The Birkenstock Australia HQ succinctly translates the brand’s core values into a spatial experience. Intuitively illustrating Birkenstock's commitment to quality, craftsmanship, sustainability, honesty and integrity, the heritage building encompasses a variety of spaces – retail, e-tail, wholesale, offices and showrooms, workshop and a warehouse.

Creating a green and sustainable experience within an existing building is far more difficult than in a newly built space, but Melbourne Design Studios have tackled the challenges head on, giving careful consideration to each element.

From the outset, environmentally sustainable design was the key focus of the team. This led to the decision to spend a lot of the budget on sustainability measures, rather than on associated certifications, allowing them to launch more initiatives than would otherwise have been possible.

Reusing and exposing as much of the heritage structure as possible while improving the thermal efficiency of the building envelope were some of the main strategies.

Designed so that the heating/cooling system does not have to be switched on for the vast majority of the year, the Birkenstock HQ now has a carbon neutral ensemble, and features both passive and active ESD systems such as indoor planting, daylight strategies, and added thermal mass.

Office looking North

INITIATIVES

  • Spaces have been designed with maximised daylight usage and minimised need for artificial lighting
  • Because of the vast number of heat generating equipment (retail lighting, office computers etc), the main concern was how to deal with excess heat. The architects developed a new north-facing shopfront display as a double façade with two layers of operable glazing. Adapting to climate conditions, the outer layer can be opened while the inner façade remains shaded. The façade can be fully opened or closed to act like a greenhouse too
  • Periscope-like highlights allow natural southern daylight deep into the building directly where it is needed, above the desk. This south light eliminates glare and substantially reduces the need for artificial lighting
  • Highlight windows are operable so that the little periscopes act as thermal chimney in summer, flushing out hot air over the night
  • North facing back of the ‘periscopes’ hold Photovoltaics and Solar HWS
  • PV and Solar Hot Water produce energy on site
  • Water is being harvested in the central courtyard and re-used for toilets, as well as for internal and external irrigation
  • Water efficient and energy efficient appliances have been used throughout the project. Taps are 6 star WELS rated
  • Heating and cooling is provided via a VFR System with Energy Recovery, allowing for heat to be reused and distributed, and different areas of the building to be zoned and treated individually
  • Natural cross ventilation and low energy ceiling fans also work to reduce the need for air conditioning substantially
  • The living grass floor in the shop front, a deciduous tree within the retail, and carefully selected and researched plants everywhere act as ‘air purifiers’
  • While materials have been generally selected as low VOC, any remaining unwanted emissions get filtered and cleansed by the plants, thus improving indoor air quality

Workshop Entry

  • Recycled timber sleepers are used in the central courtyard, while natural materials like sustainably forested sugar gum timbers from a local cooperative in country Victoria are used for facades and internal finishes
  • Brick pavers were taken up and reused for walls
  • Some products (eg Ecotop and Comcork) include additional recycled content

Images: Peter Clarke Photography