Northcote deconstruction The building has gone - but the materials live on!

28 July 2025

Northcote
News
Sustainability
Urban regeneration

The aging Norman King Building in the middle of Northcote is no more.

Excitingly, its removal marks the start of Northcote’s town centre redevelopment.

We’re delighted that a whopping 93.2% of the building’s valuable construction material is being reused and recycled.

This is zero-waste in action. It’s not just good for the planet – it’s benefiting locals and even supporting community projects in Tonga, where many Northcote residents have roots.

Construction and demolition waste is a big problem for the environment. Normally in Auckland, around 40% of it ends up in landfills. This makes it the largest single waste-stream for the city. So, we’re thrilled with the results of our zero waste approach in Northcote.

How it worked

Instead of standard demolition, at a similar cost, we used deconstruction specialists, Trow, to take apart the building piece by piece, salvaging timber, glass, bricks, roofing tiles, fittings, furniture and appliances for reuse or recycling.

Locally: Many items are now on sale at affordable prices at Localised - Wairau Zero Waste Hub - see here. Concrete is being crushed for hardfill, timber reused or chipped, and glass turned into new products. 500 of the iconic red bricks are now being used by Northcote Intermediate School and some material is being stored by Trow for reuse on local construction projects.
Internationally: Some material has been shipped to Tonga to be used to build houses, schools, and churches.

Kate Cumberpatch, Priority Location Director, at the Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO) at Auckland Council (formerly Eke Panuku), who are managing the redevelopment of the town centre, says,

“We’re thrilled with the outcome on this project.”

“With climate change impacting us all, we need to work together to be more sustainable and minimise waste. This is exactly what we’re doing in Northcote.

We’ll continue to work with Trow and Localised as other buildings are deconstructed over time to make way for the redevelopment of the town centre in stages over the next ten years.”

What’s next

The doctors and dentist on Pearn Place will soon relocate in Northcote and their old buildings will also be carefully deconstructed for reuse and recycling.

The bigger picture

The transformation of the town centre is getting underway over the next two years with improvements to public facilities for the growing Northcote community:

Te Ara Awataha — Northcote’s new greenway — the final section running through the town centre will be completed.
Modern community hub (on the current library site) – this will bring together the library, NorthArt, Plunket, Citizens Advice Bureau, Hearts & Minds, all under one roof.
Upgraded Puāwai Cadness Reserve – new play spaces, gardens, basketball court, toilets, trees, plants, and stormwater upgrade.

This is just the beginning, after this, the rest of the town centre will be modernised in stages over the next ten years, with new shops, offices, apartments, a town square, and a bigger supermarket.

Northcote’s future? Bright, sustainable and community focused. 😊

The Auckland Urban Design Office (AUDO) leads regeneration and large-scale development in key locations for Auckland Council. They work with investors, iwi, developers, and partners, to coordinate design, planning, infrastructure, and delivery for smarter, better urban outcomes.