Engineering and technical services company Aurecon has completed the fitout for its Melbourne office, gaining a 6 Star Green Star Interiors rating in the process.
The office, located at Docklands and home to some 600 staff, gained a 6 Star Green Star rating and all targeted points after just one round of assessment. It was initially targeting a 5 Star rating but the design team realised a 6 Star rating could be attained at no additional capital cost.
The fitout comprises 4.5 levels of office space equating to around 9440 square metres of net lettable area.
“We are committed to growing a sustainable business and this starts with making a concerted effort to ensure our own offices respond to the challenges that the world faces such as climate change and resource constraints,” Aurecon project director Peter Greaves said.
“The Melbourne office’s fitout confirms our support of the Green Building Council of Australia’s efforts of transforming industry and confirms our commitment to promoting sustainable development within our clients’ industries as well as within our own buildings.”
The project has focused on green design to enable staff satisfaction, and gained a Green Star innovation challenge point for “market intelligence and research” for recognition that the project team undertook a pre- and post-occupancy evaluation study of staff to measure overall impact on health, satisfaction and productivity between the old and new tenancy.
“The team put a lot of thought and planning into creating an engaging a culturally rich office space that both our staff and clients will enjoy working in,” Mr Greaves said.
“Sustainable design and development is a long-term commitment and it includes far more than choosing sustainable building materials, reducing electricity costs and high-tech engineering. People flourish when they are placed in a comfortable and stimulating environment, so focusing on green-minded design and enhancing the lives of building occupants needs to be planned for in order to achieve truly sustainable buildings.”
Key interior features include:
- a “once-past-the-face” airconditioning system to improve indoor air quality with outdoor air ventilation at twice the code requirement and individual control
- natural ventilation optimised with perimeter opening windows in meeting rooms and open office areas
- sustainable furnishings with office furniture and workstation materials with sustainable attributes and/accreditations selected
- enhanced acoustic performance with extensive acoustic treatment and insulation
- smart technology including integrated security access, a lift call system, conference call technology and meeting room booking system
Base building
Aurecon also provided base building and fitout engineering services to the building at 850 Collins Street, which gained 5 Star Green Star Office Design and As Built ratings.
Sustainability features include:
- energy efficient facade with external shading
- grey, double-glazed, low-e windows
- insulated wall panels
- high levels of daylight
- in-row cooling with a hot-aisle and cold-aisle containment system
- rainwater harvesting system
- efficient fixtures and fitting