Leaders and experts from the sustainability, consulting and property management industries gathered on Monday 19 September to celebrate the launch of World Green Building Week. Sponsored by Lend Lease and hosted by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the cocktail event was held at Australia’s newest landmark sustainability offering: Commonwealth Bank Place.
One of two, eight-storey buildings, Commonwealth Bank Place, fronts Harbour Street and will eventually be the workplace of some 6,000 employees currently spread across several buildings. The stunning building is part of the new $500 million Darling Quarter precinct and the result of partnership between Lend Lease and the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA).
Head of development for Lend Lease, David Rolls said delivering environmental sustainability was a key consideration in the planning and design of the buildings. Recently awarded a 6-star green star v2 Office Design rating from the GBCA, the building could be seen as a benchmark in sustainability design for years to come.
“New innovation in green technologies and creative design has helped us to deliver projects which we never thought possible; however, to achieve even greater sustainability outcomes we need to believe that it is possible to combine strong economic performance with enhanced environmental outcomes and progressive social inclusion and community wellbeing. We don’t need to trade one off for the other,” Rolls said.
Maria Atkinson, group head of sustainability at Lend Lease, told attendees at the launch they should celebrate the achievements of the buildings and be proud of their involvement in the development of it.
“The investors, designers, specifiers, lawyers, project and development managers, the sub contractors, trades, suppliers and consultants should be proud of this precinct and the achievements of these buildings.”
Some of the environmental windfalls of the building are that approximately 605 cars will be taken off the roads reducing carbon emissions for the area by 2,500 tonnes; the indoor air quality consists of continuous 100 per cent clean air; the use of glass and open design allows for an abundance of natural daylight to stream into the space; it houses its own trigeneration plant that generates its own electricity, heat and cooling with less carbon than Sydney’s traditional energy grid; treated blackwater sourced from local sewer is reused for toilet flushing and cooling tower water supplies; chilled beam technology throughout office areas, and almost 80 per cent of on-site construction waste was recycled.
“The Green Building Council of Australia has transformed the new building market beyond the expectations of its original founding group – and I acknowledge the management team who continue this legacy for change – and I look forward to similarly celebrating World Green Building Council’s role in transforming the existing building space,” Atkinson concluded.