Canterbury, has been used in place of steel as the primary structure.
In announcing the award, the judges said that the new Tait campus was “An ambitious, whole campus sustainability project. As a complex anywhere it would be advanced and worthy of admiration. In the context of Christchurch, it has potential to be a positive touchstone for a re-emerging city, both economically and environmentally.”
