Amberlea Hospital and Rest Home

The Christian Healthcare Trust purchased the Amberlea Resthome in 2011, with a view to developing the site to maximise bed numbers and upgrade the accommodation to provide hospital level geriatric care. The existing building comprised a single level, 50 bed rest home, situated on a steep hill. The feasibility study determined an additional 20 bed wing all with ensuites could be accommodated on the site and significant improvements could be made to the existing building.

The design of the new extension exploited the steep topography of the site, proposing a single level U-shaped wing with a new dual entrance lift providing the connection to the existing rest home. The lowest level provides additional undercover carparking. The new wing was designed to protect the views from a neighbouring property, the agreement of the neighbour obtained prior to a non-notified resource consent being granted.

The existing building was redesigned to provide a new port-cochere, entrance foyer and reception area and the undersized kitchen and laundry areas were re-located to the existing basement. The second stage of the construction was completed in early 2014.

Archives New Zealand

The 5,000m² Archives New Zealand Repository replaced existing temporary accommodation with a state of the art facility with a 50 year design life. The design has been benchmarked against international best practice intended to protect archived material for future generations.

The architecture recognises the civic importance of this building type and deliberately avoids the 'warehouse' morphology evident in surrounding complexes. Careful consideration has been given to the strict environmental control requirements of the brief, durability and life cycle costs.

Auckland Golf Club

The refurbishment of the Auckland Golf Club built on the existing traditions of the club, and the decision for a sympathetic upgrade, rather than a new building, recognised the iconic architectural character of the clubhouse.

The refurbishment entailed major intervention with regard to the existing building both inside and out, including major upgrades to the structure and fire protection to meet functional and modern code requirements.

Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is a local landmark, and significant recreation amenity for Auckland residents and tourists alike. Situated in Western Springs, the existing entrance for the facility had become outdated and unable to accommodate the large growth in visitor numbers. Creative Spaces was appointed to design a new face to represent the values of Auckland Zoo in the new millennium.

Creative Spaces worked with the Zoo’s master-planners to prepare a concept plan for the entry complex which overcame the shortcomings of the previous facilities. The concept was predicated on creating a sheltered north facing plaza, large enough to accommodate peak hourly arrivals on a peak attendance day, and represents an innovative departure from conventional planning solutions.

Extensive research into similar visitor and tourism facilities was undertaken to prove the viability of concepts developed for ticketing, ticket validation, visitor circulation, space requirements and the maximization of revenue generation. The new building provides a vastly improved visitor reception, orientation and information facilities consistent with the Zoo’s education and conservation objectives. A new education centre was included in the development.

Burnham Gymnasium

The commission for the new gymnasium at Burnham Military Camp was won in a design-build competition with three other consortia. The extremely efficient and flexible planning of the winning design was crucial in securing the commission.

Sustainable design principles have been implemented to produce a thermally efficient building envelope (reduced energy consumption) where the main sports hall is naturally ventilated using the 'stack effect' inherent in high spaces. The main sports hall is naturally lit with roof lights also reducing energy consumption.

Copthorne Hotel

The refurbishment of the Copthorne Hotel at Waitangi responded to an increased demand for rooms and a desire to update the aging 1970s architecture. The design solution involved adding an additional floor of rooms and creating an architecture which responds to the sense of place in a physical an historical context. The architectural imagery derives from the colonial architecture of the area, enhanced with a significant landscape treatment aimed amplifying the "resort ambience" of the site.

Dilworth House

Dilworth House is a two storey, 5,250 square metre office building, designed inside and out by Creative Spaces. The 19 metre wide office space is designed around a central courtyard to provide maximum natural light to the optimum efficient width of office space. All facades of the building are composed of a glazing system, with some Hinuera Stone features portraying the solidity of the client, Dilworth Trust Board. Laminated tinted glass affords views across the leafy neighbourhood and Dilworth School fields for the tenants.

Liaison and negotiation with Council on floor area ratios resulted in an extremely efficient use of site area, exceeding originally prescribed limitations and making the development very profitable for the building owner. Structural grids and building widths were based on the most efficient modular office layout. The result is extremely efficient, with very little wasted space.

