Situated on the gateway of Great Ocean Road, the RACV in Torquay is the club’s first five-star resort facility.
The resort offers a range of facilities for members including a 92-room hotel, underground car park, an 18 hole golf course, indoor swimming pool, day spa, gymnasium, restaurant, conference facilities as well as bar and lounge areas.
Realised by Wood Marsh Architecture, the RACV Resort has been designed using sustainable principles as an integral part of the project.
The extensive use of stabilised rammed earth and concrete screeds within the walls creates high thermal mass, significantly reducing thermal swings - improving thermal comfort for users and reducing peak cooling loads.
Passive thermal heating principles such as insulation, solar shading, insulated glazing and open-able windows, have also been applied; relieving the need for excess auxiliary air conditioning.
Upon completion, the RACV Resort received a performance rating that was 25 percent higher than current Section J requirements, an internal target established by the Wood Marsh Architecture team at the commencement of the project.
KEY INITIATIVES
- Locally sourced, stabilised rammed earth walls with 11 percent recycled concrete
- Double glazed windows with high performance coatings
- Added concrete screeds for high thermal mass
- LED lighting and lighting sensors for energy-efficiency
- Economy-cycle operation to maximise free cooling from the sea and to improve indoor air quality
- Rainwater collection and treatment systems are implemented for the irrigation of the gold course, including establishing dams across the course
- Sea-facing spaces are maximised for natural lighting and ventilation, with perimeter daylight dimming and automatic sensors for energy-saving
