Latest news with #WillisBond
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Manukau Supa Centa set to be sold for $161m to Willis Bond's Property Income Fund
Property Income Fund, established by Wellington-headquartered Willis Bond, is buying the Manukau Supa Centa for $161 million from a Canadian-owned business. Wayne Silver, a Property Income Fund director, announced the plan to purchase the property. Supa Centa was New Zealand's second biggest large-format retail centre and the most significant asset
NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
LT McGuinness wins supreme $10m+ Master Builders commercial project award for Ngā Mokopuna
To achieve that, the new building had to generate all its own energy, use its own water systems, be carbon-neutral and use non-toxic materials, the builders said. Ngā Mokopuna was the key feature of the university's marae redevelopment. 'It replaces five villas on Kelburn Parade that sat in front of Te Tumu Herenga Waka, the first wharenui on university grounds. The project vision sought to draw together mātauranga Māori and sustainability practices,' the builder's website said. A university spokeswoman said the ground floor has the wharekai for the neighbouring marae and an open engagement area for learning, teaching and events. The second floor has student study areas, small-group teaching and seminar spaces, a larger flat-floor teaching space and offices for the Māori student support service and the marae team. The third level has offices for Te Kawa a Māui School of Māori Studies, the Māori deputy vice-chancellor's office and the university's sustainability office. The building's architects were Tennent Brown. In March, the Herald reported Te Kāhui Whaihanga the Institute of Architects awarded the 2024 gold medal to Hugh Tennent and Evan Brown. In other work, LT McGuinness won the $200m+ job to renovate and extend Precinct Properties' Auckland waterfront block. The transformed building is One Queen Te Kaha - the Deloitte Centre and InterContinental Hotel Auckland. The same builder erected Hobsonville Point's new $120m waterfront Catalina Bay apartments. David McGuinness, of the business, showed those off to the Herald last August. He is a member of the family whose company, LT McGuinness, built the luxury blocks. Mark McGuinness is also a family member and he spearheaded Willis Bond which developed many new award-winning Wynyard Quarter apartment blocks. LT McGuinness is family-owned and has been running for around 70 years. It is now in its third generation, with a construction workforce, which the Herald said last year was around 350. BCI last year named it New Zealand's third busiest builder based on the value of work begun in 2023: 28 projects worth $546m. LT McGuinness and Willis Bond featured in the Herald last decade as an 'invasion of the Wellingtonians', building so many significant new Auckland projects. Mark McGuinness said LT McGuinness was established by his father, Laurie, who died in 1974. In 2019, Mark cited older brothers Peter, Brian and Jim as being closely involved. Peter died in 2023. Mark McGuinness said then there were also 'eight nephews but it's not just the family. There are some very able non-McGuinnesses there too. The model we have here is an example of how the sector should work.' He was referring to the lack of acrimony between developer and builder because they were all the one family. In a second Master Builders award announced today, Breen Construction won the supreme under $10m prize for the Scapegrace Distillery in Central Otago. That was built using laminated timber and is powered by electric boilers. 'A strong commitment to sustainability is evident through the structure's large overhanging eaves and natural ventilation,' Master Builders said. The judges praised the business for building to a high standard in difficult weather conditions and under budgetary constraints. 'This project deserves recognition not only for its architectural features and sustainability but also for the collaborative and quality work of the construction team. It is rightly worthy of the supreme award under $10 million,' they said.
