The Department of Transport (DoT) has made a commitment to sustainability with their new location in Ringwood, through all aspects of the design, construction, and operating model for the new 13,000m2 home to the Department. With peckvonhartel as designer, in partnership with ADP engineering services, health and wellbeing were key to creating a sustainable workplace for DoT’s people.
Starting with a commitment to performance, the ongoing metering and monitoring of the building were critical. Digital screens set up on each floor provide daily and weekly data on the operations including energy usage driven by 100% green energy utilization for all power requirements. The base building amenity offers a 50kW Solar PV System on the rooftop and highly efficient HVAC equipment and systems to provide the best thermal comfort and the highest quality air ventilation. As well as thermal, the centre core enables windows surrounding the entire perimeter providing visual comfort and deep natural light penetration.
The location alone encourages DoT’s people to increase their use of public transport with the Ringwood train station and bus interchange adjacent, and better amenities encouraging other modes of transport to and from the workplace. DoT has created amenities exceeding minimum requirements with exceptional end-of-trip facilities for their people, including bike repair stations, private change cubicles, and highly efficient fixtures and fittings that have been incorporated into the design of the building including sensor taps and toilets. A 47kL rainwater tank is connected to the building’s toilets, which minimises water consumption within the building. Within the parking facilities, electric charging points for motor vehicles are provided, and DoT is also working with a local designer and manufacturer to convert motorcycle parks into additional e-scooter and e-bike parking facilities. Internal project teams and the Metro East Bicycle User Group (MEBUG) are putting together funding submissions to connect the Mullum Mullum bike trail with the Croydon-Box Hill bike trail to provide safer means for the community travelling to the building and adjacent railway station or between the trails by bicycle, foot, or scooter. Currently, trail users are forced to use the very busy and dangerous Ringwood Street or Warrandyte Road to travel between the two trails.
Underpinning peckvonhartel’s design processes is the dedication to specifying products and materials that have the best sustainability credentials. From their work in the preservation of heritage buildings to undertaking the first platinum WELL-rated building in Australia, quality, longevity, and responsible design are fundamental to the practice.
Specification of all finishes and furniture was critical to assist in achieving a sustainable fit-out for the Department of Transport. All products specified were evaluated for their ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and a minimum level of environmental accreditation, but beyond this genuine sustainability initiatives were sought. Where possible, locally sourced and Australian-made products were prioritised, or carbon credits sought.
Rebecca Daff, Project Leader, states “Sustainable specification is the baseline for our processes. All specifications meet a minimum sustainability quality as part of our quality assurance. What we seek out through our suppliers is more innovative solutions, like recycled content and whole-life stewardship”. The carpets throughout are carbon neutral over their whole lifecycle, all paints are low VOC, fabric wools were sourced from renewable resources and are biodegradable, and all polyesters are at least 80% post-consumer recycled.
Timber flooring is one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly products you can choose for flooring. Engineered timber flooring is constructed using multiple wood planks, allowing for a greater amount of each tree to be used in the construction and resulting in far less wastage. The product by Royal Oak Flooring is PEFC certified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), meaning that the supply chain is closely managed to promote sustainable forestry practices.
Royal Oak’s White Smoked flooring also has a very long lifespan and can be re-sanded and re-finished many times if required. The water-based lacquer topcoat is environmentally friendly, and the adhesive used to bond the layers are low volatile organic compound (low-VOC) and low formaldehyde.
The joinery has been designed for timbers with Forest Stewardship Council certification and gold standard certification for chemical emissions, with only water-based non-formaldehyde adhesives used in the production.
The Aspect workstations are GECA certified with a return of the product at the end of life for recycling or reuse. The product is supplied in a sub-assembled format for installation on site. All components of work points and screening products readily break down mechanically. This enables more efficient transportation and means the product can be readily disassembled for recycling at the end of its useful life.
A priority was placed upon products with environmental certification for the furniture ranges specified for this project. This includes Blade tables by ThinkingWorks with AFRDI Green Tick certification, as well as the Adapt lounging collection by Ross Gardam with GECA certification. These products are also under a Product Stewardship initiative whereby the items will be taken back by the supplier at end of life for reuse.
