Selwyn District Council Headquarters

To gain credibility when advising local entities on sustainable design, the Selwyn District Council in New Zealand wanted their new headquarters building to be as “green” as possible, so they selected incorporated insulated Tilt-Up panels. The environmentally-friendly panels (a total of 370 of which were used for the headquarters complex) are not only low-maintenance and sustainable, but they also help stabilize temperature fluctuations so that less energy is required for heating and cooling.

To help the group of one-story buildings blend in with the district’s picturesque countryside, thousands of stones were plucked from the nearby Canterbury riverbed to create cladding for exterior panels. The interior walls were left exposed, which required an extremely high-quality finish. Many of the interior panels were positioned under skylights in order to capture and transfer thermal energy from the sun.

By integrating the total structure into the thermal control of the building, the Council was able to achieve their goal of creating an energy-efficient building that can serve as a community model for sustainable design.