Development company GEOCON is currently on the track to achieve the first Green Star rating for a hotel in Australia.
Located in Woden, South Canberra, Abode Woden is an adaptive reuse project, with GEOCON transforming the deserted 1970s commercial building into a modern hotel. It is the firm’s third hotel development.
“Hotels previously fell outside the scope of the Green Star rating system, so we worked together to create a custom-built Green Star rating tool which enables Abode – The Apartment Hotel to join the league of Green Star leaders,” says GBCA’s chief executive, Romilly Madew.
The GBCA and GEOCON collaborated to identify best practice benchmarks for sustainable hotel developments, resulting with a new Green Star – Custom Rating tool.
GEOCON now has exclusive use of this Green Star rating tool, and Abode Woden has been registered to achieve Green Star certification.
The new Abode hotel features 150 hotel rooms, conference facilities as well as a small goods store called Abode Pantry aimed at offering guests convenience while they are travelling. A new restaurant and bar will soon be added.
Where possible, materials from the original building have been re-used and re-adapted to reduce waste and costs. A number of initiatives that will have an ongoing impact on the environmental footprint left by Abode Woden have also been launched.
“We understand that truly sustainable practices can deliver dividends – from reduced operating costs and higher profit margins, to improved staff productivity and brand equity,” says Nick Georgalis, managing director of GEOCON.
“Achieving a Green Star rating just makes good business sense.”
Images: geocon.com.au