The task chair specified for the project, Gesture by Steelcase is AFRDI certified, which ensures it meets product stewardship, fitness for purpose – strength and durability, nontoxic and hazardous substances, indoor environment quality (ANSI/BIFMA M7.1/X7.1 indoor air quality standards), designed for disassembly, recycling, re-use and product refurbishment.
We designed feature ceilings in aluminium over steel due to their superior environmental sustainability, including a higher recycled content, fewer emissions during production and less energy requirement to recycle. The system also has been accredited with a Global Green Tag.
Lighting is an integral part of the look, feel and function of the new workplace fit-out, and has been carefully considered for aesthetics, performance, energy saving and occupant comfort. All light fittings within the project are flicker-free, high quality and highly efficient LED types, and are controlled via a programmable, fully addressable lighting control and management system. The lighting control system allows each fitting to be individually programmed for light level and operation timing. Pre-set, but adjustable, lighting programs have been implemented along with the use of presence detection to ensure lights are only on when needed. Areas such as meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and quiet rooms incorporate lighting control panels with scene selection to suit varying room functions. In addition, the perimeter lighting adjacent to windows is connected to daylight sensors allowing them to be dimmed up or down to suit external light levels, saving energy whilst maintaining internally compliant lighting levels.
All lighting has been designed so that lighting levels meet Australian standards and best practice guidelines, whilst also ensuring that the spaces are fit for purpose and comfortable. Light fittings selected have a high lumen output per watt of energy ensuring maximum performance and efficiency. Surface illuminance of the internal fixtures and finishes has been evaluated in lighting calculations to ensure optimal lighting conditions. Calculated lighting placement along with fit-for-purpose light fitting selection ensures lighting uniformity throughout all spaces.
Control of glare is crucial in an office environment. The selected LED light fittings are low unified glare rating (UGR) type with less than 19 UGR ensuring the fittings emit less than the threshold peak candela. Also, selected fittings generally incorporate baffled optics, glare shields, indirect light sources or light diffusers. These characteristics also ensure external glare and light spill are also controlled. To address the perception of colour in the space and ensure true colour visibility, all light sources have a minimum Colour Rendering Index (CRI) greater than 85 and comply with the guidance provided in Table 7.2 of AS/NZS 1680.1:2006. Many of the selected fittings have a CRI greater than 90.
Michael Abdilia, ADP Consulting, says ‘The project also incorporates the use of concealed light fittings and light sources to create a high level of visual comfort, important to maintain staff wellbeing. A high proportion of light fittings are also track mounted and adjustable, allowing for flexibility of placement to suit user requirements and future adaptation’.
The design of the spaces considered future flexibility by designing the built functions around the core, and agile working points throughout the floors. Considerations for not only the durability of furniture, but its flexibility will ensure longevity. Power ‘kettles’ provided to five major project spaces mean that power isn’t restricted and full agile working can take place, cord-free.
A strong emphasis on acoustic design offers comfort for occupants throughout the open spaces and particularly within the meeting rooms with double-glazed surround.
Ergonomic design is critical to human comfort. An ergonomist was engaged to review all furniture specifications for functionality, safety, and comfort.
Beyond the fixtures and finishes purposefully designed joinery throughout the floorplates provides in ongoing biophilia. The planting will provide occupants with a new level of greenery at every work point. WIFI across all areas offer a place to work anywhere allowing flexibility and choice. We know fresh air is one of the biggest requests for people in their new workplace and is evidenced to create better well-being in the workplace. Two areas of outdoor space on the rooftop not only offer the people fresh air but a place to rejuvenate, socialize, or a secondary area of work.
“The Department has been dedicated to sustainable design from the start for the environment, and for the wellbeing of our people. We advocate for intelligent, functional, and sustainable design to promote respectful buildings, and longevity”, said Rhonda Emery, Senior Project Manager at the Department of Transport.
Throughout the construction of the building, 90% of the construction waste has been diverted from landfill.
The new Department of Transport office building will achieve a 5 stars NABERS Energy Tenancy rating, which measures the ongoing efficiency and operations of energy, water, waste, and the indoor environment.
It has also been accredited with the pinnacle 6-star Green Star accreditation.