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14 September 2023

Celebrating sustainability initiatives for World Green Building Week

This week is World Green Building Week, organised by the body behind a global network of over 75 Green Building Councils dedicated to promoting sustainable built environments worldwide. 

As designers, we play a pivotal role in shaping the physical environment, carrying a responsibility to conscientiously evaluate the impact of our work. At Architectus, our projects are guided by a Sustainability and Resilience Framework – tracking sustainability initiatives across the project lifecycle. Based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our framework has three pillars: Design for Community; Regenerative Design, and Life Cycle Design.

To mark the week, we’re spotlighting three recent projects with design initiatives that exemplify our commitment to sustainability within the built environment. 

Array at 1 Eden Park Drive
Macquarie Park’s newest commercial office building, Array at 1 Eden Park Drive has been designed to achieve a 5.5 Star NABERS rating, 5 Star Green Star rating and WELL Gold certification. The project has achieved this through an integrated design approach with early adoption of holistic, whole systems thinking. The team worked collaboratively with the owner to future-proof the value of the building through embedded climate-responsive elements and features.

Read more about Array at 1 Eden Park Drive.

Thomas Dixon Centre
The vibrant home of the Queensland Ballet, the heritage-listed Thomas Dixon Centre has been revitalised into a hub for wellness, art, and performance. A contemporary addition complements the complex restoration and adaptive reuse of a former boot factory, prioritising the health and well-being of dancers, staff, and the company with restorative spaces.

Currently pursuing WELL Platinum certification, the project required the careful removal of hazardous materials from the heritage fabric and the installation of a new renewable energy system featuring 40 kW of solar power, 71 kW of solar water heating, and 50,000 litres of rainwater storage. Enhanced mechanical ventilation, with air pollutant filtration and monitoring, filtered natural light, and circadian lighting all contribute to wellness, comfort, and productivity.

Read more about Thomas Dixon Centre.

Barker College
Barker College’s Senior School Hub is a contemporary addition to the campus featuring a distinctive structural frame made from engineered timber. The new Hub is designed to connect the built environment with the natural world, creating a healthy, harmonious, and sustainable place of learning.

The extensive use of mass timber, including CLT and Glulam, reduces the building’s carbon footprint – delivering both an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable outcome. The design utilises a low embodied carbon structure, natural finishes, abundant daylight, natural ventilation, and passive heating and cooling strategies to minimise its impact on the environment.

Read more about Barker College Senior School Hub.

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The image is a designer's sketch of a multi-level schools with greenery incorporated across all levels.
Analysis
Healthy heights: bringing biophilia to vertical schools