Case Study
90 Devonport Road, Tauranga
Tauranga's landmark mass timber headquarters — where sustainable architecture meets high-performance fire safety.
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Project Overview
90 Devonport Road is one of New Zealand’s most ambitious sustainable commercial developments. Designed as Tauranga City Council’s new headquarters, the eight-storey office building is one of the country’s largest mass timber structures, constructed using Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and glulam structural systems.
The project represents a significant shift in commercial construction, demonstrating how engineered timber can replace traditional steel and concrete systems while delivering substantial reductions in embodied carbon.
Targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating, the building also incorporates advanced energy performance strategies to reduce operational energy consumption.
For Smoke Control New Zealand, the project provided an opportunity to contribute to a landmark sustainable development, ensuring fire and smoke protection strategies aligned with both the architectural vision and a performance-based fire engineering approach.
Constructing one of New Zealand’s largest mass timber office buildings introduced a series of complex fire safety and smoke management challenges.
While mass timber offers clear sustainability benefits, its combustible nature requires carefully considered fire protection strategies. Achieving compliance with the New Zealand Building Code demanded robust compartmentation, smoke control, and fire resistance, particularly across open-plan floors, vertical openings, and areas with extensive glazing.
Traditional fire-rated walls or opaque barriers would have compromised these objectives, reducing spatial quality and undermining the design intent.
At the same time, the architectural vision prioritised:
- Exposed timber structure
- Open, connected floorplates
- High levels of natural daylight
- Strong visual connection to the harbour
Additionally, the prefabricated nature of the timber structure required precise coordination between disciplines. Fire and smoke systems needed to integrate seamlessly into the construction methodology without adding unnecessary weight or complexity.
Smoke Control’s Role
Smoke Control worked closely with the project team, including Warren and Mahoney (Architect), Beca (Fire Engineer), LT McGuinness (Builder), and Willis Bond (Developer), to deliver a fully integrated fire and smoke protection strategy.
A key focus was early design engagement, ensuring that fire systems were incorporated into the building fabric without compromise to structure or aesthetics. This approach reflects Smoke Control’s Full Lifecycle Service philosophy, combining design expertise, product knowledge, installation capability, and long-term maintenance planning.
Our Solution
Tailored Fire Protection
To meet the project’s performance requirements, Smoke Control supplied and installed a combination of:
Both solutions were carefully coordinated with Beca’s fire engineering strategy, ensuring compliance with performance-based design requirements while exceeding baseline expectations for fire and smoke control.
Fibershield® V Fire Curtains
- Installed at vertical openings, atriums, corridors, and interconnecting spaces
- Tested to AS1530.4 standards, providing high fire resistance and integrated smoke containment
- Automatically deploy in fire conditions to create compartmentation only when required
- Allow open-plan design and uninterrupted sightlines during normal operation
Visioneering® Fire-Rated Glazing Systems
- Used in internal partitions, doors, and curtain wall elements
- Provide fire integrity while maintaining transparency and natural light transmission
- Support acoustic performance and integrate seamlessly with timber structures
- Avoid the need for bulky framing or visually intrusive barriers
These systems were specifically selected for their ability to:
- Maintain architectural openness
- Minimise structural load on the timber frame
- Integrate with prefabricated construction
- Align with the project’s sustainability objectives
Outcomes
The completed 90 Devonport Road building sets a new benchmark for sustainable commercial construction in New Zealand.
Smoke Control’s systems enabled:
- Effective compartmentation without permanent barriers
- Preservation of open-plan, interconnected spaces
- Seamless integration with exposed timber architecture
- High-performance smoke management supporting safe egress
By using deployable and transparent fire protection solutions, the project achieves a balance between life safety and architectural intent, demonstrating how performance-based fire engineering can unlock greater design freedom.
The Result
Safety, Openness, And Beauty — In One Building
Today, 90 Devonport Road brings Tauranga City Council staff together under one roof after years of operating across multiple locations.
The building stands as a leading example of how the below can work together to create high-performance workplaces for the future:
- Sustainable materials
- Innovative architectural design
- Carefully integrated life safety systems
For Smoke Control, projects like this reinforce a core belief that underpins everything we do: People deserve to work and live in safe and beautiful buildings.
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