First NABERS embodied carbon rating awarded
A warehouse within The YARDS industrial estate in Western Sydney’s Kemps Creek, has become the first official building to be awarded the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS)’s embodied carbon rating. The new tool is designed to measure “hidden emissions” created during construction, such as manufacturing building materials, transport, site energy use and waste, to strengthen the credibility of projects that have “genuinely reduced their construction emissions.”
The warehouse, which is due to house the pharmaceutical company Probiotec Multipack’s facility, was designed to meet the new rating as part of its pilot. The rating tool says developers Frasers Property Industrial and Aware Real Estate, and builders Mainbrace Constructions, implemented innovative approaches to drive down embodied carbon. These include using materials with environmental product declarations (EPDs) to ensure low carbon products are being used and collecting on-site construction data to track the carbon of all materials being delivered.
The rating tool says this would provide a clear competitive advantage in tenders and leasing, as government and corporate clients are increasingly seeking low-carbon buildings.
EVs and chargers get a boost
The NSW government has committed $39 million to increase EV charging services through round four of its EV fast charging grants program. The government hopes it will incentivise private operators to co-fund fast charging stations around the state, now with emphasis on installing units in regional and remote areas to close gaps and target “blackspots”. The state government is offering to fund up to 90 per cent of the installation cost plus several years of operating expenses to incentivise more chargers in – especially in western NSW.
Also in the news is EV charging provider JET Charge, which, along with furniture retailer IKEA, has completed what it claims is Australia’s biggest electric delivery vehicles charging network. This includes 59 chargers across seven sites across the nation, with more than 100 delivery vehicles in its fleet utilising these chargers. Currently, 83 per cent of the retailers’ deliveries are delivered by zero emission vehicles, and it estimates it will reach 90 per cent by the end of the year.
Diesel trains could become electric hybrids
Melbourne based Alta Technology said it had made several advancements in its battery electric tender system, which can be “plugged in” to a diesel train to transform it into an electric hybrid train.
One of these trains will “hit the tracks” as soon as next year in Western Australia, in a trial with Aurizon, one of Australia’s largest rail freight operators. The system requires minimal driver intervention, while being more efficient, lower emission and can be built and deployed in 12 months, which is up to 10 years faster than other electric alternatives, the company said.
Jobs and industry
Lifestyle dataset provider Neighbourlytics has been acquired by online real estate advertisers REA Group. The platform gathers information such as foot traffic patterns and visitor trends to popular businesses, amenities, lifestyle personalities and hotspots.
Perth architecture firm Carabiner has joined Architectus, allowing the architects to expand their operations in Western Australia. The practice has spent more than 30 years delivering public architecture, such as community recreation facilities, sports centres, learning facilities and major health projects.
Tessa Guastavino has been appointed as director and regional lead of Victoria for engineering consultancy ADP. Guastavino was previously operations manager at AECOM and had also been a project director at BESIX Watpac.
Associate Professor Laurence Troy has been appointed head of urbanism at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Troy is well known by the industry, including in his role as the research centre director representing the University of Sydney at the Australian Housing Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
Highlights of Norman Foster’s 60 year career now on exhibition in Sydney
Architects Foster + Partners has opened its first exhibition in Australia to showcase over 35 models of key projects from its founder and renowned architect, Norman Foster, over his 60-year career.
Foster, also known as Lord Baron Foster of Thames Bank, founded the architecture firm in 1967 and has been credited with being closely associated and inspired by high-tech architecture, also known as structural expressionism.
The exhibit will be on until 21 December.
Here’s a glimpse of what you can see at the exhibition.
