Building owner RF CorVal have teamed up with facility managers Knight Frank to help Workzone East achieve a 6 Star NABERS energy rating.
Located at 1 Nash Street on the fringe of the Perth CBD, the building will become the second carbon-neutral building to reach this achievement, with the first one being its “sister” WorkZone West – also managed by Knight Frank.
It accommodates seven levels of office space with a total net lettable area of 12,361 square metres, a roof-level plant area, and a car parking space in the basement, providing 83 car bays – some equipped with electric chargers.
The building was built in 2013 to target a 5 Star Green Star building and achieved the rating as a 5 Star Green Star Office Design & Office As Built, but only achieved 4.5 stars in NABERS Energy rating at first despite being crowned the first carbon-neutral commercial building in Western Australia in 2021.
The building received a carbon neutral certification from NABERS using the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Buildings guidelines, effective from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
Builders Broad Construction and architects Fitzpatrick and Partners were engaged in the development of the original building.
The developers also purchased carbon credits from a renewable energy project approved by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for remaining carbon offsets.
According to the owner, the building achieved an increase from 4.5 star to 6 star ratings after implementing:
- numerous energy-saving initiatives which reduced energy intensity by 57 per cent over the last five years
- upgrades to LED lighting
- GEMS data analytic system
- fine-tuning the air-handling units
- changes to control strategies for pumps and chillers to reduce energy consumption of the base building
- recycling of 70 per cent of waste output from tenants and contractors
The building also implemented the following measures to reach net zero target by 2025:
- replacement of gas boilers with energy-efficient heat pump systems for end-of-trip facilities, which saves 70 per cent of energy consumption
- 99 kilowatts of PV solar panels on the roof space, generating renewable energy for the base building
RF CorVal head of asset management Con Tsioulos said, “We have also committed to the electrification of the property over the next 10 years, and we will replace all-natural gas uses.
“We are thrilled that Workzone East has achieved another sustainability milestone in Perth, and we look forward to continuing to implement energy-efficient initiatives across our portfolio.”
Janitha Kaushal, senior facilities manager at Knight Frank, said that the building will be a step towards offsetting almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions from the real estate sector.
“Of these emissions, approximately 70 per cent are produced by building operations, and seeking ways to reduce carbon emissions now forms an essential part of the role played by building management.”
Naomi Worrall, Knight Frank’s director of asset management services, said, “We are staying at the forefront of changes in the industry, including implementing new technology when it becomes available.
“This building, in particular, has set a standard in Perth for sustainability.”