Perth’s QV1 office tower, home to tenants including Architectus, Clayton Utz, HSBC and CBRE, has been recognised for its ongoing sustainability improvements in operations with the 0022 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Australia Sustainability Awards.
The awards showcase sustainability initiatives, projects and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure, and recognise how design and construction techniques have been used to improve sustainability outcomes.
Designed by leading modernist architect Harry Seidler and completed in 1991, the building at 250 St Georges Terrace in the Perth CBD, scooped the award for its environment, social governance (ESG) framework that keeps continual monitoring and upgrades on the right track.
It’s a 40-storey building with landscaping internally and externally, a community garden, bee hives, and even a flock of chooks.
The building boasts a suite of environmental and wellness ratings:
- 2022 WELL Core Gold Rating
- 2021 and 2022 WELL Health Safety Rating (first building in Perth to receive this accreditation in 2021)
- 6 Star NABERS Indoor Environment Rating
- 5.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating
- 4.5 Star NABERS Water Rating
- 4 Star Green Star Performance
- 2022 Platinum and Gold Waterwise Building of the Year
- Development of ESG Strategy to Carbon Neutral/Net Zero Pathway – carbon inventory assessment complete and pending submission through Climate Active
Building engineering manager Joe D’Alessandro, who has been involved with the site for 15 years, said the award was largely due to this extensive list of ratings and performance in operations, as well as ongoing continual improvements.
“It’s great to get some recognition for what’s been done on site,” he told The Fifth Estate.
“QV1 is a perfect example of excellent form and function. It’s not only a great looking building aesthetically, but has functional floor plates to service allocations to community and recreation.”
With north-facing orientation and double glazed windows, light can penetrate deep into the floor plate in winter with sun shades to protect it during the summer.
A central plant HVAC system with floor-by-floor air handling units and 30-35 VAVs on the floor plates allow for on-demand airconditioning based on occupancy.
Ongoing refurbishments – majority of which are designed by Harry Seidler & Associates – now includes end of trip facilities, a wellness centre, basketball courts, and a childcare centre.
Refurbishment and ongoing improvements are essential, D’Alessandro said, because the pace of change in sustainability is so fast. Buildings must continually improve to keep up.
“It has good bones, but if we don’t continually keep up we’ll be left behind,” he said.
“It’s a constant journey of reinvestment and upkeep of the asset, to maintain the premium asset and future proof it along the way.
“We are aligning upgrades and maintenance to support research and science, what’s proven to be working in the market, and how to be ahead of the game.”
The building’s sustainability strategy is reviewed regularly, with support from CBRE and the building owners AXA Investment Managers Real Assets and Investa Commercial Property Fund on reinvesting and future proofing the asset.
Energy efficiency upgrades, a consistent management team, and onsite consultants are also key to what makes everything run smoothly. QED Environmental Services has been monitoring air quality in building for over 25 years, “they’re pioneers” in that space, D’Alessandro said.
Ongoing performance and fine-tuning isn’t a walk in the park. “Maintenance isn’t a tick and flick,” he says. The building has to align with performance standards, and there must be regular upgrades to BMS and energy efficiency and reporting packages. “Good data in is good data out.”
The next step of the lobby refurbishment will be to introduce seeding to landscaping internally, and extend this out to an al fresco on St Georges terrace in the streetscape.
There is already plenty of outdoor space – the north plaza has upper and lower areas for functions and events, and there is a community garden on the roof of the car park operated by Perth City Farm, with garden plots for edible plants for the retailers, bees for fresh honey, and the chickens.
Solar’s next
The next challenge for the building is solar – the team is investigating the feasibility of installing solar panels, which is uncommon for high-rise buildings due to the limited surface area.
The team is also looking at offsetting with Climate Active certified credits, developing its net zero strategy, and a plan for circular economy organic waste reuse for fertiliser in the garden.
“The drive to net zero is really interesting and exciting for existing buildings.
“There will be a lot of research and development that will uncover a lot of technology and innovations in the near future, it’s an exciting space to be in.”
The shift over the last 10 years in ratings – from NABERS, to Green Star, to WELL – has led to increased focus on occupant satisfaction and wellness, as well as what the building managers can offer in terms of amenity to encourage staff retention, he says.
“I think things will only ramp up in the future.”
