Kakariki House Waikato's first green building

23 October 2008

The Waikato has had its first official ‘green' building certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council.

Wise Group's Kakariki House in Grey St Hamilton East has been a given a four-star rating by the Auckland-based council.

The four-star rating signifies that the building - once the site of a Mitre 10 store - now meets internationally recognised standards for energy, water, materials and emissions. 

The Auckland-based council says there are several other buildings in Hamilton part-way through the accreditation process. However Kakariki House  - which translates as green house - is only the seventh green building nation-wide to be certified. 

Wise Management Services joint chief executive Jacqui Graham said going green was not a difficult decision to make.  Nor was the decision to recycle as much of the existing building as possible.

"It wasn't the easy option or the cheapest one but it was the right thing to do."

Kakariki House, which cost $4.9 million to build, includes a number of special features. It was built using concrete blocks made of 20 per cent recycled aggregate. They slow down heat transfer and require less energy for heating or cooling. 

The carpet is made from recyclable carpet tiles which can be individually replaced.  Motion sensors control lighting and a computerised system stringently monitors the use of power and water.

All bathrooms include low flow toilets and taps and only energy efficient lighting has been used. None of the 100 staff have wastepaper baskets.

Staff use video-conferencing facilities to reduce the need to travel. 

Wise Management Services joint chief executive Julie Nelson said the accreditation process was incredibly tough with their first green application "shot down in flames."

For Wise Group, the four-star rating for Kakariki House is the start of a longer green journey, she said. 

"We're really committed to this.  We'd like to aim for an even higher rating.  It's not just about having a green building, it's about working and living sustainably."