14 Feb 2025
The Museum Street and Ballantrae Place buildings have each achieved a 6 Green Star Design rating—the highest level of sustainability certification from the New Zealand Green Building Council.
The Museum Street and Ballantrae Place buildings, key projects within the New Zealand Parliament Western Precinct redevelopment, have each been awarded a 6 Green Star Design rating under the Green Star Design & As Built NZv1.0 system. This rating, issued by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), represents the highest standard within the Green Star framework, reflecting a strong focus on environmental performance and efficiency.
About the Projects
The Western Precinct redevelopment is a key part of the Future Accommodation Strategy (FAS), ensuring that New Zealand’s parliamentary facilities are more secure, efficient, and sustainable. The Ballantrae Place and Museum Street buildings play a crucial role in this significant transformation.
Museum Street Building
Positioned behind Parliament House, the six-storey Museum Street Building will provide office space for over 600 parliamentary staff. The design includes mass timber construction, low damage seismic design, energy-efficient systems, and rainwater harvesting, with a focus on operational efficiency and reducing long-term environmental impact.
Ballantrae Place Building
Located at the Ballantrae Place entrance, this two-storey building has been designed to enhance logistics, security, and pedestrian safety within the Parliamentary precinct. The project incorporates locally sourced materials, cultural design considerations, and a number of energy-efficient features.
What is a Green Star Rating?
Green Star is New Zealand’s leading sustainability rating system, administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC). It evaluates buildings based on energy use, water efficiency, material selection, and indoor environmental quality, among other factors.
A 6 Green Star rating is the highest level of certification, acknowledging that a building’s design is expected to perform well in terms of sustainability outcomes. It reflects an effort to integrate low-carbon design principles and efficiency measures that go beyond standard compliance.
Next Steps
Securing a 6 Green Star Design rating is an important milestone, but the process doesn’t end here. The focus now shifts to construction completion and verification, leading to the final As Built certification.
These ratings recognise the collaboration and effort of all those involved in the project and reflect an approach to designing buildings that are efficient, functional, and designed with long-term performance in mind.
Ngā mihi nui to the entire team involved in bringing these buildings to life.
Project partners:
Parliamentary Service, RCP, RLB, The Building Intelligence Group, Aurecon, Holmes ANZ, Len Hetet (Baked Design), LT McGuinness Ltd.
Visualisations:
One to One Hundred (OTOH)
Pictured (left to right): Michael Davis (Studio Pacific Architecture, Senior Principal), Benjamin Sawrey (Aurecon, Sustainability Consultant), Andrew Eagles (NZGBC Chief Executive), Marcus Welby (Aurecon, Principal), Mitch Knight (Parliamentary Service Deputy Chief Executive), Karl Wakelin (Aurecon, Sustainable Buildings Leader), Dave Wills (Parliamentary Service Future Accommodation Strategy Project Director), Jessica-Mae Robertson (Parliamentary Service Future Accommodation Strategy Project Construction Lead), Kerrin Manuel (LT McGuinness Construction Director).
Positioned behind Parliament House, the six-storey Museum Street Building will provide office space for over 600 parliamentary staff.
Ballantrae Place Building incorporates locally sourced materials, cultural design considerations, and energy-efficient features.