The new home of Woodside achieves 6 Star Green Star rating

Tower 1 Capital Square, the former site of Emu Brewery and new global headquarters for Woodside Petroleum, has received a 6 Star Green Star Office Design v3 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) — an outcome that represents world leadership in building design.

The 54,000 m² tower is based on Mounts Bay Road, Perth, as part of the broader Capital Square precinct. Project manager Norman Disney & Young (NDY) had originally designed the building to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating, but late in the process the consulting company realised a 6 Star rating was attainable, and so worked with the base building and tenant team to make this a reality.

“We have collaborated closely with the owners, architects and builders to create tailored solutions for this unique project,” said project leader and NDY senior associate Paul Bradbury.

“Being engaged for the mechanical, electrical, fire, hydraulics and vertical transportation services, together with specialised Green Star, sustainability, acoustics and fire engineering consultancy, has allowed NDY to take a holistic view of the tower — and the broader precinct — and accommodate innovative, cost-effective and sustainable long-term designs.”

GBCA CEO Romilly Madew said the outcome is the result of the project team’s commitment to innovation in sustainability. The sustainability team achieved a perfect 10 out of 10 score for ‘innovation’ and 12 out of a possible 12 for ‘management’.

“The project was awarded 10 innovation points for pioneering approaches to acoustics, lifecycle assessment and end-of-trip facilities, and has challenged the industry to meet higher benchmarks for sustainable design,” Madew said.

“We managed to score a very highly regarded total of 77 points out of 100 for the overall 6 Star result, with strong results across the ratings categories of transport, materials, energy and water,” added NDY Associate and Senior Sustainability Consultant Peta Earley.

Key sustainability initiatives included:

• abundant natural daylight accompanied with glare control devices;
• minimisation of all indoor pollutants;
• stringent targets for energy efficiency;
• highly efficient air conditioning;
• occupancy and daylight monitoring;
• highly efficient lighting solution;
• rainwater harvesting system for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation;
• water-efficient landscaping;
• highly efficient fixtures and fittings;
• re-use of fire protection system test water and sprinkler system isolation valves.

“Capital Square is one of the most significant commercial projects underway in Perth and to achieve a 6 Star rating is an outstanding result,” said Earley.

“This is the only project in Perth to have achieved a 6 Star Green Star rating for Office v3 Design and demonstrates the commitment, drive and appetite from a client that understands the long-term benefits of Green Star-rated projects.”

Tower 1 is also targeting a 5 Star Green Star – Office As Built v3 rating and a 5 star NABERS Energy rating to make it one of the most energy-efficient and highly rated buildings in Western Australia.