The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) will make its new headquarters the most environmentally-sustainable large scale commercial office building yet to be constructed in Australia.
The new building sets new benchmarks in terms of environmentally sustainable design, with the DCCEE to move into the 20,700 sqm NewActon Nishi commercial building in Canberra immediately on its completion, scheduled for October 1, 2012.
The building’s engineers, Arup, say Nishi demonstrates the end of the design and construction of glass boxes and a transitioninto living, breathing buildings.
Nishi is the third stage of The Molonglo Group’s c$550 million NewActon development, which has already won the Canberra Medallion from the Australian Institute of Architects.
The building will use 50 per cent less energy and produce 40 per cent less carbon emission than the highest 5 Star NABERS rated building.
"This is not about 'ticking boxes' to achieve green rating points, but rather this the most sustainable building we could design at this point in time, given its specifications," says Nectar Efkarpidis, Molonglo Group director.
Nishi, which is Japanese for 'west', will include a team featuring Fender Katsalidis Architects and architect Makoto Tanijiri from Suppose Design Office in Hiroshima, Japan.
In addition to 20,700 sqm of commercial space, NewActon Nishi will consist of 250 residential apartments, shops, cafes, retail shops, and a variety of other public amenities including a landscaped atrium and multi-function communal spaces topromote community interaction.
