90 Devonport Road, Tauranga
New Zealand’s largest mass timber office building
Willis Bond is proud to have delivered 90 Devonport Road, the largest modern mass timber commercial office building in New Zealand. The building was successfully completed on time and within budget on 28 March 2025.
This exciting project sets new standards for sustainability in development and construction in New Zealand. It has achieved a 6 Green Star design accreditation, the highest possible rating, and is on track to receive a 5-star NABERS rating for energy efficiency and a Gold WELL Building Standard certification.
Built by trusted construction partner LT McGuinness, this cutting-edge 10,400sqm sustainable building is the new home for Tauranga City Council administration staff, bringing the entire team together under one roof for the first time since 2014, for closer collaboration in a future-focused workplace.
Sustainable and future-focused
90 Devonport Road showcases the transformative potential of engineered timber. Replacing the majority of traditional concrete and structural steel with locally sourced Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), and Glulam, has cut the building’s all-of-life carbon footprint by more than 60% compared to conventional structures.
The hybrid steel and timber structure enables the construction and environmental benefits of mass timber while utilising highly resilient and proven steel seismic technologies. This approach uses the ‘best material for the job’ approach and enables the take up of mass timber construction in higher seismic regions such as Wellington or Christchurch.
Extensive input from local mana whenua has shaped the building’s design and cultural expression. Its architectural theme “Taura Here” symbolises connection and strong relationships and is reflected in the rope-strand motif on the façade, and the external lighting, columns, main entrance canopy, paving, and native planting selection.
The project’s successful delivery was made possible through strong collaboration between Willis Bond and LT McGuinness and key partners Warren and Mahoney (architects), Dunning Thornton Consultants (structural engineers), and Beca (building services, fire, and sustainability engineers). More than 30 local businesses contributed, with up to 200 workers on-site at peak construction and all the timber sourced from local suppliers Red Stag, Nelson Pine, and Techlam.
90 Devonport Road joins the suite of projects we are delivering in Tauranga, where we are also working with Tauranga City Council to deliver its wider Civic Masterplan Refresh, which includes a new civic whare, museum, library, hotel, and a performing arts and conference centre, all set to be built over the next 6+ years.