The Carterton Library, believed to be one of the oldest operating public libraries in its original building in New Zealand, was previously unable to meet the demands of modern library users and was long overdue for a major upgrade. Our Library is a key part of encouraging lifelong learning for all – one of Carterton’s agreed community outcomes.

Before the Centre was built, Carterton had no Town Hall. There was a shortage of meeting spaces in the district. Many of Carterton’s 70-80 voluntary organisations faced increasing operating and maintenance costs for venues which they have historically owned.

The district had limited facilities; some would say none, to cater for youth. The Rangatahi Hub (Youth Centre) will help to create a culture of activities and target youth most at risk, which ultimately benefits the wider community.

• Extensive use and optimisation of natural light to limit power consumption.
• Rainwater recycling used to flush toilets.
• Low and zero-emission finishes.
• Material selected for recyclability and recycled content.
• Passive thermal design.

During construction, use of local labour and materials minimised the carbon footprint. The timber-designed Auditorium uses locally-grown and milled timber from the nearby JNL mill. The innovative design includes bracing walls for earthquake resistance of the main hall – only the second use of this NZ-developed application in the world.