Google Aotearoa

Co-designing the concept

In a global first for Google the design brief for their new workplace was co-created alongside cultural advisor, Anzac Reihana Tasker, and local iwi Ngāti Whātua. Through a series of design workshops with Te Aroha Grace from Ngāti Whātua Orākei, we arrived at the central idea of Te Tai (the tide) as the metaphorical embodiment of Google in Māori. The tide gives and receives, representing the relationship with Google and Ngāti Whātua Orākei which goes beyond the project itself and builds on a future partnership.

Te Tai and the Gorge

Te Tai enabled us to weave a strong narrative of the New Zealand landscape culminating in a central ‘gorge’ experience. Eroded by the tide, the gorge gives the workplace its structure and is a substantial engineering and design feat in itself. A joinery centrepiece made from locally sourced timber sheet from Kaitaia is carved into large, sheer walls representing a gorge through the heart of the workplace.

A hardworking plan

COVID-19 has accelerated Google’s plans for a fully agile workspace that is world-leading in its approach to working remotely. The result is a hardworking floor; as an agile workspace, the workplace offers a range of settings to cater for anywhere between 60 to 90 Googlers. A trademark café and event and meeting spaces offer a healthy dose of fun to be discovered in the characterisation of New Zealand icons.

Google Aotearoa’s new home wears a narrative woven around place, featuring stories of land, people, and culture – each bringing the richness of Aotearoa, New Zealand to its users. The workplace considers its users and visitors through an experiential lens, inviting each person on a journey from the peaks of mighty mountains to the shores of Aotearoa's rugged coastlines.

Sustainability

In addition to reflecting the heart and soul of the land on which this workplace stands, the project is committed to protecting the space on which it inhabits and is targeting LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a globally recognised symbol of sustainability and leadership

Material selection was also critical to achieving Google’s sustainability objectives. Triboard, which is manufactured in Northland, has been used extensively throughout the space in lieu of plasterboard, portraying a stronger connection to the lifecycle of the fitout. We also used a resin floor with pebbles from Invercargill, and as many locally designed furniture pieces with NZ wool fabric as was practical for required usage.