Scoop
09-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Inside The New Office Building Tauranga City Council Is Paying $91.9m To Lease
Tauranga City Council's chief executive has defended the $91.9 million, 15-year cost to lease its new building, saying this enables the council to adapt to a changing workforce. The council's 1000 or so administration staff have started moving into the eight-storey eco-building at 90 Devonport Rd in Tauranga's CBD. It is the first time the staff would be under the same roof since 2014, when black mould was discovered in the now-demolished Willow St civic administration building. The lease has an annual rent of $6,129,511 plus $313,352 for 65 carparks. The council is leasing the building from Willis Bond, having sold the property developers the land in 2021 for $8.5 million. Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said he was looking forward to having all the staff together and the collective culture it would bring. He was asked if the council had considered owning and constructing the building itself at potentially a lower cost than the lease. Grenfell said: "Owning and managing a building of this nature is not necessarily our [the council's] core business." The lease of 15 years, plus three five-year extensions, would enable the council to cater to the needs of staff in 20 to 30 years' time, he said. "Over that time, it's likely that the needs of office space changes. Otherwise, we're stuck with bricks and mortar." Grenfell said the fit-out cost of $33.5m over 30 years for the building was a "very modest spend and complete value for money". The council had calculated the cost of staff time walking between the old leased staff buildings at $1m a year, Grenfell said. "Arguably, over the period of time, the fit-out cost would be paid for by productivity." Stepping inside Local Democracy Reporting toured the building ahead of staff moving in. The full glass façade is softened as you step inside, with huge pine structural beams bringing nature indoors. The $45m building is the country's largest mass timber office, with more than 2000 tonnes of New Zealand timber. Built by LT McGuinness, it has a 6 Green Star Design rating and features rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging and facilities that encourage active commuting. LT McGuinness project director Craig Body said not damaging the timber elements during construction was challenging at times. "This was a finished product right from day one, so everybody had to treat it like a piece of skirting or a piece of scotia [moulding]." Body said the use of timber cut down noise - screws in wood rather than drilling into concrete. Prefabricated timber sped up construction and six people put in the structural elements, he said. Steel frames seismically connected the timber structure to the ground, making it a hybrid building, Body said. The first floor has council meeting chambers and a councillors' lounge. A cafe would lease ground floor space and be open to the public, with outdoor dining. Natural inspiration Warren and Mahoney principal architect Asha Page designed the $33.5m interior fit-out, which included meeting rooms, offices, flooring finishes, electrical, digital and IT. She said level two was her favourite floor because it felt like you were in the pōhutukawa tree growing on the harbour side of the building. The tree inspired the interior colour palette, earth tones mirroring the trunk on lower floors, then blue to represent the harbour, green like the leaves, with the top floors red like pōhutukawa in bloom, said Page. The pōhutukawa was also a sacred symbol of the past, present and future for mana whenua, she said. The wooden interior features are broken up with soft furnishings, carpets and greenery. Page said they had reused as much furniture and fittings as possible from the other buildings. An internal wood staircase aimed to encourage connection between people, getting them out of their seats rather than using the elevator, Page said. "Humans will easily walk up or down one or two flights of stairs, so you really start to see the workplace as a whole building, not just as where you sit on one floor, siloed with your team. "It's a tried-and-true method of creating a really vibrant or connected workforce." Page said staff had been spread across three buildings, so they wanted to maximise the ability for people to come together. It also tied into one of the building's design principles - taura here - binding people so they're stronger together, she said. Between 600 and 700 people would work in the building on any given day. Level five was the "anchor floor" with the kitchen, seating and an events area. The top floor houses the mayor's office, which has views of Mauao and the Kaimai range. The smaller deputy mayor's office next door shared the Mauao view. Māori design principles The values used to design the building were developed with mana whenua, Ngāti Tapu and Ngāi Tamarāwaho hapu, said council te pou ahurea cultural adviser Josh Te Kani. Te Papa houkura and Te Papa manawa whenua, referencing the fertile land and springs of the Te Papa peninsula, were about keeping the environment healthy. The other two were Te Papa o ngā waka, meaning people could find safe anchorage, and Te Papa kāinga o te iwi - the home of the people. "It's not just creating a building but creating a living environment where those values can be living alongside of us and grow with us." Council staff are to be fully moved into the building by Monday next week. The first council meeting is to be held in the new chambers on Tuesday.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Inside the new office building Tauranga City Council is paying $91.9m to lease
