U P D AT E

First five-star
greenhouse building unveiled
With ecologically sustainable development (ESD) becoming an increasingly
important factor in commercial building design, a consortium led by
Deutsche Office Trust and Lend Lease last month launched
Australia’s first five-star greenhouse office building in
Sydney’s Millers Point.

he office building, to be known as “30 The Bond”, used nationally by building owners and tenants interested in

T forms part of a newly created destination - “The

Bond” at Hickson Road, and was named after the
historic bond stores originally located in the area.
improving their greenhouse performance.

Assisting “30 The Bond” in gaining the five-star rating is the

The $112 million commercial property is owned by
Deutsche Office Trust and has been conceived and
developed by Lend Lease.When complete in early 2004, the
nine storey building will comprise of approximately 18,700
square metres of office space, a 600 square metre
communal atrium and basement parking for 113 cars.
“30 The Bond” will be the first office building in Australia to
achieve a five-star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating
(ABGR), and will feature the very latest in environmental
design to achieve a 30 per cent lower CO2 emission than
typical office buildings.
The ABGR scheme provides accredited assessments of the
greenhouse intensity of office buildings by awarding a star
rating on a scale of one to five, with five being the most
energy efficient. Administered by the Sustainable Energy
Development Authority (SEDA), the ABGR is now being
use of chilled beam air conditioning, a first for large-scale
commercial buildings in Australia.
According to Michael Brown, General Manager of Deutsche
Office Trust, the building provides a leading example for the
Australian property industry, setting new standards in
environmental sustainability, workplace design and social
connectivity.
Assisting “30 The Bond” in gaining the five-star rating is the
use of chilled beam air conditioning, a first for large-scale
commercial buildings in Australia. Chilled beams operate by
pumping chilled water through cooling elements in the
ceiling. As people, computers and other equipment heat the
air, it rises to the ceiling, and this hot air is then cooled by
the chilled beams and falls, creating a natural convection
process. Additional radiant cooling from the chilled beams
supports the convection process.

10 ECOLIBRIUM™ - JUNE 2003

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Below; 30 The Bond - greentop roof

In addition to the use of chilled beams, fresh air is continually
provided to the workplace and exhausted out of the building
without being recirculated.This significantly increases the air
quality within the office space and reduces the risk of sick
building syndrome.
The implementation of chilled beam technology also reduces
the overall building height by up to one metre below the
established maximum building envelope.This is of significant
benefit to neighbours occupying lower levels as it increases
their access to natural light and views.
“This makes this project a very powerful benchmark for future
development by advancing ESD principles considerably without
compromising commercial objectives and, in some instances,
enhancing them,” said Brown.
As part of the building’s conception, Lend Lease held employee
workshops in early 2002 to identify and define seven ESD
priorities.
Aspirations identified included greenhouse gas reduction,
indoor environment quality, water management, materials
selection, waste management, pollution and biodiversity.
Employees ranked these aspirations, with reduction in
greenhouse gases and enhancement of indoor environment “viewpoint” adjacent to level nine.The rooftop viewpoint
quality cited as the most important.These environmental improves the visual outlook for immediate neighbours by
aspirations will be achieved within strict commercial incorporating a planting zone with native plants, while also
parameters, and will generate savings in operations and providing an accessible outdoor space with a large communal
maintenance. area for building occupants. Rainwater will also be collected on
a portion of the roof and stored for irrigation to maximise
“This makes this project a very powerful benchmark for
water conservation.
future development by advancing ESD principles
considerably without compromising commercial objectives “30 The Bond” has pushed the boundaries of what is possible
in environmental design and highlights the increasing
and in some instances enhancing them.” - Michael Brown,
commitment among Australia’s commercial property
General Manager of Deutsche Office Trust.
developers to ecologically sustainable development.

Contributing to the overall reduction of greenhouse emissions

Lend Lease, in conjunction with the Green Building
is the treatment of the building’s façades.While “30 The Bond”
features façades with naturally ventilated sunrooms across all Council and AIRAH, held a presentation on May 30
levels, the site is exposed to low-level western sun, which has 2003 about “30 The Bond” and its ESD initiatives.
been a defining factor in the design of the façade and
Lend Lease Engineer, Paul Edwards, described the
environmental systems.
various environmental initiatives of the building, such as
To minimise the impact of the afternoon sun and thus the air
chilled beam air conditioning and façade treatment and
conditioning load, external operable and adjustable blinds
how these contributed to the building achieving the
occupy all of the north, west and southern facades, deploying
progressively during the day as the sun moves to the west.The five-star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating.
blinds offer maximum flexibility and protection from the sun
Note: Lend Lease occupy eighty percent of the building.
and can be individually adjusted to modify the local
Contact for leasing - John Swadling Portfolio Manager,
environment of the occupant.
Deutsche Office Trust - 02 9249 9000
The project is completed by satisfying Lend Lease’s objective
for enhanced biodiversity within the site with a green rooftop

ECOLIBRIUM™ - JUNE 2003 11