The Christchurch Arts Centre has been a major hub for art and entertainment for Cantabrians and visitors to New Zealand alike. However, in 2010 and 2011, the Canterbury earthquake caused significant damage to the historic building. Today restoration is well underway. The centre is now open to locals and visitors, and is once again a beacon for architecture, culture and education in the Canterbury region.

Initially, the Arts Centre had a combination of old plastic hand dryers and paper towels in its amenities, resulting in increased costs from high energy consumption and high maintenance. A solution was needed as footfall will continue to increase and put further pressure on the maintenance regime and energy use. In addition, the Arts Centre wants to present its amenities with a contemporary design look and feel but one that does not conflict with its heritage roots.  

The solution for the Arts Centre was the Dyson Airblade V Quiet which was launched in October 2016. The Dyson Airblade V Quiet is 35% quieter than its predecessor and has achieved the Quiet Mark Accreditation. The Quiet Mark has been developed in response to public health concerns over the psycho-physiological effects of excessive or invasive sound produced by appliances.

The new Dyson Airblade V Quiet retains the slim, compact profile that protrudes just 10cm from the wall. It takes up less space in the washroom, with no recessing required. The unit's easy-mount backplate allows for easy, self-service installation and maintenance. This also means Dyson Airblade V Quiet complies with AS/NZ1428:1 and AS/NZ1428:2 where customers with disabilities may need more space.

The new Dyson Airblade V Quiet will continue to be rolled out across the Arts Centre as more renovations are completed, giving the Arts Centre continuity across the site, while assisting in the contemporary and modern upgrade of faculties site wide.

"The Dyson Airblade V Quiet fits all of the criteria required for the Arts Centre rebuild: long lasting, hygienic, efficient and high quality," says Craig Fitzgerald, Senior Architect, Warren and Mahoney. "They suited our contemporary design, fitting within the existing heritage fabric. The client was also impressed with the sound reduction of the latest model, while the product offered easy installation and maintenance for a complex project."

The new Dyson Airblade V Quiet costs up to 68% less to run than some other hand dryers, and up to 98% less than paper towels. It dries 24 pairs of hands for the price of a single paper towel*. And compared to its predecessor, it costs 28% less to run.