Artist's impression of One New Zealand's future base at 30 Daldy Street

Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter has evolved over recent years to become New Zealand’s leading sustainable mixed-use precinct with many of New Zealand’s most innovative companies choosing it as their base of operations.

The arrival of One New Zealand into Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter come 2025, in a deal brokered by Bayleys, is another landmark on the precinct’s journey to becoming New Zealand’s leading sustainability and innovation quarter.

One New Zealand’s Auckland support office, based at Smales Farm on Auckland’s North Shore for the past seven years, is scheduled to move into 30 Daldy Street in Wynyard Quarter in late 2025.

The flagship new sustainable building is being developed by Mansons TCLM Limited.

The Bayleys deal team included national head of insights, data and consulting Chris Farhi, national head of occupier strategy and solutions Steve Rendall, national director office leasing Matt Lamb and Auckland director office leasing James Thorburn.

The team worked closely with One New Zealand to find the company highly productive office space that would support new ways of working, foster connections and prioritise sustainability, ultimately completing what is New Zealand’s biggest office lease deal to so far during 2024.

Farhi says this is exciting news for Wynyard Quarter.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside the One New Zealand team on what has been a robust and strategically driven project. Mansons deliver world-class office solutions, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing the finished product.”

One New Zealand chief people officer Jodie King says the company is excited about relocating to central Auckland and prior to moving in next year, will be working to create a workplace fit-out that meets the company’s evolving needs.

“As a business we are focused on creating connections, and unlocking the magic of technology to help our customers thrive. Moving to a more central location, surrounded by many of our business partners and customers, will enable us to enhance those connections.

“Over the coming year, we will be working with our teams to design a workplace that fosters collaboration, innovation, and staff wellbeing. It will support hybrid working and incorporate private areas for focused work, with flexible spaces that facilitate connection and development opportunities.”

30 Daldy Street will exemplify best practices in environmental and wellness standards, and contribute to One New Zealand’s Sustainability Kaupapa and goals, King says.

Wellbeing to the fore

The new office will encompass two towers connected by a large atrium housing inter-tower air-bridges, and One New Zealand will occupy three floors in each tower, with wellbeing and social spaces that enable staff to connect.

“Employee wellbeing is incredibly important to us, and we’re committed to incorporating sustainability as we create our new office space,” King said.

Sustainability focused design features in 30 Daldy Street that appealed to One New Zealand include electric vehicle and bike charging, close links to public transport, renewable energy through solar panels, and rainwater harvesting.

“We appreciate the efforts by Mansons to ensure 30 Daldy Street is a leading example of sustainable and healthy building practices in New Zealand, to create an even better workplace for our people,” King says.

The building is designed to achieve a 6-star Greenstar rating with the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), reflecting excellence in sustainability across design and construction.

The building is also targeting a Platinum WELL rating by the International WELL Building Institute, ensuring it meets high standards for occupant health and wellbeing. Energy performance will be monitored during One New Zealand’s tenancy using the NZGBC’s NABERSNZ system, targeting a 5-star rating, and driving energy efficiency. Mansons has committed to 120-percent Carbon Offset of the construction impacts of the new build and for every square metre of office space created, one native tree will be planted.

While it sets new standards in sustainability, 30 Daldy Street is one of many Wynyard Quarter developments to place environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors front and centre - as is now demanded by premium office tenants.

The precinct has become one of New Zealand’s fastest growing commercial zones and is now one of the country’s leading premium office space precincts with developments that focus on not only sustainability but also leading innovation in design and use.

Farhi notes that Wynyard Quarter has become an extremely desirable location for corporate occupiers. The buildings in the area are world class to suit discerning tenants.

“Sustainability is top-of-mind for companies now, in particular reducing their carbon footprint. Those companies want buildings that make that easier, and they want to work with building developers and landlords - and commercial property managers - who make it easier to achieve their targets.”

