This project in the Wynyard Quarter is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest urban renewal projects. Sustainability was at the heart of the development’s water-led design.

Sustainable, water-led development in the heart of Auckland City

Located near WSP’s Westhaven office, the Daldy Street and Halsey Street development was a key local project. This high profile urban development integrated sustainability into the design, development and operation of each of the precincts that form the Wynyard Quarter.

Developing this area in a more sustainable way meant overcoming several challenges. These included converting an industrial site on reclaimed land into a sustainable urban precinct, within budgets more appropriate for a greenfield site.

The project illustrates how collaborative, water-sensitive civil and urban design can transform urban realm and roading infrastructure into sustainable features for the community.

The Solution

The water-lead approach enabled the project to enhance Te Mana o te Wai through water sensitive design. This included raingardens and swales providing stormwater treatment and overland flowpaths incorporated into the Daldy Street linear park.

WSP provided civil design services for stormwater, roading and lighting. A major challenge was integrating a stormwater management system while managing the engineering hurdles of proximity to tidal influences, contaminated soils and flat terrain. Conventional approaches to stormwater design weren’t possible, so WSP developed creative and innovative solutions to overcome these challenges, while also delivering positive water quality outcomes.

The project delivered goals beyond stormwater, with our multi-disciplinary team integrating a number of sustainable features. These included e-lighting for streets, reuse of site concrete, rainwater collection, provision for energy generation and integrated pedestrian and cycle-ways.

The Benefits

This project exceeded the project’s quadruple bottom line goals around environment and resources, connectedness, sense of place, community, urban environment and economic vitality.

It highlights how the WSP engineering team can bring added value by creating innovative, affordable, environmentally sensitive and sustainable solutions as part of a multi-disciplinary project team.