New project recently completed for the Land Development Engineering office in Victoria Park utilising Vienna Woods Admonter Galleria reclaimed timber. Interior Designer Stacey Mitchell, gives us details on the renovation which involved refurbishing an old night club to create a characterful office space.
The site is in the old Victoria Park Markets, the Victorian architecture lends the space great proportions, and the brick has lovely honey hues.
The surrounding area is steeped in New Zealand’s logging history, large Kauri would be cut down and floated down the harbour to Custom Street depot. The Markets themselves were built on reclaimed land.
We wanted to use reclaimed timber for the meeting room walls to reference the site’s history and sit harmoniously with the exposed heritage brick. We paired the timber with steel framed partitions and doors for an Industrial edge. We kept it dark with ceiling and floor and paid a lot of attention to spotlighting the timber to let it take centre stage.
After a long search, we used the Admonter reclaimed timber for its exquisite tonality and depth. The broad planks with their warm characterful grain, exposed knots and aged nail marks create a moodiness and contrast without looking distressed and rough. We found that only Admonter had both the sophistication and character in one.
This timber has more history than the site itself – a testament to the longevity of this endearing material.
We recently completed a successful commercial project for the ACG Sunderland Early Learning School. We were challenged in helping create a safe, non-toxic and functional environment for children to learn and grow.
It was important for the flooring to be hard-wearing and yet still beautifully natural and light.
We ended up using our Vienna Woods American Oak Pureline timber as it is of high-quality, features a reasonably straight grain and is consistent in colour and pattern. The overall result looks fantastic!
We are thrilled to have Vienna Woods Baltic Oak timber flooring throughout Auckland’s newest apartment building – The CAB Residences.
A few words from Damon Jackson, Managing Director of Vienna Woods.
“A unique feature of The CAB Residences, is the inclusion of European timber flooring that my company has been supplying and hand laying for Love & Co. You just don’t see such quality materials in many apartments. At Vienna Woods, we are a New Zealand business that shares a passion for great design, quality finishes and working with sustainable products. It’s been thrilling to see the commitment to these ideals throughout The CAB building and to be a part of it”
Amazing team effort from The CAB Auckland, Love & Co and Josephine Design.
Project at a Glance
Quick answer: Vienna Woods supplied and installed more than 700m² of wide long-plank engineered European oak across the CAB Residences in Auckland CBD — a Category A heritage conversion of Auckland’s first skyscraper. The specification was non-negotiable on European-made FSC-certified oak; we matched it with Admonter, staged the install across the residences, and finished the project with subtle bevels and multiple colour archetypes to suit the apartment mix.
Spec
Detail
Building
The CAB (former Auckland City Council building), Greys Avenue, Auckland CBD — Category A heritage
Building history
Auckland’s first skyscraper, completed 1966; offices overlooking Aotea Square; converted to residential by Love and Co
Developer
Love and Co (John Love)
Interior designer
Josephine Design / Josephine Love
Floor area supplied
700m²+ across multiple residences
Spec
Wide long-plank engineered European oak, subtle bevels, multiple colour archetypes
Supplier
Admonter (FSC chain-of-custody certified)
Installer
Vienna Woods install team — staged across residences
Why the Specification Was European Oak, Not Just “Oak”
Love and Co briefed the floor as a defining material across the CAB. Two requirements ruled out most of the market:
European oak species, not Asian or American. European oak grows slowly in colder climates; the rings are tighter, the colour holds more depth, and the grain photographs the way the renders promised. Asian-sourced oak (even when it’s still European oak species, milled into engineered boards offshore) wasn’t off the table — but the species and grade had to be unambiguous.
FSC Chain of Custody traceability. A Category A heritage conversion at scale draws Green Star and council scrutiny; chain-of-custody isn’t optional. Admonter is FSC certified end-to-end, which made the documentation track easy rather than a scramble at PS3 stage.
Consistency across 700m² and staged delivery. Multiple apartments, multiple colour archetypes, sequenced fit-out over months. The boards from batch to batch had to match within the colour archetypes regardless of when each apartment came through. Admonter’s batch consistency held.
European oak isn’t an aesthetic preference here. It’s a technical decision driven by traceability, batch consistency, and the heritage status of the building.
Specifying Wide Long Plank in a 1966 Heritage Building
Wide plank reads differently in a heritage interior than in new build. The CAB’s room geometry — long, narrow, original concrete subfloors, period-deep ceilings — wanted boards that ran with the room rather than against it. We specified:
Plank width 180–220mm. Anywhere wider than 220mm starts to fight original mid-century proportions. Anywhere narrower than 180mm dilutes the wide-plank brief. 190mm became the working median.
Plank length 1,800–2,400mm. Long-plank format. Heritage rooms in the CAB have generous lengths that swallow short boards visually; long planks let the figure run unbroken across the space.
Engineered construction, 14mm board / 4mm wear layer. Solid was never on the table — Auckland CBD humidity swings + UFH compatibility + a concrete subfloor on a 1966 slab made engineered the only credible spec.
Subtle bevels, not heavy V-grooves. The brief wanted boards to read as a continuous floor, not as visible planks. Soft micro-bevels gave the edge definition without the trip-hazard look.
Multiple colour archetypes, not a single floor. Different apartments wanted different temperatures — light/natural for some, mid-tone for others. We specified three archetypes from the Admonter range so colour selection per apartment didn’t break consistency within the archetype.
The combination — wide, long, engineered, soft-bevel, multi-archetype — is roughly twice the planning effort of a single-spec residential floor. It’s also roughly twice the photographic payoff.
