Ceres Organics gains 5 Green Star rating

A warehouse complex owned by Ceres Organics has received a 5 Green Star rating from the New Zealand Building Council (NZGBC). It is one of only three buildings in New Zealand to be certified under the Green Star Industrial tool and the first food warehouse to do so.

The organic wholesaler’s Auckland-based business consists of a two-level office building attached to large precast concrete warehouse. Given the importance of sustainability to Ceres’ ethos, it was clear that a green approach would be integral when it came to building the company’s headquarters.

Built on a brownfield site, the project incorporated material recycled from the former derelict building. Concrete was chosen for the bulk of the building structure to give good thermal mass. The building is oriented to make the most of passive solar heating and natural light, and the need for mechanical air conditioning and artificial lighting is minimised through natural ventilation and daylight harvesting.

“Our business is organics, and we’re serious about walking the talk on sustainability,” said Ceres Organics Managing Director Noel Josephson. “So the design and construction of our new building had to have low environmental impact. We’re more than 40% more efficient in terms of energy use than the previous building.”

Other sustainability features of the building include:

• a solar hot water system;
• a rainwater collection system, with low water usage fittings;
• a fully automated building management system (BMS) to monitor lighting, CO₂ levels, and water and energy usage;
• energy-efficient LED lighting;
• a dedicated recycling area to minimise the volume of waste that goes to landfill;
• low-VOC, sustainably sourced materials; and
• substantial greenery in the office environment.

The project also picked up points for innovation under the Green Star rating, including for the stringent carbon footprinting used by Ceres to measure the building’s impact.

“Ceres has shown real leadership by using Green Star to ensure and endorse the environmental standards of their building,” said NZGBC Chief Executive Alex Cutler. “It’s particularly exciting to see that they’re tracking energy use and carbon, which gives a very clear picture of real-life performance. The benefits of sustainable building accrue year-on-year in terms of lower energy and water use, less waste, better staff satisfaction — Ceres is a living example of that and I’m sure they will inspire others.”

“It’s… a lovely building to work in, with good natural light and fresh air,” said Josephson. “Getting the Green Star rating is icing on the cake, because it’s proof of the high sustainability standard we were aiming for.”