home :: services :: about :: contact

In Asia the race for the world’s tallest building is still on. The skylines of the major capitals, Hong Kong, Shenzen and Singapore are more adventurous than a decade ago and Taiwan’s Taipei 101 recently out-soared Malaysia’s twin Petronas Towers. Back home, however, the emphasis has shifted from erecting ambitious cultural symbols of grandiosity to environmentally conscious projects of a smaller stature.

In Sydney, 30 The Bond, Millers Point stands as one of the country’s most environmentally friendly structures. At only nine storeys high it houses technology such as passive chilled beams and controllable facades which hopes to save 134,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. Similarly Melbourne's 60L in Carlton is a unique commercial building in its approach to energy and water consumption, and the use of recycled and re-used materials during construction.

Acknowledging that we have moved from an ‘80s power drive to a more environmentally sustainable approach how do we measure sustainability?

There seems to be two sides to environmental consciousness, a short-term need for energy efficiency and a long term need to maintain occupant’s health and the world’s resources.

Energy efficiency can be measured both in dollars and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. There is much publicity surrounding the emissions from commercial buildings. Emissions from such structures have been projected to almost double between 1990 and 2010, from 32 million tonnes a year to 63 million tones. To this end, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), based in Sydney, has developed a five-star rating system to apply to commercial buildings. The aim is to make new commercial towers 30 to 40 per cent more energy efficient than the existing comparably-sized buildings. The average existing office tower rates 2½ stars on the SEDA system. New buildings are expected to aim for a rating of 4½ - 5 stars.

Where the sole focus of the SEDA system is energy usage other schemes such as the. Green Star Rating, devised by the Green Building Council of Australia and NABERS, National Australian Built Environment Rating System take an all encompassing approach to environment rating. Other issues such as occupant heath and comfort through indoor air quality including the emissions of volatile organic compounds and air-conditioning performance are also taken into consideration. Tenant motivations in these issues are related to worker productivity and the ability of the building to perform to its intended purpose. Another consideration is the choice of building materials and furniture in terms of sustainability and life-cycle costs. Environmental ratings need to find the balance between conservation and performance.
 

CETEC offers a value engineering approach in assisting clients achieve maximum benefit of incorporating Environmentally Sustainable Development into their plans.

Please contact us here for a free consultation about your needs.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald. (Article: Weekend Edition March 27-28-Spectrum)