Q Building receives regional NSW’s first 6 Star Green Star Certification

The recently completed University of Newcastle’s Q Building has successfully been awarded a 6 Star Green Star rating, representing world leadership in sustainability.

Facilitated by the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), this certification represents sustainability across all elements of the project, including resource efficiency, environmental and social issues while contributing significantly towards the Newcastle community.

This $25 million landmark project delivers the first stage of the University’s new Honeysuckle City Campus.  Completed in June 2021, the project consisted of the design and construct of a new four-storey building which houses the Integrated Innovation Network (I2N), and provides facilities to the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences (HCISS). The building focuses on flexibility in collaborative teaching and learning spaces while embodying a design to create a ‘stage within the city’.

Professor Alex Zelinsky, Vice Chancellor at the University of Newcastle commented, “This is a wonderful achievement for our university – it shows our commitment to sustainability, and is evidence we are embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on energy and carbon use, and waste and recycling”.

“The University of Newcastle’s Q Building is a brilliant, world-leading example of how Green Star can be applied within the education sector and is testimony to the University’s commitment to sustainability. This is the first certified 6 Star Green Star – Design and As Built project in regional NSW and with innovation at its core from the outset, it certainly sets the benchmark for future developments of this kind,” said Davina Rooney, CEO of GBCA.

The 3,200m2 building incorporates innovative design and sustainability measures to minimise environmental impacts. This includes mass timber construction throughout the building to reduce embodied carbon and outdoor seating created from the University’s soft plastics recycling scheme, as well as Sage electrochromic glass façade to increase energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

“Hansen Yuncken is extremely proud to have delivered this landmark project for the Newcastle region. Continuing our longstanding relationship with the University of Newcastle, working together to combine innovation and sustainability and achieve an exceptional outcome on this state of the art educational facility for their students has been a really enjoyable experience”, said Hansen Yuncken Project Manager Jonathan Russell.

At HY, we strive for operational excellence in design, construction, and sustainability in all our projects. With over 20 projects successfully delivered for the University of Newcastle to date, this project is one of many that offers a sophisticated design and aligns with the university’s sustainability commitments of being carbon neutral by 2025.

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