AT THE 2011 New Zealand Architecture Awards, Peddle Thorp Architects won awards in the Sustainable Architecture and Commercial Architecture categories for the 21 Queen St office tower it designed.

Leader of the Peddle Thorp design team for this project, Wade Jennings, said the architecture firm acknowledged both the opportunity it had to improve the environmental and economic performance of an existing building with this job and also its responsibility to do so.

The urban environment around the building was improved after its completion by engaging the pedestrian environment and activating the street edges with retail stores.

“Rather than simply focus on new build projects we believe we can limit energy consumption by reusing existing structures specifically designed to restrict ongoing operational costs. This approach can deliver true bottom line benefits for our clients as well as help reduce overall energy use and carbon emissions," Mr Jennings said.

“This ‘big picture’ approach has a lot more to do with sustainability than planted walls or other ‘green bling’ that’s often showing up in the market.”

Peddle Thorp also worked on the recently completed East Building and Westpac Charter House nearby to 21 Queen St at Britomart, where similarly existing buildings were incorporated into the construction of new office buildings.