Shell Beams
Structural and services engineers worked hand-in-hand with the architects to plan Auckland University's $25 million Population Health Complex under construction at its Tamaki campus.
The site before development started
Level 3 bridge area (click to enlarge)
The 11,000 square-metre, four-level building incorporates many sustainable design features resulting from the work of Project Architect Carsten Auer of Architectus Auckland, Peter Boardman FIPENZ of Structure Design and Dave Fullbrook of Connell Mott MacDonald (CMM). Building work by Fletcher Construction began in November 2002 and is due for completion next January.
The complex will provide space, facilities and information re-sources to support postgraduate learning and research in medical and health science disciplines. There will be accommodation for the School of Population Health (Faculty of Medicine), Optometry, Speech Language Therapy (Faculty of Science), and various general and specialised clinics.
The design team's objectives, reflecting the wishes of the client, were to:
- create closed systems embodying natural processes, recycling, regeneration and waste minimisation
- minimise the building's impact in terms of biodiversity, energy use, and emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants
- use low-energy systems and equipment incorporating solar energy and passive design wherever possible
- maintain harmony with the surrounding environment
- use readily available local materials (precast concrete and thermomass panels in particular)
- provide a healthy and constructive internal environment.
The integrated design effort aimed to combine structure, facade, heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, services distribution, ceiling surface and thermal mass to achieve temperature stability.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
A feature of this approach was an innovative use of shell beams, manufactured by Stresscrete, to achieve a high level of passive environmental control. The exposed shell-beam flooring provides thermal mass to stabilise temperatures in occupied spaces, increasing passive solar heating and reducing night time cooling in winter, and encouraging overnight pre-cooling in summer.
This case study is reproduced with permission from e.nz magazine. Subscriptions to e.nz are discounted for schools and TENZ members.
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