Install Approach — Staged Across Months, Not One Drop
700m² split across multiple residences with the building’s fit-out sequenced — apartments completed in waves rather than en bloc. We staged the install to match:
Glue-down system to concrete — the only sensible choice over a 1966 slab. Floating wasn’t an option for the acoustic spec and would have read wrong against the building mass.
Acoustic underlay (Mapesonic-class glue-down system) — the spec required impact noise attenuation between residences. Glue-down acoustic underlay added ~$50/m² to the supply cost and earned its keep at PS3.
Subfloor moisture and flatness testing before each apartment — a 1966 concrete slab varies. Each apartment was tested fresh and remediated as needed before boards went down.
Staged delivery from Admonter — apartments completing in waves means board stock arriving in waves too. We managed the order book against the Love and Co programme rather than dropping the full 700m² on site.
Site protection through trades — wide-plank European oak going down before final trades complete is unforgiving. Protection film + plywood overlay through painters, joiners, sparkies, and final clean.
What This Project Confirmed
Three things from the CAB sit at the centre of how Vienna Woods now specs commercial timber flooring:
FSC traceability isn’t a nice-to-have at this scale. The documentation track from forest to apartment closed cleanly because Admonter is end-to-end certified. If we’d had to assemble that paper trail across a non-certified supplier, the project would have cost months of compliance time. Read more on FSC chain-of-custody.
Engineered construction belongs in heritage conversions. A 60-year-old concrete slab, modern UFH, multiple residences, acoustic compliance — these are exactly the conditions engineered was built for. Specifying solid here would have failed the PS3 review and the first humidity swing. See engineered vs solid for the full case.
Wide long plank survives the move from render to reality. The Josephine Design renders showed long, continuous boards reading as a single material. The 180–220mm × 1,800–2,400mm spec delivered that without the visual breaks short boards introduce. More on wide-plank specification.
The brief framing — European-made, FSC-certified, multiple archetypes, staged install — is now the working template for every commercial fit-out at this scale that comes through Vienna Woods.
CAB Residences Project FAQ
What timber flooring was used at the CAB Residences?
Vienna Woods supplied more than 700m² of wide long-plank engineered European oak from the Admonter range. Plank widths 180–220mm, lengths 1,800–2,400mm, soft micro-bevels, FSC chain-of-custody certified, glue-down to original 1966 concrete subfloor with acoustic underlay.
Why was European oak specified rather than another species?
Three reasons. The CAB is a Category A heritage building so FSC chain-of-custody documentation was required; Admonter’s certification closed that out cleanly. European oak species (slow-grown, tight grain) holds colour and figure across batches, which mattered for 700m² of staged delivery. And the rendered apartment palette assumed European oak — substituting would have changed how the floors photographed.
Why engineered instead of solid timber?
The building is a 1966 concrete slab with modern UFH and modern acoustic compliance between residences. Solid timber over a concrete slab in CBD humidity conditions would cup and gap within a season; over UFH it would fail outright. Engineered European oak — multi-ply core, 4mm wear layer — handles all three conditions without compromise.
How was the floor installed across multiple residences?
Glue-down system to the original concrete slab, over a Mapesonic-class acoustic underlay. Each apartment was moisture-tested and remediated before install. Board stock was delivered in waves matched to the Love and Co fit-out programme rather than dropped en bloc. Site protection (film plus plywood overlay) through subsequent trades.
Who designed and developed the CAB Residences?
Love and Co (John Love) developed the building, converting Auckland’s first skyscraper — completed 1966 as Auckland City Council offices overlooking Aotea Square — into residential apartments. Interior design was Josephine Design (Josephine Love). Vienna Woods supplied and installed the timber flooring.
What did the floor cost per square metre?
Project-specific commercial pricing isn’t published here, but the spec sits in our premium European tier — typically $220–$320+/m² supply for the engineered European oak, plus $85–$110/m² glue-down installation, plus ~$50/m² acoustic underlay. For pricing on a comparable project, see our 2026 timber flooring cost guide or request a specifier quote.
Specifying timber flooring for a commercial or heritage project?
Vienna Woods has been supplying engineered European oak to Auckland architects, designers, and developers since 2009. FSC chain-of-custody, MasterSpec listed, NZBC-compliant acoustic data on file, CPD presentations available.
Before its opening, the Park Hyatt approached Vienna Woods because it required trusted flooring experts who would deliver an exceptional product.
As a result, Auckland’s newest waterfront luxury hotel, now features Vienna Woods’ American Walnut flooring in key areas throughout the entire building including the impressive Presidential Suite and Captain’s Bar.
Walnut’s refined tone compliments the Park Hyatt’s modern, minimalistic aesthetic which in turn creates warm and welcoming spaces for guests to enjoy. This hardwood flooring helps bring the concept of ‘natural luxury’ to life, with its superior craftmanship, quality and design.
Inspired by New Zealand’s history, the Park Hyatt incorporates nods to Maori culture. The interiors all feature heritage details like custom-made tukutuku screens, traditional Maori artwork and textiles made from local wood. It was therefore imperative that all design elements subtly enhanced this rich heritage without compromising on quality.
American Walnut’s natural appearance and durability does just this. It not only helps elevate the space, but it will stand the test of time and look good doing it.
Baltic Wood Oak Cashmere has been used in this Riverbanks commercial project and Riverbanks Lane restaurant in Hamilton.
Designed by award-winning Hamilton architect Edwards White, Riverbank Lane is a bustling community that is home to some of Hamilton’s finest retail stores, cafes and eateries.
Oak Cashmere was chosen for this project for its warm neutral tones and natural character. A very natural looking floor featuring a light beige colour and rustic grade of oak with black filler in open knots.
The square edge board provides a very subtle appearance where the boards join, mimicking the appearance of solid oak flooring.
