Selected Project
NZi3 Innovation Institute University of Canterbury
The NZi3 Innovation Institute is a hothouse for strategic ICT research and development. Its mission is to take innovative ideas from the lab and transform them into solutions for industry. The institute has already received wide acclaim, and aims to become a globally-recognised innovation centre. There are two main components to the new 2,300m2 building. On the lower level, an arrival space facilitates public display and interaction. The arrival space also incorporates a number of meeting rooms. Above this area there is a large flexible workspace for post-graduate students, staff, and private sector research personnel. The flexible space encourages collaboration and makes it easy for the various groups to share their knowledge. The upper floor of the building is considerably larger that the lower floor. This provided an opportunity for a structurally-exciting response and, after an exploration of ‘hands-free’ technology, resulted in a building of cantilevers rather than columns. In keeping with the innovation theme, the new facility is New Zealand’s first education building to be awarded a five-star green rating.
- Category
- Education
- Location
