Building a sustainable hub for NZ’s kiwifruit industry

A Kiwi success story, Zespri is an NZ $3 billion company exporting premium quality Kiwifruit around the world. In recent years, Zespri outgrew their 1970s head office, paving the way for a vibrant new HQ that better reflects their global ambitions.

As lead engineers and project managers on this exciting development, we worked in close partnership with architects Warren and Mahoney, to design a building that reflects Zespri’s values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and their purpose to ‘help people, communities and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of Kiwifruit’. Services we provided include civil, electrical, fire, mechanical, traffic and structural engineering, as well as geotechnical and planning services.

A key consideration was energy efficiency. In pursuing this goal, solar PV (photovoltaic) panels were installed on the roof – harnessing the Bay of Plenty region’s abundant sunshine, whilst a rainwater recycling system, and low energy HVAC and lighting solutions combine to significantly reduce energy consumption.

On the inside, natural timbers and raw materials provide a ‘grounded’ feel suitable for a horticultural business, whilst the widespread use of the colour green pays homage to the Kiwifruit at the heart of Zespri’s identity.

Ample natural light from floor to ceiling windows further enhance the wellbeing of Zespri’s Tauranga-based team, with an Activity Based Working (ABW) layout supporting an agile workplace that encourages collaboration across teams and can easily accommodate increases in staff capacity.

Following its official opening in February 2020, this new headquarters provides a solid, sustainable foundation for Zespri to continue their upward trajectory and is a landmark address for the broader Bay of Plenty business community.

To learn more about Zespri's, please click here.