Site visits

RMIT Building 1 - Francis Ormond Building

Address: 124 La Trobe St, Melbourne
Access via public transport: via train to Melbourne Central Station; via tram along Swanston St.
For more information and to plan your journey go to metlink

The Francis Ormond Building project worked with the limitations of a historic building to deliver a highly ecologically sustainable building with significantly improved space design. The result is a highly efficient building which was achieved without making slash-and-burn style changes. Energy efficient measures include shared energy system, active chilled beams and under floor heating. The occupant spaces are open, connected and provide good daylight access while maintaining the historic integrity.

Please meet at the statue of Francis Ormond, cnr La Trobe and Bowen Streets.

Brod Street House

Address: 39 Smart Street, Hawthorn
Access via public transport: Hawthorn Railway Stn or 109 tram get off at Kew Tram Depot (stop 29) or 48 tram (stop 25).
For more information and to plan your journey go to metlink

Building website: http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/Sustainability.aspx

The Street family is self-sufficient for water. They are the proud owner of a home with no power bills.

Other highlights of the home include: Buried 9000 litre rainwater tanks and grey water system, an on-demand primed hot water system (saving 14000 litres of water a year), an every drop shower saver (saving 2000 litres of water a year), an efficient dishwasher (using 13 litres a load instead a 43 litres for a hand wash), hidden solar panels and passive solar heating, double-glazed windows and insulated walls.

Four separate rooftop gardens provide food (salad veggies and herbs) and local native plants for biodiversity and home insulation

The $290,000 renovation (including the architect’s fees) involved a complete rebuild beyond the front two rooms of the heritage-significant house. The Streets believe greater savings could be achieved these days due to subsidies and cost reductions of products like double-glazing.

Pixel

Address: 205 Queensberry Street, Carlton
Access via public transport: Swanston Street Trams
For more information and to plan your journey go to metlink

Building website:www.pixelbuilding.com.au

More information:Pixel, Carlton Brewery (PDF 1P 3.15MB)

This site visit is now booked out.

Grocon has started construction of the first Carbon Neutral office building of its type in Australia, and possibly the world. To be located at Grocon’s Carlton Brewery site at the top end of Swanston Street, the Pixel building will become a project office for the duration of the $1 billion urban renewal program.

According to Grocon’s CEO Daniel Grollo, its most important feature will be that it will be carbon neutral, taking it a step further than carbon zero. “Any carbon emissions used in the building’s ongoing operation will be offset by renewable energy from large photovoltaic panels on the roof, as well as wind turbines. In addition, over time Grocon will offset all of the carbon that was generated in manufacturing and installing the construction materials.”

This approach is believed to be unique in the Australian building industry.

Start of tour: 8.30 am

200 Vic is a retrofitted commercial office building, converted from an old Carlton United Breweries laboratory by Drapac. The building was largely designed to make use of natural light, with a 6 storey atrium at the centre of the building.

Woods Bagot and Aurecon sustainability consultants designed EPA’s 4 floor fit-out. It is one of the first commercial retrofit buildings in Australia aiming for a 6 Star Green Star Ratings in Office Design, As Built, and Office Interiors.

The building boasts a Tri-generation plant for on site electricity generation, heat and chilling, rainwater harvesting with 57,000L tanks stored in the basement and a rooftop heat recovery system supplying 100% outdoor air to meeting rooms.

530 Collins

Address: 530 Collins Street, Melbourne
Access via public transport: via trams on Collins Street, via train to Southern Cross Station. General bus route
For more information and to plan your journey go to metlink

Building website:www.530collinsstreet.com.au

GPT Wholesale Office Fund is proud to present a completely revitalised Premium Grade Collins Street landmark for the next generation.

Focusing on providing a future proof workspace featuring the highest quality Premium Grade Services, during 2009 a number of Capitol Works projects were undertaken which delivered a new Collins Street entrance, a major ground floor foyer redesign including retail, the installation of a new BMCS system and an Energy Performance Project (EPC) which involved the replacement of chillers, cooling towers, pumps, variable speed units and commissioning of a new Co-Generation plant. The EPC was undertaken so as to achieve a 5 Stars NABERS, a first for a 20 year old asset.

By retrofitting 530 Collins with a keen focus on reducing carbon emissions, smart tenants with an eye on energy costs and environmental performance can now benefit from new technologies, smarter control and sophisticated metering systems. 530 Collins is a leading example of this retrofit opportunity and has now positioned 530 Collins at a level only available in a new development.

The Szencorp Building

Address: 40 Albert Street, South Melbourne
Access via public transport: By tram - : St Kilda Road trams south of the CBD: Nos 3, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67, 72 – alight at Domain Interchange
For more information and to plan your journey go to metlink

Building website: www.theszencorpbuilding.com

Start of tour: 8.30 am

The Szencorp Building at 40 Albert Road in Melbourne is a recognised world-leading example of sustainable retrofitting. Completed in 2005, the building achieved global fame for cutting its energy use by an average of 65 per cent, and for achieving the highest water, energy, waste and Indoor Environment Quality ratings from NABERS given to any Australian building. It was the first retrofitted building to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating.