by jbs060710 d3 — June 9, 2010—The first commercial office building in Melbourne, Australia, to target “carbon neutrality” as its core principle—from design through construction and occupancy—has been given a green light by the Melbourne City Council.
The redevelopment of 41 Exhibition Street, the current and planned new Melbourne home of the Australian Institute of Architects, has received planning approval, with the Council stating, “this landmark development will set a new standard for green building design in Melbourne.”
The Institute says the dramatically sculpted and eye-catching new 21-story commercial building, featuring micro-retail space, an architecture gallery, architectural bookshop, industry conference spaces, four floors for the Institute and an additional 16 levels of commercial strata titled offices, is being developed as an “exemplar” in terms of design and sustainability.
Designed by award-winning architectural practice Lyons, the building will achieve a 5 Star Green Star (Office Tool version 3), with features including a high-performance façade system and active chilled beams throughout, achieving a 40 percent energy saving. It will also incorporate storage of storm water for flushing of toilets, bicycle parking, and areas for tenants’ waste management.
A total carbon assessment of the project has confirmed it will achieve carbon neutrality over the full life of the building, from design to its long-term operational life, says AIA. The assessment shows the facility will achieve a 43 percent carbon reduction through energy efficiency, waste management, transport strategies and sustainable materials; a 60 percent carbon saving by purchasing green power; and 100 percent carbon neutrality by means of carbon offsets through owners and tenants agreements.
