TELEPHONE BOOTH

 

The Old Girl showed me around her office on Sunday. It's in the new BNZ building on Waterloo Quay.

This is a very new, very smart and superior building - much superior to the previous BNZ building located on the Wellington waterfront and was known as ‘Harbour Quays’. 

Harbour Quays - BNZ's previous building

Owned by Centre Port, this building was a '5-star green building', but, following the November 2016 Kaikoura/Wellington earthquake, the building was abandoned and later demolished. 

Hopefully this new building won't suffer the same fate. The new earthquake-proof regulations means that this building is supported by base isolation and a structural steel diagrid.

Example of the interior columns that can be seen everywhere inside.

There are great views across the waterfront and harbour which makes for good workplace ergonomics.

I liked this feature which is like a phone booth that employees can use when making private or personal calls There are several of these scattered through the shared, open-plan office set up.

The Old Girl sits in here when calling me.

I can see why she decided that she'd like to see out her working life before retirement in this office.

Staff have just been informed that there will soon be a company-wide directive ordering everyone to work out of the various offices throughout the country (and the world). In 2020 due to COVID work from home was approved for many employees. 

It works in well with our Wellington plans.