The Frank Fenner Building at the Australian National University (ANU) has become the first building in the ACT to achieve both 6 Star Green Star Office Design and As Built v3 ratings from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).
The building was completed by leading property and construction company Hindmarsh.
Celebrating the achievement in sustainable construction an official ceremony was held last week and attended by ACT Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development Simon Corbell, ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young AO, as well as Hindmarsh and GBCA representatives.
The Frank Fenner Building houses the Fenner School of Environment and Society, a school dedicated to integrated environmental research and training.
It is part of the $240 million ANU College of Sciences Precinct completed in 2013 for which Hindmarsh was managing contractor.
In addition to the Frank Fenner Building, the precinct also incorporates the Teaching, Chemistry, Biosciences, Wes Whitten, Hancock West and Central Plant Buildings.
Meanwhile, Canberra-based development company, GEOCON, is on track to achieve Australia’s first Green Star rating for a hotel.
Abode Woden, an adaptive reuse project, is the third hotel developed by GEOCON. The project is registered to achieve a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).
Abode Woden, which opened its doors in September 2013, is an inspiring example of how older buildings can be updated into modern, sustainable spaces, with GEOCON transforming this deserted 1970s commercial building into a fresh, modern hotel.
“Hotels previously fell outside the scope of the Green Star rating system, so we worked together to create a custom-built Green Star rating tool which enables Abode – The Apartment Hotel to join the league of Green Star leaders,” according to GBCA CEO, Romilly Madew.
The GBCA and GEOCON collaborated to identify best practice benchmarks for sustainable hotel developments, with a new Green Star – Custom rating tool the result. GEOCON now has exclusive use of this Green Star rating tool, and Abode Woden has been registered to achieve Green Star certification.
GEOCON managing director, Nick Georgalis, said truly sustainable practices can deliver dividends – from reduced operating costs and higher profit margins, to improved staff productivity and brand equity.
"Achieving a Green Star rating just makes good business sense,” he said.
Georgalis will be speaking about the making of Australia’s first targeted Green Star hotel at the Green Cities Conference in Melbourne, which is being held today and tomorrow.
For more information visit www.greencities.org.au
