Case Studies

Amohia Ake, Hamilton. Developed by Tainui Group Holdings for ACC.

ACC have been helping New Zealanders and visitors back to everyday life since 1974. Recently around 800 staff from two existing Hamilton offices moved into the new 8500 square meter striking new regional offices, developed by Tainui Group Holdings for the corporation.

Background

ACC have been helping New Zealanders and visitors back to everyday life since 1974. Recently around 800 staff from two existing Hamilton offices moved into the new 8500 square meter striking new regional offices, developed by Tainui Group Holdings for the corporation. Kiingi Tuheitia also unveiled the new name for the building – Amohia Ake. The name takes its significance from a Waikato-Tainui tongikura (saying), “Amohia ake te ora o te iwi, ka puta ki te whei ao – the wellbeing of the people is paramount.” Rukumoana Schaafhausen, Chair of Te Arataura, the Executive Committee of Waikato-Tainui said the timing of this was significant – 25 years since the iwi reached a historic Treaty of Waitangi raupatu settlement with the Crown.

“As the site of the former maara kai (vegetable garden) that fed and provided sustenance for the people, this area has an important history of manaakitanga, of taking care of people and of supporting everyone to have the best possible quality of life, which is exactly what ACC will do,” she said. TGH commissioned Warren and Mahoney to design the centre, which was built by Hawkins who has a long history in the Waikato, having been founded in Hamilton 74 years ago. TGH has then leased the development to ACC with the underlying whenua continuing to be owned by Waikato-Tainui.

Challenge

Creating a new and unique landmark in the Hamilton CBD, the four-storey complex is only a short walk from major public transport routes and the Hamilton Central Transport hub. It also encourages active and sustainable transport options with 82 bicycle parks, end-of-trip facilities and 12 charging stations for electric vehicles. The building has been designed to achieve at least a four-star standard under the NABERSNZ rating system for energy systems and is currently on track to meet or exceed this when the first assessments are completed 12 months after the building is occupied.

Solution

At Merquip we are proud to say that we are doing our part by providing sustainable, state-of-the-art filtered drinking systems to ensure that the new ‘Amohia Ake’ building can achieve the four-star rating for energy systems. We supplied and installed four Elkay Ezh20 in-wall bottle fillers and fifteen Billi Quadra dispensers offering staff and visitors seamless supply throughout the building of chilled, instant boiling and filtered drinking water. At Merquip not only can we install a multichoice of brands but we also service everything we sell. Our service team and nationwide network of accredited technicians will be able to maintain the operational functionality of the water filtration systems across all floors, meeting the high standards set for the ‘Amohoa Ake’ building. Our extensive knowledge, passion and integrity mean our friendly team can provide you with qualified advice from model specification right through to maintenance options.

Architect: Warren and Mahoney

Interior designers: Ghd Woodhead creative spaces and Aurecon.

Plumbers: FB Hall

Facility Management: Tainui Group Holdings

Product: Elkay and Billi dispensers