High Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) levels have not only proven time and time again to maximize the potential of productivity; they have also been shown to increase the health and wellbeing of workers, offering greater workplace incentive.
These benefits come in addition to the strong environmental perks from developments boasting high IEQ.
With that in mind, it follows that a building that has achieved record-breaking green results would stand as the benchmark for office developments, particularly in terms of its interior design, as is the case with Stockland’s Western Australian headquarters. The site has just received the state’s first ever trio of Green Star ratings as accredited by the Green Building Council of Australia.
Gaining just one Green Star accreditation is enough to allow any Australian building to tout its green capabilities, but with three ratings for the site’s design and construction, this particular development at 2 Victoria Avenue in Perth truly goes above and beyond expectations.
The three ratings achieved include a 5 Star Green Star – Interiors v1.1 rating for the interior fit-out, a 5 Star Green Star – Office As Built v2 rating and a 6 Star Green Star – Office Design v2 rating accredited to the building as a whole.
In addition to becoming the first Western Australian development to gain a trio of Green Star Ratings, the building is also the first and only in the state to gain an As Built rating.
“Victoria Avenue is also the first and only building to achieve a Green Star – As Built rating in WA, which demonstrates that the design intention was achieved during the construction phase,” says Stockland’s environmental sustainability manager Greg Johnson.
Interior elements that have led to the high green rating include the implementation of low VOC interior materials including carpets and paints, an intelligent lighting control system that includes motion sensors, sub-metering and energy monitoring, water efficiency features and waste recycling.
Looking at the building’s exterior, architects have based the design on solar orientation principles and incorporated an automatic louvre system on the building’s western façade to eliminate excess solar gain. A chilled beam air conditioning system has also been incorporated to tackle the hot WA summer climate.
According to GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew, the development is a strong example of new standards in office building developments.
“In achieving the ‘trifecta’ of building ratings, the Victoria Avenue offices have set a new benchmark for sustainable design, construction and interiors, and we commend Stockland for its long-term commitment to more efficient, productive and sustainable buildings,” Madew says.
Office workers and industry members alike know that new standard has been set, and work will be done to meet this high standard in the future.