Dilworth School Sports Complex

The new Sports Complex at Dilworth School satisfies the Dilworth philosophy of “sport for all” by combining in a single facility a complete range of indoor sports to regional level, including a climbing wall and weights room, with support functions for adjacent outdoor sports codes and existing swimming pool. Flexibility was a major component of the project, and careful design facilitates good natural supervision. Storage spaces are accessed directly off the sports floor and the change rooms serve both indoor and outdoor codes. The teaching spaces have been combined with adjoining multi-purpose areas, and placed between the indoor and outdoor sports with spectating facilities for both. The complex is designed to fit comfortably in the architectural tradition of Dilworth School, while at the same time extending that tradition into a modern sporting facility.

Formosa

Formosa is a resort development based on an international standard Golf Course at Beachlands, east of Auckland. It comprises a Clubhouse providing reception, restaurant and bar facilities for exclusive conferences up to 300 day visitors, and 100 resident visitors accommodated in 50 luxury duplex villas. The Clubhouse design evolved from a complex brief for a multi-purpose venue that would take advantage of a unique coastal site overlooking the Hauraki Gulf. Setting new standards in Clubhouse design, it provides members with a complete range of facilities in a family-oriented atmosphere. A Sports Centre provides alternative activities for Club Members, and includes two indoor tennis courts, a squash court, a heated swimming pool and fitness suite - all grouped around an internal courtyard. The indoor swimming pool has a spa pool attached with outstanding views of the Hauraki Gulf. The Duplex villa rooms were designed to provide guests with a memorable experience of the unique golf course site. The design included the careful consideration of individual villa sites and their integration with an extensive landscape plan designed to maximise privacy whilst maintaining the panoramic views.

Mangere Arts Centre

The Mangere Arts Centre is a multi-purpose community arts centre for the performing and visual arts with a focus of engagement with the youth of the area. Planning is predicated on the desire to give formal expression to the two main threads of the Arts Centre, visual arts and performing arts, setting up a dialogue between the two across an open courtyard. Shared facilities or functions are used to link the two main building components; the galleries and performance space.

Mangere has a long history of habitation, migration and cultivation which is attributable to it's unique geographical and geological circumstances. These in turn lead to concepts about fertility, abundance and portage. Overlaying these ideas is the one of 'Pacificness' - how we address New Zealand's unique identity in the South Pacific and our contemporary adapted society of Maori Polynesian and European cultures.

Manukau Library

This project developed as a result of the desire to co-locate two separate libraries, the Research Library and administration at Ronwood Avenue and the Community Library in the Westfield Shopping Centre, in one location in the Manukau City Centre.

Creative Spaces was commissioned to help evaluate existing buildings to establish their suitability for providing library accommodation. The selected building at 3 Osterley Way provided sufficient space on two floors and was ideally located on the Northern side of the Civic Square - the library 'activating' the square's northern edge and contributing further to what is perceived to be a 'civic precinct'.

Whilst co-locating the two libraries provided significant benefits for customers and staff, they still provide quite distinct services and, because of the limited floor areas, it was decided to locate the Community Library on the ground floor and the Research Library on the first floor and to reinforce the connections between the two as much as was possible in an existing building. Planning focused on providing a customer-centric, intuitive layout, providing spaces for quiet reflection, study and community participation and display.

The interior design used as its inspiration the existing physical context (external paving, existing shop front glazing) and our knowledge of the community the library serves to create an interior of highly decorated surfaces acknowledging the decorative traditions of Pacific Island and Maori culture and the history of human activity in Manukau.

Manurewa Police Station

Creative Spaces, in association with GHD, have completed the refurbishment of Auckland's Manurewa Police Station. This challenging project involved adding 1200m² of new space to the existing 1050m² Police Station situated on a very tight town centre site.

The existing building was a complex collection of spaces and roof forms. In the refurbishment, the existing single level building was gutted internally and reorganised to house the bulk of staff on the ground floor around a central naturally lit atrium and circulation space.

The additional floor space is predominantly provided on the new first floor which accommodates the lunchroom, lockers, Youth Aid and Community staff. The innovative design solution of an additional storey simplifies the roofscape and construction methodology of the building while retaining excellent interconnection between staff and workspaces. The remodelling has created large open plan spaces providing better staff communication within the Police Station.

