New Tauranga Student Accommodation Features Vantage Systems

Tauranga has taken another step towards being a university town with the opening of a sleek, $20 million student accommodation complex associated with the city’s University of Waikato campus.

The four-storey facility in Selwyn St was designed by Warren and Mahoney and features a combination of Metro Series and APL 150mm Flushglaze windows and doors, including eye-catching, two-tone, aluminium feature panels glazed into Flushglaze frames on the street frontage.

Warren and Mahoney said that the project design responded to a site that was tight and challenging. The layout, which included a courtyard for all day social activity, was designed to give students a sense of inclusiveness, belonging and sharing. The generous glazing was designed to take advantage of the nearby coastal views.

The 3m-tall Flushglaze windows give the common student areas on Selwyn St a transparency and sparkle more in keeping with a commercial façade. According to Warren and Mahoney, “the design challenges typical student accommodation.” The upper level gives the 93 student residents sweeping views of the Tauranga estuary, the harbour and Mt Maunganui. Bright colours highlight the common areas, and a communal "masterchef" kitchen, as well as lounge areas, provide a busy hub.

The glazed tower used grey-tinted glass in the double-glazed units. The aluminium feature panels artfully placed in the facade, were specially designed by the Vantage window supplier, Wight Aluminium. The panels were insulated internally and bisected diagonally on the exterior face in aluminium halves of different powdercoat colours — Duratec Matt Champagne Kinetic on the right, and Electro Medium Bronze on the left.

Most of the windows and doors were powdercoated in Duratec Matt Black. Products included Metro Series fixed and opening windows, a window vent with industrial aluminium louvre blades, hinged doors and an autoslider Metro door.

The developer was QPL Property Holdings and the builder was Foster Construction.

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A four-sided structural glazed, fully panelised system for low to high rise applications. Glass is adhered to the outer edge of the extrusions, reducing the visual effect of aluminium as viewed from the outside.

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A non-facing sash is used as standard to enhance the range aesthetics emphasising clean, flat surfaces for a modern appearance. Double glazing to a maximum 28mm thickness can be used.

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Hinged doors are 45mm thick and are available in open-out and open-in formats. Both frames have flat faces and can be coupled with sidelights and overlights.

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A Flushglaze curtainwall gives the street frontage transparency

The APL 150mm Flushglaze window system sill and mullion

The top level features sweeping views of Tauranga

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Wight Aluminium is one of New Zealand’s largest aluminium fabricators, delivering commercial aluminium joinery solutions to clients throughout the North Island.

Warren and Mahoney is the only third-generation architectural practice in New Zealand. Today it is a multidisciplinary design practice offering architectural, interior, graphic, urban and environmentally sustainable design services.

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New Tauranga Student Accommodation