Significant Projects and Innovation
5 star tenancy
Prospective tenants of Investa buildings can now lease accommodation knowing that the building blocks for a highly energy-efficient tenancy are already in place. Lighting typically represents 60% of a tenant's electricity consumption. It therefore presents the largest opportunity for energy savings. To help reduce our prospective tenants' environmental impact and cost of occupancy, Investa is now installing to all vacant office space available for lease:
- high-efficiency low-glare general office lighting; and
- occupancy-based lighting controls which will ensure that lights are turned off when not required, provide daylight linking, and be able to switch off supplementary air conditioning units when not in use.
This initiative enables new tenants to sign up to an Investa Greenhouse Guarantee with the majority of the work already completed.
An energy efficient tenancy can be up to $15/m2 per year cheaper to operate than a typical office.
Green Star Industrial
Investa is a gold sponsor of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA)'s forthcoming Green Star – Industrial rating tool. In addition to our financial contribution, we have also been contributing industrial development expertise to the tool's Technical Working Group. The Green Star – Industrial tool will cover the same environmental impacts as the Green Star Office tool, but has been significantly modified for the challenges of industrial subdivisions and buildings. Investa has also expressed interest in having the construction of a new warehousing, manufacturing and distribution facility at Ironbark in Western Sydney assessed as a pilot project. If suitable to the GBCA, this development will be the first in Australia to be assessed under the new tool. The industrial rating tool is to be launched in July/August 2008.
A range of Clarendon staff have undertaken sustainability training over the past year. Fifty-one sales, tender, contract and colour staff in NSW and Queensland undertook training about the Your Home Buyer's Guide. The interactive training introduced staff to the Guide and the rationales for addressing sustainability at point of sale. A second module included exercises in advising clients on environmentally preferred house design and features. The training program was evaluated very positively by staff and was characterised by a high degree of energy. The training modules are available to any other building company or developer who wishes to use them, in line with Clarendon's policy of making the Your Home Buyer's Guide available to the project home industry.
Twenty nine Clarendon design and drafting staff in NSW and Queensland undertook thermal performance training in 2007. The training covered the principles of thermal comfort, effective strategies for achieving the desired thermal performance in a given climate and innovative use of materials and design. Clarendon was the first builder to receive this training under a pilot arrangement with the Queensland Building Designers Association. The course was well received by Clarendon staff and several staff will undertake more advanced training in 2008.
Lighting project for display homes
Lighting plays a significant role in determining the experience of our clients and potential clients when visiting Clarendon display homes. It affects their level of comfort, their perception of the design and their judgment of the aesthetics of our homes. Importantly, if not done well, it also uses significant amounts of electricity every year and increases the cooling loads of these homes and therefore the air conditioner size and electricity use. Lighting experts Steensen Varming have been contracted to prepare lighting designs for several new Clarendon display homes in Victoria and NSW. Steensen Varming are examining opportunities to differentiate the experience of our display homes through lighting design, while at the same time reducing electricity use. In addition, lighting sensors are being installed as an energy efficiency measure in new display homes from mid-2008.
40 Mount Street
Investa's new development at 40 Mount Street, North Sydney is aiming for a minimum 5 star ABGR and 5 star Green Star with an aspirational 6 star Green Star target. Ark will be highly efficient in both water and energy compared with a conventional office building. It will include a greywater recycling system that will capture and store for reuse rainwater from the roof, stormwater, fire sprinkler test water and condensate water from air conditioning.
A tri-generation plant (using reticulated natural gas to fuel engines attached to absorption chillers) will supply the building's electricity and is expected to export 600-800kW per day back to the grid. As well as electricity, the trigeneration process produces hot water and chilled water (for air conditioning). A 3D Building Information Model is being developed which will combine all the design-asbuilt information about the architecture, services and fitouts in the building. This will allow for both efficient construction (eg. preventing clashing services) and operation (eg. allowing for easy replacement of defective items).
1 Richard Johnson Square
Investa recently submitted a Stage 2 Development Application for the construction of an iconic new office tower in Sydney's CBD. 1 Richard Johnson Square will replace the obsolete buildings currently located at 33 Bligh St and 26 O'Connell St. When completed it is expected to stand 205 metres tall making it the fourth tallest building in Sydney.
Beyond the building's striking almost completely transparent glass façade and 45 metre high atrium will be a suite of environmental features such as 100 percent fresh air supplied via an underfloor distribution system for enhanced indoor environment quality, a windfarm integrated into the architectural roof feature, black-water recycling, a trigeneration plant and an integrated façade cavity ventilation system. The building will also incorporate the latest energy and water efficiency features which will help to ensure it sets usage intensity standards not before seen in an Australian premium office development.