McDonalds

Creative Spaces was engaged to develop the design and document the refurbishment of the existing McDonalds Greenlane restaurant. This is McDonaldʼs flagship retail outlet in New Zealand and its refurbishment is intended to embody the latest international design trends that will be incorporated into their stores throughout the country as part of a nation-wide exercise. The project was undertaken on a fast-track, 16-week program, and was completed in late December 2007. The restaurant continued to operate 24 hours a day throughout the refurbishment, apart from a four week period when the kitchen was rebuilt. The completed refurbishment includes new commercial kitchen, dining areas, toilets and childrenʼs play area on the ground floor. The first floor was converted to a national staff training facility and boardroom, while the exterior received substantial redesign to bring the exterior up to date.

Mini Dealerships

As corporate architects for BMW New Zealand, Creative Spaces undertook design of a number of the MINI dealerships following the brand’s international re-launch. The brief was for a youthful and energetic image - a theme which Creative Spaces embraced with extensive use of bright colours, funky furnishings and innovative vehicle displays. Corporate identity was a key element of the brief, and the MINI brand and associated imagery features prominently throughout the showrooms.

Mt Smart Stadium East Stand

Creative Spaces’ design of the East Stand redevelopment at Mt Smart Stadium was in keeping with the existing West Stand, and accommodates 8,000 spectators. A large lounge and eight private suites double as conference and meeting facilities, and change rooms and a gymnasium are provided for the key tenant, the Vodafone Warriors. Office space was also provided for The Warriors, and this overlooks the team gymnasium.

The key benefits of the design were simplicity, flexibility, functionality and cost effectiveness. An innovative method of stitching the concrete bleachers to the structural raking beams eliminated the need for a large amount of cross bracing, and the space under the stand has been used for column free office, gym and function spaces, with the flexibility to change should the future requirements evolve.

North Harbour Stadium

Creative Spaces was the Principal Consultant responsible for the master-planning, project direction, design, documentation and fitout of the North Harbour Stadium. The development consists of a 24 hectare domain which surrounds a multi-purpose Winter Code Stadium as the central feature. The Winter Code Stadium was designed as a state-of-the-art international facility with a spectator capacity of 25,000. A concourse above terrace level provides unobstructed circulation with views of the playing field.

Facilities in the stand include conference and convention facilities; 2 major function rooms seating 1400 and 800 respectively; mobile sound-rated walls providing the capacity to break out into 6 smaller rooms; major kitchen facilities with the capacity to serve full banquet dining; 28 corporate lounges and offices for various sporting bodies.

The unique roof projects 38 metres and spans 180 metres providing cover for 10,000 spectators.

Rodney District Council

The new office building for Rodney District Council was designed to comply with the masterplan established to consolidate the council's operations on their Centreway Road site and provide accommodation for the next 25 years. Careful consideration had to be given to building orientation, height and ‘land take', floor depth, ceiling height, and access for occupants to light and outlook. Extensive reconfiguration of the existing car park was required to provide increased car park numbers.

The design evolved out of an intensive briefing process utilising Creative Spaces' 4D Workplace Strategy system for interior fitout which established office work space standards, functional working relationships, logical adjacencies and predictions of anticipated staff growth.This planning achieved a very efficient floor plate as a result of a thorough understanding of Rodney District Council's space requirements. The architecture intended to complement the 1970s style of the existing building through the use of a similar materials palette expressed in a contemporary manner.

Following the completion of the new building Creative Spaces was engaged to undertake refurbishment of the Council’s original building, which covered around 4,000 square metres. A significant element of this project was the relocation of staff and departments and careful planning ensured minimal disruption so that the client could continue with ‘business as usual’.

Rotorua Arts Village

Rotorua Arts, Music and Cultural Centre is the second historic community centre in Rotorua designed and project managed by Creative Spaces. It is intended to satisfy a need for community arts groups to have a space where they can meet and work, and an 'arts village' image is evoked through the use of a variety of domestic scale roof forms derived from the picturesque arts and crafts character of an existing historic house on site.

Rotorua Tourism Centre

Winner of the 1994 National Tourism Award for tourist facilities, the Tourism Rotorua Centre incorporates the refurbishment of the original Tudor style former Post Office and the Queen Anne style of the existing Tourism Rotorua Office. The buildings were integrated with a complementary new building containing retail, restaurant, theatrette and tourism facilities. Extensive consultation with council, local community and iwi representatives as well as the Historic Places Trust resulted in an architecturally coherent development, reflecting the mix of Rotorua's Edwardian Spa and strong Maori origins.

