Challenged to envision a Fonterra workplace in 2020, this project quickly transitioned from property-led to a programme which prepared Fonterra’s people for the future. The resulting design embeds trust and transparency, visible authentic leadership and a customer-led focus that enables their people “to be as good as they can be”.
As a shareholder-owned organisation, Fonterra viewed Activity Based Working (analysed by Veldhoen + Company) as an opportunity to maximise efficiencies within its global headquarters, to ultimately ‘put more money on the table for the farmer’. As a result, the key design challenges for Jasmax evolved into creating an environment that supported 1,414 people transitioning to mobile working; which was sustainable and cost-effective, prioritised wellbeing, and authentically expressed Fonterra’s values.
The integrated architectural, landscape architecture and interior design team has delivered a solution that considers whole of site impact and efficiency of space utilisation. The plaza design has created a shared public space that is reflective of the site’s history, and continues this theming into the ground floor of the building.
The integrated approach between the architectural base build team and the interior fitout team has impacted on the building’s interior architectural design. A system of two large, unobstructed rectangles separated by a bright naturally lit atrium, provides flexibility for any number of spatial configurations. Further, with four unique building elevations each responding to their orientation and immediate context, the facades systems allow natural light to penetrate deeper into the floorplate than is usual.
Along with follow-me services, unobstructed floorplate delivers a choice of workspaces to Fonterra employees. Workspaces are positioned in particular environments to complete the task at hand; whether that be, formal or informal, calm or expressive, in or out of the sun, in large groups or in solitude. With wellbeing, nutrition and sustainability integral to the brief, the architectural design has prioritised circulation and flow via a prominent, central staircase; with the lift core shifted to a less prominent position within the building. Further the design of the building has placed services and escape stairs on the exterior of the building to increase the building’s overall rentable space.
The building has achieved a NZGBC 5 Green Star Design rating, while the Interior design has targeted a 6 Green Star Built Rating.
Details of the team involved:
Owner: Goodman Property Trust
Developer: Goodman Group
Tenant: Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited
Construction Company: Fletcher Construction
Architecture: Jasmax
Interior Design and ABW Translation/ Application: Jasmax
Workplace Strategy: Veldhoen + Company
Landscape Architecture: Jasmax
Project Management: RCP
Quantity Surveyors: RLB/ Aecom
Structural: Engineer Holmes Consulting Group
Mechanical Engineer: BECA
Electrical Engineer: BECA
Hydraulics: BECA