The $62m 10-storey building (including fitout) for Melbourne City Council, completed in August 2006, was Australia’s first 6-star Green Star rated office building. Its holistic green design works to reduce energy and water consumption and create a healthier environment for council’s 540 staff who occupy the offices.
The design by the City of Melbourne and Design Inc incorporates 10 dark-coloured air extraction ducts on the northern façade that absorb heat from the sun, helping stale air inside rise up and out of the building. The yellow ducts on the south façade draw in fresh air from the roof and distribute it down through the building. Recycled timber louvres on the west façade are powered by photovoltaic roof panels and move according to the sun’s position.
The building extracts about 100,000 litres of black (toilet) water a day from the sewer in Little Collins Street, and it, along with the sewage generated on-site, is processed by a multi-water treatment plant to filter water and send solids back to the sewer. The water is treated by a micro-filtration system to create A-grade clean water suitable for all non-drinking uses, such as water cooling, plant watering and toilet flushing.
Hansen Yuncken contributed significant innovation during this project to optimise the way ESD initiatives were selected and implemented. The project team also enhanced the commissioning and handover processes of complex commercial building services.