Tamaki College Recreation Centre

The Tamaki College Community Recreation Centre was developed in a partnership between the College and Auckland City Council and was designed to accommodate the School's educational programmes whilst also providing for the requirements of a number of community groups. This simultaneous 'dual' use requirement led to careful consideration of access control and flexible space use, resulting in a multi-purpose sports hall that accommodates a number of indoor sports and is able to be subdivided by means of heavy curtains.

The circulation route that links the two entrances (school and community) provides access to all spaces, but can be locked at various points depending on the degree of control required. In addition to the sports hall, the Centre contains a fitness suite, teaching and multi-purpose spaces, change rooms, administration and storage spaces. Passive energy design principles are used to supplement lighting, ventilation and water usage.

Taupo Events Centre

The multi-purpose Taupo Events Centre comprises three international standard netball/basketball courts, spectator seating for 1500 and support facilities. It not only accommodates a variety of indoor sports but, when not being used in this way, it serves a range of community activities. The centre is also linked to the existing baths, enabling integrated management and operation of both facilities. The building set new standards in architectural design locally and created an iconic yet manageable image on a high profile site. The design challenge was to create an area suited to the wide range of activities without compromising the space and lighting requirements of any one of them. A curved roof was an expedient solution that enclosed the volumes required for indoor sports in a very efficient manner. The use of passive energy techniques reflected a better understanding of environmental concerns and user priorities.

Te Puia

With visitor numbers to the Rotorua region increasing steadily in recent years, it was decided that the 40 year old facilities at the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute could take better advantage of local and international tourism by providing a broader cultural experience. Creative Spaces was commissioned to join a team of consultants tasked with providing an integrated development proposal that addressed the development of the new weaving and carving schools, interpretive displays and retail facilities in keeping with the existing Marae and geothermal valley. With a distinctly cultural flavour, this project required the Creative Spaces project team to quickly assimilate a high degree of knowledge and understanding of Maori culture, and to implement the Maori theme in a manner that was accurate and respectful, promoting New Zealand and Maori culture in a compelling experience for visitors, without falling victim to commercial imperatives.

Team McMillan BMW

The Team McMillan BMW project comprised a significant extension and refurbishment of the existing building, incorporating a new showroom with mezzanine office accommodation. Creative Spaces’ scope of work involved full architectural, interior design and project management services.

A staged approach allowed continued operation of the facility during construction. Refurbishment included new facades, roof finishes, reconfigured interior spaces and new interior fitout and finishes. Louvres were installed to control heat build-up whilst still accommodating the penetration of natural light deep into the double-volume space. A new retail concept store was also delivered as part of the project.

Substantial upgrade of building services was incorporated with the design for sales, administration and service offices including new lighting, power, voice/data and mechanical services.

Toia Aquatic Centre

Creative Spaces and a team of specialist consultants were appointed to undertake a review of previous masterplans and prepare designs for the proposed library and aquatic centre to complement the existing recreation centre on the site.

Ōtāhuhu is the location of an important portage for Maori, lying as it does at one of the narrowest pieces of land between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours.  It has long been a meeting point and the vision for the Precinct was for it to be a focal point and hub of community activity

In locating the Library, Aquatic Centre and Recreation Centre within the one building the planning challenge was to encourage exploration of the entire precinct by the various users; the key driver was to get visitors to the heart of the precinct where they can comprehend all it has to offer. This drove the circulation planning to deliver visitors to the point where all circulation routes intersect and where all the offerings; Library, Recreation Centre, Aquatic Centre and outdoor spaces are visible at once.

External materials were chosen for their robustness, durability and to some extent, to be consistent with materials used on the existing Recreation Centre. Internal materials selection responded to similar criteria; pools and pool surrounds are all tiled; change rooms are constructed from concrete blocks with an epoxy paint finish.

Opened on Saturday 8 August 2015 by Mayor Len Brown and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chairperson Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Tōia has allowed Ōtāhuhu residents to come together to swim, play, read and relax. The space and facilities create a hub of activity and focal point for Ōtāhuhu that is vibrant, and conveys a sense of fun, recreation and learning.

Toia Library

Creative Spaces and a team of specialist consultants were appointed to undertake a review of previous masterplans and prepare designs for the proposed library and aquatic centre to complement the existing recreation centre on the site.

The innovative concept of combining a Library, Recreation Centre and Aquatic Centre within one building was to encourage exploration of the entire precinct by the various users; the key driver was to get visitors to the heart of the precinct where they can comprehend all it has to offer.

