Australia’s first carbon-neutral building, Pixel, an office building in Melbourne’s inner north, has received the world’s highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the US Green Building Council.
LEED is a system developed by the US Green Building Council for certifying the greenest buildings in the world, and provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Pixel surpassed 44,000 buildings in 120 countries that have used the LEED rating system and scored 105 points out of a possible 110 points to become the highest-scoring building to be assessed.
Studio 505 collaborated with sustainability consultants Umow Lai and construction company Grocon to create Pixel. It features a variety of sustainable design technologies including wind turbines and solar panels. A striking facade made of recycled coloured panels allows maximum daylight, shade, views and glare control for the building’s users. These panels are supported by spandrels which create shading. Grey water treatment and greenery is provided for every floor of the building.
As a prototype, the building enables an analysis of the ongoing implications of new technologies in the commercial building sector.
Umow Lai’s Shane Esmore said Grocon and Umow Lai intend to apply some of the technology used in the building to future developments. The two companies have already begun another carbon-neutral building in Sydney, Legion House, and are seeking to break further ground in sustainable building design.
This LEED rating follows the building’s perfect score from the Green Building Council of Australia.