Mansons has been a key contributor to that with multiple developments in Wynyard Quarter including 136 and 155 Fanshawe St, both with 6 Green Star Ratings.

Artist's impression of Beca's future base at Wynyard Quayside

Sustainable precinct

Precinct Properties is another leading sustainability developer in the precinct with its Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct developed in partnership with Eke Panuku Development Auckland (the Auckland Council controlled entity responsible for urban regeneration).

Precinct Properties describes it as “one of the largest urban regeneration projects New Zealand has ever seen”. It comprises five low-rise buildings developed in three stages. The last offering of the development is Wynyard Quayside, eight levels of premium office space due to open early in 2025 at 124 Halsey St and 117 Pakenham Street.

The anchor tenant for Wynyard Quayside when it opens will be engineering and consultancy firm Beca with its approximately 1,400 Auckland staff occupying 14,000sqm, over five floors.

The development recently received a 6-star 'World Leadership' Design rating from the NZGBC and once completed, Precinct is also targeting a 6-star Built rating and 5-star NABERS NZ rating, while Beca is targeting Platinum WELL Certification for its fit-out.

Beca Group Chief Executive Amelia Linzey says the company is part of the project team working on Wynyard Quayside and has worked on several other projects that have contributed to the regeneration of Wynyard Quarter.

“We considered several accommodation options for our Northern Regional office and global headquarters, including working with our landlord to upgrade our existing premises in Pitt Street in Auckland. Moving to a Green Star-rated building in this outstanding location really allows Beca to bring its sustainability and employee experience goals to life,” she says.

“A huge amount of research went into the decision to move from 21 Pitt Street – it has been our global headquarters since 2011. From a sustainability perspective, some of our key priorities when making the decision were improved health and wellbeing outcomes for our people; changing our commuting behaviour to more active modes; reducing our footprint through reductions in operational carbon emissions; and to have an influence on developers’ carbon emissions through procurement of low-embodied carbon facilities,” Linzey says.

“Being in a world-class development in the centre of Tāmaki Makaurau better reflects Beca’s vision for its future. We’re looking forward to being within easy walking distance of our clients, close to public transport and having excellent end-of-trip facilities on site. We’ve also been engaging with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei since the early stages of this project. Together, we have been developing a cultural narrative that connects us to the location and will be reflected in aspects of the interior design.”

Beca has also recently moved its Melbourne team to new premises which is also targeting the same sustainability ratings. “These moves reflect our commitment to modelling the sustainable future we envision and ultimately our purpose, to make every day better for the communities we work in,” Linzey says.

Evolving neighbourhood

Wynyard Quarter is developing as a mixed-use precinct and another company making its presence felt with innovative new developments is Winton, which is currently developing a luxury apartment block, a retirement complex and, adjacent to Wynyard, Cracker Bay a new waterfront precinct surrounding Westhaven Marina.

Winton owners Chris and Michaela Meehan, former sailors themselves, are working with marine experts Wayne Avery and Shaun Niven on the development between Beaumont Street and Westhaven Drive including a long stretch of waterfront. It will include restaurants, bars and a private yacht club.

The development creates a community around Winton’s two residential developments, The Villard apartment block in Daldy Street, and the neighbouring Northbrook retirement complex which both sit on a block between Beaumont and Daldy streets.

At 12 levels, The Villard will include 21 large luxury apartments, up to 500sqm in size. Winton has worked with architects Woods Bagot on the design for the project and Bayleys national director residential projects Suzie Wigglesworth says there’s nothing quite like it in New Zealand.

“Winton has taken apartment living to new heights with The Villard, drawing on the finest elements of classical European tradition and providing the only freehold apartment building in Auckland’s highly desirable Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct precinct,” Wigglesworth says.

The neighbouring Northbrook project is the first of five luxury retirement living projects for Winton. It will be made up of 154 residences, including care suites, with a range of one to four-bedroom apartments and pricing starting from $1.45 million for a one-bedroom and ranging to $13.75 million for a four-bedroom penthouse.

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