This drove the circulation planning to deliver visitors to the point where all circulation routes intersect and where all the offerings; Library, Recreation Centre, Aquatic Centre and outdoor spaces are visible at once. It creates the opportunity for "swimmers" to become "readers" and "readers" to become "swimmers", and is exploited in the planning approach where one of the main entries and circulation routes is through the library.

A very important artwork installed above the library ramp is "Spirit Level", by Daniel Clifford. It consists of over 1000 individual, hand blown spheres, each one capturing the breath of an individual member of the Ōtāhuhu community for posterity.

Material selection and interior design focussed on creating a light, airy environment that benefitted from large amounts of natural daylight entering via roof lights and high glazed walls.

TSB Arena

Creative Spaces was commissioned by Wellington City Council to undertake a study to redevelop the Queens Wharf Events Centre with the key objectives of upgrading the facility to improve comfort and enjoyment for patrons, increasing spectator capacity, improving ventilation, providing better integration with Shed 6 and improving access between the ground and mezzanine floors for both equipment and personnel. The new design re-positioned the centre court parallel to the hall’s long axis. Along with improved sightlines, this enabled better distribution of spectators along the long sides of the hall and created the opportunity for additional retractable bleacher seating on the flat floor, parallel with the court sidelines. Spectator capacity was increased from 2133 to nearly 5000, and improved spectator circulation on the western side of the hall presented the opportunity to better acknowledge the Queens Wharf Events Centre’s urban context by making connections to Frank Kitts Park and the city to the west.

Tupu Youth Library

In response to extensive consultation, Tupu was designed to improve local access to library resources and to be the community focus for information and learning. In addition to books, the library provides a large number of computer workstations with access to the internet and other on-line resources. The Tupu library presented a complex design brief which has been addressed by a range of innovative solutions.

The open plaza at the front entry to the building acts as a community gathering space. The building was conceived as an open pavilion in the landscape, carefully integrated into the surrounding park. It is placed in the corner of the park to maximise available recreational space, but also to create the maximum exposure to park views and natural daylight.

The library makes specific reference to the architecture, art and craft of the Pacific and is intended to be a highly visible symbol of the Council’s relationship with its residents. A feature is the use of Polynesian decorative motifs in the carpet, service desks, and painted feature wall panels. Sustainable building practices employed included consideration towards building orientation and shading devices to reduce solar gain. Displacement air conditioning was employed.

Vodafone Events Centre

Set in the heart of Manukau City, the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre was designed to promote the cultural diversity of its community. Creative Spaces contributed to the master-planning of the site and the architectural design of the theatre, indoor arena, outdoor arena and plaza. Particular care was taken to ensure that the design process took into account the range of cultures making up the local community – the ‘Pacific’ theme was developed in consultation with these communities and resulted in artwork created in collaboration with local artists and iwi. The project brief stipulated that the events centre must have an iconic presence as a public facility, reflecting the diverse culture of the people of Manukau, and create a sense of belonging and community ownership. The building also needed to cater for the complex functional requirements, and be built on time, to budget. The completed project satisfied all of the briefing requirements.

Westlake Girls High School Courts

Creative Spaces was commissioned in 2011 to prepare a concept and detailed design for a covering for proposed netball courts. A fabric covering was selected as offering the most potential for a functional and iconic structure on the highly visible site adjacent to the Northern Busway and Motorway.

The covering is a combination of PTFE and ETFE stretched over curved steel trusses. Additional structural shaping is given to the fabric by a series of ‘flying’ compression struts between each pair of trusses.

Four netball courts and six tennis courts are accommodated under the fabric covering. Excellent conditions for night play are provided by an indirect lighting scheme, reflecting light off the underside of the fabric, providing glare free light for national standard play.

WestWave Aquatic Centre

Creative Spaces led a team of consultants for the development of a leisure pool complex, adjacent to the existing competition pools. Included in the West Wave complex is a wave pool, “learn-to-swim” pool, lazy river, tots pools, hydrotherapy pool, spas, sauna, steam room, new change rooms, administrative areas, meeting spaces and a fitness suite. The theme for the complex was based on the natural aspects of Waitakere.

The eco-friendly policies of Waitakere City were implemented in a number of ways, for example, rainwater collected is stored in a large underground tank and used for backwash purposes. Water is treated using an ultra-violet system and solar heating is used to heat the water.