The new Tauranga City Council offices at 90 Devonport Rd are ready for staff. Photo: Tauranga City Council Tauranga City Council's chief executive has defended the $91.9 million, 15-year cost to lease its new building, saying this enables the council to adapt to a changing workforce. The council's 1000 or so administration staff have started moving into the eight-storey eco-building at 90 Devonport Rd in Tauranga's CBD. It is the first time the staff would be under the same roof since 2014, when black mould was discovered in the now-demolished Willow St civic administration building . The lease has an annual rent of $6,129,511 plus $313,352 for 65 carparks. The council is leasing the building from Willis Bond, having sold the property developers the land in 2021 for $8.5 million. Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said he was looking forward to having all the staff together and the collective culture it would bring. He was asked if the council had considered owning and constructing the building itself at potentially a lower cost than the lease. Grenfell said: "Owning and managing a building of this nature is not necessarily our [the council's] core business." The lease of 15 years, plus three five-year extensions, would enable the council to cater to the needs of staff in 20 to 30 years' time, he said. "Over that time, it's likely that the needs of office space changes. Otherwise, we're stuck with bricks and mortar." The new Tauranga City Council offices at 90 Devonport Rd are ready for staff. Photo: David Hall Grenfell said the fit-out cost of $33.5m over 30 years for the building was a "very modest spend and complete value for money". The council had calculated the cost of staff time walking between the old leased staff buildings at $1m a year, Grenfell said. "Arguably, over the period of time, the fit-out cost would be paid for by productivity." Local Democracy Reporting toured the building ahead of staff moving in. The full glass façade is softened as you step inside, with huge pine structural beams bringing nature indoors. The $45m building is the country's largest mass timber office, with more than 2000 tonnes of New Zealand timber. Built by LT McGuinness, it has a 6 Green Star Design rating and features rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging and facilities that encourage active commuting. LT McGuinness project director Craig Body said not damaging the timber elements during construction was challenging at times. "This was a finished product right from day one, so everybody had to treat it like a piece of skirting or a piece of scotia [moulding]." LT McGuinness project director Craig Body. Photo: Tauranga City Council Body said the use of timber cut down noise - screws in wood rather than drilling into concrete. Prefabricated timber sped up construction and six people put in the structural elements, he said. Steel frames seismically connected the timber structure to the ground, making it a hybrid building, Body said. The first floor has council meeting chambers and a councillors' lounge. A cafe would lease ground floor space and be open to the public, with outdoor dining. The mayor's office on the top floor of 90 Devonport. Photo: Tauranga City Council Warren and Mahoney principal architect Asha Page designed the $33.5m interior fit-out, which included meeting rooms, offices, flooring finishes, electrical, digital and IT. She said level two was her favourite floor because it felt like you were in the pōhutukawa tree growing on the harbour side of the building. The tree inspired the interior colour palette, earth tones mirroring the trunk on lower floors, then blue to represent the harbour, green like the leaves, with the top floors red like pōhutukawa in bloom, said Page. The pōhutukawa was also a sacred symbol of the past, present and future for mana whenua, she said. The wooden interior features are broken up with soft furnishings, carpets and greenery. Page said they had reused as much furniture and fittings as possible from the other buildings. An internal wood staircase aimed to encourage connection between people, getting them out of their seats rather than using the elevator, Page said. "Humans will easily walk up or down one or two flights of stairs, so you really start to see the workplace as a whole building, not just as where you sit on one floor, siloed with your team. "It's a tried-and-true method of creating a really vibrant or connected workforce." Warren and Mahoney principal architect Asha Page. Photo: Tauranga City Council Page said staff had been spread across three buildings, so they wanted to maximise the ability for people to come together. It also tied into one of the building's design principles - taura here - binding people so they're stronger together, she said. Between 600 and 700 people would work in the building on any given day. Level five was the "anchor floor" with the kitchen, seating and an events area. The top floor houses the mayor's office, which has views of Mauao and the Kaimai range. The smaller deputy mayor's office next door shared the Mauao view. The mayor's office on the top floor of 90 Devonport. Photo: Tauranga City Council The values used to design the building were developed with mana whenua, Ngāti Tapu and Ngāi Tamarāwaho hapu, said council te pou ahurea cultural adviser Josh Te Kani. Te Papa houkura and Te Papa manawa whenua, referencing the fertile land and springs of the Te Papa peninsula, were about keeping the environment healthy. The other two were Te Papa o ngā waka, meaning people could find safe anchorage, and Te Papa kāinga o te iwi - the home of the people. "It's not just creating a building but creating a living environment where those values can be living alongside of us and grow with us." Council staff are to be fully moved into the building by Monday next week. The first council meeting is to be held in the new chambers on Tuesday. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Inside new office building Tauranga City Council is paying $91.9m to lease
