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The proposal is to retain the building known as Laptop House on the corner of Featherston and Waring Taylor Streets and to demolish the existing Norfolk House brick building to its south. A new tower building will be constructed on the Norfolk House site, the façade of which will envelop Laptop house as the tower extends to its full height. The integration of the two buildings is achieved by a glazed façade that wraps over and shrouds Laptop House. This façade wraps around both Featherston and Waring-Taylor streets frontages.
126-128 Featherston Street is intended to function as a commercial office building. Three existing retail units at the base of Laptop House will be retained, with the addition of 1 new retail unit and office reception at the base of the new tower, accessed off Featherston Street.
Horizontally expressed Transoms wrap around the street facades to create an ever changing façade system as you progress vertically up the building. The façade system consists of 4 different transom profiles, of varying depth and width, that alternate and reduce in density with height. The density of these transoms reduces from 100% coverage along the façade (at the base) to 10% coverage along the façade (at the top), while the density change provides privacy to the occupants at street level.
Perforated aluminium screens run down the edge and along the top of the Featherston and Waring-Taylor street facades. The screens also wrap up and over the roof to enclose the roof top plant and wrap around to enclose the Breezeway located on levels 9 and 10.
2no. horizontal transoms are expressed at each floor level to the glazed facades to the South and West. These transoms project out approx 50mm from the glazing and introduces a secondary layer to the 3-dimensional quality of the facades.
The rear concrete sheer walls around the stair and lift core are treated with concrete ribs. The vertical nature of these ribs provides a hint of the vertical pedestrian route within, while also providing a juxtaposition to the strong horizontal orientation of the street facades.
Resource Consent Approval was granted in April 2009.
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