Creative stuff
05.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency —
National Premises

Embedded in the existing fabric of the parliamentary precinct, the architecture is a bold response to its gritty peripheral contexts — a poignant nod to Waka Kotahi’s role in the shaping of this urban environment. Guided by a people-focused brand expression, the 9000m2 project is a turning point within the organisation, providing a dynamic and immersive human-centric workplace for staff, partner agencies and visitors to come together. As the project architect, I was deeply involved in every project phase, from the original bid to the conclusion of the construction contract.

Located within a new commercial complex, the site is flanked by an array of building typologies, notable roadways, and vast green space, atop a network of historic streams and waterways. Siting low within the land, the interior leans into the constraints of these surrounds — in celebration of the diverse tapestry that defines Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.



Conceived for an integrated delivery, the seven-storey fitout contains a common arrangement in response to the daily patterns of those who reside here. Arriving off a light-filled atrium, the ground floor expanse presents as an extension of the public domain — a central pedestrian laneway flanked by a generous arrivals sphere, gathering spaces, and social pockets. Ascending to the floors above, a variety of settings prioritise daylight and external connection for an optimal staff experience, bounding a central bank of collaborative zones. A verdant café sits centrally within the stack, orientated for all-day sun while engaging in a dialogue with the iconic elevated roadway. An open stair punctuates the floors as an instigator of activity and unplanned encounters.

The scheme deploys a suite of high-impact interventions, ensuring maximum value for money, for the Waka Kotahi and central government alike. Following a multi-use design sensibility, elements are crafted to work hard, devised as high-functioning joinery solutions, distributed across the floors as distinct anchors. Bespoke insertions serve a variety of daily activities — steel framed dividers provide for planting, storage and whiteboards; curvilinear meeting pods form a semi-private backdrop for collaborative endeavours; while a central sculptural work surface becomes a generous public servery.




A verdant café sits centrally within the stack, orientated for all-day sun while engaging in a dialogue with the iconic elevated roadway.









Shaped by a bespoke Te Ao Māori narrative Ki Uta Ki Tai (‘from mountains to sea’), the palette is minimal and concise, referencing the balanced natural order of ecosystems — a foundational characteristic that speaks to the essence of Waka Kotahi’s role within Aotearoa New Zealand. Conveyed within tactile architectural surfaces and through tonal variation, the narrative is gradually revealed as users transition from floor to floor. Upholstered joinery, furniture, and drapery serve as touchstones for users to locate themselves within the building. Ascending the floors, the palette gently shifts through earthy terracottas, to eucalypt greens, smoky blues, and ethereal vapoury greys. Bespoke routed surfaces work to further enhance this cultural expression, manifesting in timber wall linings, joinery, and acoustic treatments.

Devised as a future-focussed and adaptable workplace, the new national premises challenges the norms of government fitouts, enveloped in a richly tactical human experience. Cognisant of its peripheral vernacular, the architecture knits itself into its eclectic surrounds, framing thoughtfully composed vignettes as reminders of Waka Kotahi’s role as custodians of the natural realm. The outcome is a fresh, dynamic, and immersive environment for staff, partner agencies and visitors to converge, imbued by a contextually fitting Te ao Māori expression.






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andre.bankier.perry@gmail.com

+64 21 055 4199