Australia’s newest automotive terminal located in Melbourne has been awarded the highest sustainability rating by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) for exceeding all environmental goals.
The Plus Architecture-designed Melbourne International RoRo & Automotive Terminal (MIRRAT) received a 6 Star Green Star – Office as Built V3 rating from the GBCA. A significant milestone, the award comes in addition to the ‘Excellent’ rating received by the project from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) for design and construction. This makes MIRRAT one of only two facilities in Australia to hold both the GBCA’s 6 Star rating and the ISCA’s ‘Excellent’ accreditation.
Observing that the 6 Star Green Star rating represents world leadership in sustainable construction, and follows an earlier 6 Star rating for sustainable design, GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew adds that the achievement confirms MIRRAT’s sustainability design intentions have been achieved in construction.
Opened as part of the Webb Dock West redevelopment earlier this year, the three-storey MIRRAT terminal functions as the facility’s command and operations centre.
MIRRAT is one of only two facilities in Australia to hold both the GBCA’s 6 Star rating and the ISCA’s ‘Excellent’ accreditation
Designed and constructed by CPB Contractors, Arcadis, Worley Parsons and Plus Architecture, the MIRRAT facility will achieve an overall reduction in emissions of 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over its lifecycle when compared to similar-sized traditional facilities.
Responsible for both MIRRAT’s architecture and interior design, Plus Architecture’s objective was consistent with WWL’s Castor Green Terminal Concept and long-term corporate commitment to extending its Zero Carbon Emissions ambition to port and land activities.
LED lighting and extensive natural lighting are only two of the building's key sustainability features
Plus Director, Ian Briggs explained that the vision for the WWL Melbourne International RoRo Terminal was to create a leading edge triple bottom line automotive terminal that would be able to meet the logistics requirements of the future. He adds that the goal is to create a Smart terminal and processing centre that works to minimise the environmental impact of port based operations by improving efficiency and investing in innovative technology at local, regional, national and international levels.
Key sustainability features include LED lighting installed throughout the building, use of a Remote Area Power System (RAPS) during construction, natural lighting across the majority of floor areas, and reduced cement content in concrete used throughout the building.
Images: supplied
