EcoHub for Hire

Your Perfect Destination for Nature-inspired Learning and Gathering!

Discover the hidden gem of sustainability at our purpose-built EcoHub located at 17 Lauderdale Road in Birkdale. This remarkable space not only serves as our office and classroom but also acts as a vibrant gathering place for like-minded individuals who are passionate about nature and sustainable living.

Nestled alongside our nursery and garden, this spacious living building offers an immersive experience that brings you closer to the wonders of nature. Step inside and let the tranquil surroundings captivate your senses, creating the perfect ambience for learning, collaboration, and inspiration.

Our community-driven approach, rooted in a regenerative, whole-system philosophy, ensures that every visit to our EcoHub is an enriching experience. Whether you're an educator seeking a unique venue for workshops or a group looking for a serene space to gather and exchange ideas, our EcoHub is the ideal destination.

Our EcoHub building, designed by Athfield Architects, was recognised in the Tāmaki Makaurau Architecture Awards as the winner in the Public Architecture category. The building is praised for incorporating “five of the seven Living Building Challenge Petals” in its design. Read more here.

Cost

View the Hire Agreement with costs incl. gst below:

Community groups: $28.75/hr
Non-community groups: $69/hr

Amenities

6 trestle tables+ dining table
40 chairs + couch
Wifi
Kitchenette with a sink, plates, cups and cutlery
Very large whiteboard
TV with HDMI & Bluetooth
Projector screen
Complimentary tea and coffee

Zero Waste event

To keep the venue zero waste, we ask you to:

Use available plates, mugs and cutlery.
Place all food scraps in a compost bucket.
Place all other items in clearly labelled bins outside.

EcoHub - a Living Building on home soil

Opened in 2022, this award-winning EcoHub offers an open space for learning, gathering and connecting, while demonstrating zero waste activity in action. The hub is situated next to Eskdale Reserve and can host up to 50 people comfortably.

We thank Kaipātiki Local Board for funding this exciting project, and to Auckland Council, Landscape Architect Carl Pickens, ASPEC Construction and Athfield Architects for bringing the EcoHub to life.

Deconstruction: Design and construction considered 'Whole of Life' and future deconstruction. Where possible, elements have been screwed and bolted together (not glued) for ease of deconstruction and reuse.
Photovoltaic PV System: A 16-panel 6.2kWp PV panel array on the roof to generate electricity. Surplus electricity sent to the grid, which can be drawn from. Constructed to allow for a future Tesla battery install.
Urban Horticulture: A thriving native plant nursery facilitating native ngahere around the building, including stream and estuary restoration.
9,000 L Water Tank: Located under the carpark area which collects nonpotable ‘grey’ water from the roof of the building. This supplies the external taps that service the hub and nursery.
Recycled Rimu Flooring: Reused from a Christchurch building (except bathroom area). The floor finish ‘Bona Traffic HD’ has EMICODE EC1 with very low emissions certification.
Thermal Performance: Warm roof with a metal tray roofing and building paper over unbroken PIR board layer and vapour control membrane. No ‘thermal breaks’ create a high level of thermal and acoustic performance.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB): No lining of the interior walls with plasterboard, as OSB is manufactured from fast-growing trees, thus durable and sustainable, and does not contain ureaformaldehyde adhesives.
Structure: The foundation is constructed of timber pole piles and a timber-suspended floor. The primary structure comprises timber glulam portal frames, beams and rafters, with timber framed infill walls.
Enviro-Friendly Timber Treatment: Using only MCA (a far better alternative to CCA). MCA is arsenic-free and chrome-free and can be reused if the building is deconstructed.
Waste Management during Demolition & Construction: 46% of all construction and demolition waste was recycled.

Native plant nursery

17 Lauderdale Road, Birkdale

Our native plant nursery and teaching gardens have greatly expanded in recent years. Thanks to Kaipātiki Local Board we can now overflow plant production and storage into the reserve at the rear of the EcoHub. Alongside new irrigation systems and a 16,000 litre rainwater tank we now produce 40,000+ new plants here annually.

We plant the majority of the plants we produce each year in the local reserves. A small proportion of our plants are sold in bulk to various groups around Auckland.

Engine Bay community nursery

Bomb Point Drive, Hobsonville Point

We operate our second nursery at Hobsonville Point, which includes a small orchard and a community compost hub tended to by local volunteers. The plants grown here are being used to regenerate the weed-infested fringes of this peninsula, previously home to a historic air-force training base, and now a thriving sustainably developed new suburb. Around 10,000 plants a year are propagated here at the Engine Bay nursery close to the coastal walkway.

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