Multimillion-dollar office blocks get rating

The country's most eco-friendly office building is at 21 Queen St, Auckland, AMP NZ Office Trust's refurbished block in Auckland with a 65 rating.

Seven multimillion-dollar office blocks have been rated for their environmental features.

The Green Building Council has scored five Auckland buildings, one Hamilton block and a Christchurch office tower.

Jane Henley, chief executive of the Green Building Council, said an extensive body of developers' work had been appraised and more results would soon become available as other new buildings were rated.

The green-star rating was voluntary for owners and developers but she said the tough leasing market meant office workers were increasingly drawn to new or refurbished blocks with a low environmental impact.

Buildings are scored on their energy usage, emissions, water demand, proximity to public transport, lighting, quality of indoor environment and whether an environmental management plan has been developed.

Some of the buildings scored were not initially planned to meet the Green Building Council's star rating but a growing awareness had sparked more people to put their blocks up for assessment. Tenants were increasingly demanding to know what attempts developers and builders had made in relation to the environment, she said.

John Church, head of commercial leasing at Jones Lang LaSalle, said tenants wanted to cut their energy bills and landlords' priorities had shifted more towards environmental considerations lately.

Office buildings rated by the Green Building Council are:

21 Queen St, Auckland
The country's most eco-friendly office building is AMP NZ Office Trust's refurbished block in Auckland, due to open this year. That scored five stars or 65 points and Ms Henley said this was impressive because it was harder for an existing building than a new block to get a high rating. The refitted double-glazed tower on Queen Elizabeth II Square at the foot of Queen St will have low-energy consumption, special areas for recycling waste, recycled rainwater and is near public transport almost directly opposite Britomart.

80 Queen St, Auckland
The new Deloitte Centre in the heart of the city at 80 Queen St will not be finished until next year but it has already been rated, scoring 63 points.

Quay Park One, Auckland
Second-equal is Quay Park One at 30 Mahuhu Crescent near the old Railway Station by Mansons TCLM.

Club Tower, Christchurch
The 13-level building also scored 63 points and is the first five-star eco-friendly block in the South Island.

Quay Plaza, Auckland
This block at 8 Tangihua St by Mansons TCLM got 55 points or four stars.

Kakariki House, Hamilton
This scored 46 points and four stars and was the second refurbished office block in New Zealand to achieve a green star rating.

92 Albert St, Auckland
The refurbishment of Telecom Tower by Andrea Steffensen of MCS Property Group saw that building score 45 points and four stars.