One of the first commercial projects completed in Christchurch, New Zealand following the 2011 earthquake, Three35 is a mixed use development in the heart of the emerging inner-city suburb, Addington. The development is comprised of two three-storey mixed-use office and retail blocks, a three storey rear carpark and world-leading damage avoidance structural technology, the vision for this project was to prioritise the life of the building occupants, while making a positive contribution to the local context.
Sustainability was also a key objective with the clients choosing to utilise a 4-Star Greenstar rating as the frame work for design decisions. A key innovation of this project is the low damage structural technology, a precaution installed in the event of future seismic activity in the area. The designers have used a piled foundation system with a diagonally braced steel frame. These braced frames utilise replaceable bolted links which dissipate energy throughout the structure, and allow more flexible movement during a significant seismic event.
At the point of design, this was the first use of the technology in New Zealand and involved extensive design and testing.