The council is leasing the building from Willis Bond, having sold the property developers the land in 2021 for $8.5 million. Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said he was looking forward to having all the staff together and the collective culture it would bring. He was asked if the council had considered owning and constructing the building itself at potentially a lower cost than the lease. Grenfell said: 'Owning and managing a building of this nature is not necessarily our [the council's] core business.' The lease of 15 years, plus three five-year extensions, would enable the council to cater to the needs of staff in 20 to 30 years' time, he said. 'Over that time, it's likely that the needs of office space changes. 'Otherwise, we're stuck with bricks and mortar.' Grenfell said the fit-out cost of $33.5m over 30 years for the building was a 'very modest spend and complete value for money'. The council had calculated the cost of staff time walking between the old leased staff buildings at $1m a year, Grenfell said. 'Arguably, over the period of time, the fit-out cost would be paid for by productivity.' Stepping inside Local Democracy Reporting toured the building ahead of staff moving in. The full glass façade is softened as you step inside, with huge pine structural beams bringing nature indoors. The $45m building is the country's largest mass timber office, with more than 2000 tonnes of New Zealand timber. Built by LT McGuinness, it has a 6 Green Star Design rating and features rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging and facilities that encourage active commuting. LT McGuinness project director Craig Body said not damaging the timber elements during construction was challenging at times. 'This was a finished product right from day one, so everybody had to treat it like a piece of skirting or a piece of scotia [moulding].' Body said the use of timber cut down noise – screws in wood rather than drilling into concrete. Prefabricated timber sped up construction and six people put in the structural elements, he said. Steel frames seismically connected the timber structure to the ground, making it a hybrid building, Body said. The first floor has council meeting chambers and a councillors' lounge. A cafe would lease ground floor space and be open to the public, with outdoor dining. Natural inspiration Warren and Mahoney principal architect Asha Page designed the $33.5m interior fit-out, which included meeting rooms, offices, flooring finishes, electrical, digital and IT. She said level two was her favourite floor because it felt like you were in the pōhutukawa tree growing on the harbour side of the building. The tree inspired the interior colour palette, earth tones mirroring the trunk on lower floors, then blue to represent the harbour, green like the leaves, with the top floors red like pōhutukawa in bloom, said Page. The pōhutukawa was also a sacred symbol of the past, present and future for mana whenua, she said. The Lockwood-esque wooden interior features are broken up with soft furnishings, carpets and greenery. Page said they had reused as much furniture and fittings as possible from the other buildings. An internal wood staircase aimed to encourage connection between people, getting them out of their seats rather than using the elevator, Page said. 'Humans will easily walk up or down one or two flights of stairs, so you really start to see the workplace as a whole building, not just as where you sit on one floor, siloed with your team. 'It's a tried-and-true method of creating a really vibrant or connected workforce.' Page said staff had been spread across three buildings, so they wanted to maximise the ability for people to come together. It also tied into one of the building's design principles – taura here – binding people so they're stronger together, she said. Between 600 and 700 people would work in the building on any given day. Level five was the 'anchor floor' with the kitchen, seating and an events area. The top floor houses the mayor's office, which has views of Mauao and the Kaimai range. The smaller deputy mayor's office next door shared the Mauao view. Māori design principles The values used to design the building were developed with mana whenua, Ngāti Tapu and Ngāi Tamarāwaho hapu, said council te pou ahurea cultural adviser Josh Te Kani. Te Papa houkura and Te Papa manawa whenua, referencing the fertile land and springs of the Te Papa peninsula, were about keeping the environment healthy. The other two were Te Papa o ngā waka, meaning people could find safe anchorage, and Te Papa kāinga o te iwi – the home of the people. 'It's not just creating a building but creating a living environment where those values can be living alongside of us and grow with us.' Council staff are to be fully moved into the building by Monday The first council meeting is to be held in the new chambers on Tuesday.
