Q4 On The Boulevard

Q4 is one of the many buildings developed as part of the Smales Farm Technology Office Hub on Auckland’s North Shore [website]. It has been attributed with being “the building at the social hub of Smales Farm Technology Office Park [setting] a new standard in quality, location, innovation and design on Auckland's North Shore”.

The building is a little special from a design perspective - firstly being that the façade sits outside of the building line and is bracketed back to the structure; secondly being that it is double glazed. This latter aspect is particularly relevant. Many commercial building developments have an emphasis on build cost, parameters of which, outside of a regulatory environment, often make double glazing prohibitive. The fact that this project (and others within the Smales Farm Park) chose the double glazing path emphasises the commitment to sustainability of this development.

Visually, the building design is innovate and distinctive. The glass curtainwall runs from floor to ceiling, and sits behind large wooden horizontal louvres. A further key feature of the building is the three-storey atrium, comprising glass, concrete, steel and wood, that breaks the building in two.

From Miller Design’s perspective, the development has provided Miller Design with the opportunity to be involved in the design and construction of a building that has been a relatively early mover in the area of sustainability.