This commercial high-rise set a new benchmark for its building type. Meticulous attention to detail delivered a world-leading example of environmentally sustainable design (ESD), demonstrating innovation and new levels of efficiency and design technology.
DESIGN DESCRIPTION
The building is designed to meet three critical considerations: the view, the public space and the work environment.
The elliptical form aligns with the city grid to the north and is oriented to the harbour, maximising views from within the office spaces. It is 12 per cent more efficient than a rectangular building in facade to floor area and allows greater natural light penetration. The structure delivers consistent large floor plates of up to 1,600sqm. The reduced building footprint allowed the creation of a significant new public space for Sydney, including deep soil landscaping. Forty per cent of office space is within 4.5 metres of the facade with 1,000 sqm contiguous column-free space enabling office layout flexibility.
The major innovation in ESD is the fully glazed double skin façade with ventilated cavity and automated venetian blind system. It provides shading for the building while maximising views to the harbour and optimising daylight levels. A naturally ventilated glass atrium ascends the full 130 metre height of the building, providing transparency and fresh air to every floor.
Solar thermal collectors inject high temperature energy into a cooling system that provides enough energy to allow 100 per cent more fresh air to be pumped through the building without any additional running costs. The solar cooling system feeds into a tri-generation system that provides free cooling and heating to the building, minimising strain on the CBD grid infrastructure.
A black water recycling system - the first in a Sydney CBD tower - reduces water consumption by providing clean water for the washroom flushing system.
Australia's largest green wall, a 9.7m high vertical garden, features on the ground floor level, which is irrigated by recycled rain water, as are the decorative plantings spread throughout the building, from the rooftop terrace to the open transfer floor and down to the ground plane.
Other ESD innovations include the use of state-of-the-art water efficient fittings, along with fire system water reuse throughout.
A specially formulated high strength concrete and the column design reduced the amount of concrete used, while all timber used for decking is FSC certified. Recycled timber is used, while 40 per cent of concrete is recycled and 90 per cent of steel has a recycled content greater than 50 per cent. Of the PVC type products, 80 per cent were replaced with non-PVC materials.
Sustainability was considered and addressed for all stages of the building life, reducing the impact of demolition, construction practices and materials, improving operational resource efficiency and minimising the impacts of deconstruction. Extensive modelling was undertaken to support the operational efficiency of the design, including daylight and glare modelling of the façade, thermal comfort modelling of occupied spaces, energy and GHG modelling and air flow modelling of the conditioned spaces as well as the full-height atrium.
Automated systems use façade and roof-mounted weather sensors to respond immediately to climatic changes, from the sun-tracking blinds that reject direct solar heat gains and minimise HVAC loads, to the rain, wind and temperature sensors in the atrium that control the glass louvres so that the entire atrium can be naturally ventilated and maintain comfort levels using only waste heat from the cogeneration and spill air from the offices.
All contribute to the 6 Star Green Star 'Design' and 'Built' ratings, and the highest Green Star score to be awarded in NSW. With the building in operation, ongoing monitoring and verification is taking place to ensure that the building operates as planned.
ACCOLADES
International High-rise Award 2012
RAIA (NSW) Sir Arthur G. Stephenson Award, Commercial Architecture 2012
RAIA (NSW) Milo Dunphy Award, Sustainable Architecture 2012
RAIA (NSW) Urban Design, Architecture Award 2012
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2012
UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence Retail/Commercial Development 2011
Asia Pacific International Property Awards Highly Commended, Office Architecture + Office Development 2011
Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award 2008
DEXUS/City of Sydney design competition winner
PRODUCTS
DOUBLE SKIN FACADE
G JAMES
ATRIUM GLASS
SHARVAIN PROJECTS
CONCRETE
BETOCARE
LIFTS
OTIS ELEVATOR CO, CUSTOM DESIGNED
CARPET INTERFACE
FLOR EQUILIBRIUM II
SPECIALIST JOINERY
H DALLAS INDUSTRIES
WINTERGARDEN PAVING
AUSTRAL BRICKS
PUBLIC STEPS & PAVING
AUSTRAL BRICKS
CONCRETE FINISH
BETOCARE
PALMS & TREES
LIVISTONA AUSTRALIS
BANKSIA INTEGRIFOLIA
FACADE BLIND SYSTEM
HORISO
LEVEL 15 FEATURE CEILING
TUBELINE
CHILDCARE MESH CURTAIN
PROMESH
BATHROOMS
CAROMA
CAFE SEATING
SHELL CHAIR
CAFE TABLES
CAFÉ CULTURE
LOBBY CHAIRS
DEDECE
GREEN WALL
FYTOGREEN SELECTED PLANT SPECIES
