The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) recently awarded Hassell’s Dandenong state government office building with six stars in its Green Star rating system – the highest sustainability rating available from the GBCA.
The office building, being developed and built by Grocon, is part of the VicUrban Revitalising Central Dandenong urban renewal initiative and brings together four different state government departments. Fourteen thousand square metres of open-plan office space is linked by naturally ventilated atria and a landscaped roof terrace. Energy consumption is further reduced through the use of an underfloor air distribution system that provides healthy air quality for staff. Frit elements on the external glazing act as a veil to reduce the heat load and glare while still allowing natural light into the interior. Hassell’s initiative to use bushfire-affected timber, sourced from trees destroyed during the 2009 Victorian bushfires, has perhaps cemented the project as a benchmark for sustainable design.
The building is due to be completed at the end of 2011.
