JLL
Property group JLL’s Sydney office was awarded the WELL Platinum certification, the highest recognition award by the International WELL Building Institute for exceptional workplace wellness. The award winning office space is in the Salesforce Tower on 180 George Street in Circular Quay.
The WELL building standards include applications of how physical and social environments affect human health, wellbeing, and performance in building design and operation.
This meant that JLL had met the top standards for enhancing employee productivity, attracting and retaining top talent, and demonstrating leadership to strengthen ESG performances.
Deidre Brown awarded NZIA 2023 Gold medal
Professor Deidre Brown, the first Indigenous woman appointed as the head of School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, was awarded the 2023 Gold Medal by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. The award is considered the country’s highest honour for an architect.
Brown was also the first Indigenous woman in the world to hold such a position. The institute said that Brown had notched up an appointment of fellowship, scholarship, award, publication, exhibition, or a new academic role every year in her 35 year long career.
Brown also founded the Maori and Pacific Housing Research Centre last year and now co-directs the centre with her former student, Dr Karamia Mülle, to support Maori and Pacific whanau (families) to live in healthy, affordable, and sustainable homes.
Cromwell completes McKell Building electrification
Cromwell’s electrification and upgrades of the 1970s McKell Building in Sydney that The Fifth Estate flagged last year are now complete.
The company said this is the first time a multi storey commercial building in the Sydney CBD has had an electrification upgrade of this kind.
The multi-million dollar conversion replaced the building’s gas-fired heating system with an electric heat recovery reverse cycle heating, ventilation, and airconditioning. During this conversion, three 9.3 tonne airconditioning systems were lifted onto the building’s roof.
Global building codes – action on the way
The International Code Council, which provides global codes and standards, intends to participate in the inaugural buildings and climate global forum, with chief executive Dominic Sims scheduled to speak at the chief executives’ roundtable.
Inspired by the launch of Buildings Breakthrough at COP28, the forum will be hosted in Paris to focus on the impact of the building and construction sector on achieving climate goals and accelerating the transition to zero emissions.
The event is a collaboration between the French government and the United Nations Environment Program and run by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. The International Code Council will also co-lead two sessions on resilient buildings and policies for whole life carbon.
Government plans
Assistant Climate Change and Energy Minister Jenny McAllister said that the government was now “developing Australia’s first National Adaptation Plan to lay out a framework for our next steps”.
The plans involved “investing in adaptation work” to limit the impact of climate change.
“Acting on risk is not an admission of defeat. It’s an opportunity to safeguard and build the things we value”, she told The Canberra Times in an opinion piece recently.
“Many businesses have been thinking about the risks for years. When Brisbane Airport extended a runway a few years ago, they took the opportunity to raise it 1.5 metres, making it more flood resistant.
“Good government can act to mitigate climate change while also planning for the changes that are already locked in. This doesn’t mean giving up on reducing emissions. Far from it. The more we can limit climate change, the smaller and more manageable our adaptation task is.”
Good to hear we’re not done yet!