REVIEWCOVER STORY: Leighton Contractors: building smarter and greener One One One Eagle St HQ Development Green Square

PLUS: 26 new projects reviewed

Volume 2, No. 2www.australianconstructionreview.com.au

SUSTAINABILITY: Building in the ‘green’ era

Australian Construction

AustrAliAn ConstruCtion review

industry news 4A wrap-up of what is affecting the construction industry.

on the horizon 104new developments on the front-burner.

Passport to safety 107education is the key to on-site safety.

stop termites eating away assets 108termites, those unwanted pests, and how to stop them.

Product innovations 110new ideas and products releases.

Contents General Features

102

SMARTER, GREENER BUILDING

Leighton Contractors is striving for excellence in green building by taking the next step and challenging best practice in design and construction.

Building on past successes, Leighton Contractors looks for new solutions which generate better results for all, improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce its overall impact on the environment.

Proven capability in the design and construction of 5 Star and 6 Star Green Star buildings has given Leighton Contractors the leading edge in green building design and construction. Their success lies in their multi-disciplinary team and their approach to challenge, push boundaries and strive for excellence.

In Queensland, the Green Square Corporate Office Park, HQ and One One One Eagle Street projects are leading examples of this approach. They are designed and built to deliver world leading sustainable outcomes for clients, tenants, the environment and the community.

GREEN SQUARE LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Leighton Contractors’ design and construction of the Green Square Corporate Office Park made waves in the commercial property environment, setting new benchmarks for future sustainable construction in Queensland.

Green Square Corporate Office Park comprises two office towers, North and South, and a connecting plaza. The development is designed to accommodate over 40,000m2 of A-Grade commercial office space, hi-tech utility facilities, retail, restaurants and future childcare facilities.

It is the largest mixed-use corporate office developed in Brisbane for the past 15 years and is an integral step in Brisbane City Council’s ongoing Urban Renewal Plan.

The project leads the way in responsible commercial building design across Australia with the achievement of 5 Star and 6 Star Green Star ratings by the Green Building Council of Australia.

The South Tower is the first project in Queensland to achieve a 5 Star Green Star for Office Design v2 and the first project in Queensland to receive a 5 Star Green Star – Office As Built v2 certified rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

The North Tower is a world leader in office design as the first completed building in Queensland to receive a 6 Star Green Star rating for Office Design v2. The North Tower is targeting the first 6 Star Green Star for Office As Built to make it the first building in Queensland and the second building in Australia to achieve this outcome of world leadership.

WORLD LEADING DESIGN AT HQ

Leighton Contractors’ landmark new home, HQ, is under construction in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and will be a showcase for sustainability. The building was recently awarded a 6 Star Green Star rating in Office Design v2 from the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership. Not only did HQ achieve 6 Stars in Office Design, it achieved 84 credits in the green star rating system, the highest awarded to date. HQ is also targeting a 6 Star Green Star for Office As Built and a 6 Star Green Star for Interiors from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Tenants have much to look forward to including:

■ 50 percent more fresh air than standard office buildings

■ excellent natural light penetration

■ external views from at least 60 percent of the floor area

■ a secure bicycle centre for more than 250 bicycles, with change rooms, shower amenities and lockers.

HQ will comprise two commercial office towers of nine and 13 levels, above a two level basement car park. The net lettable area of the two towers is 40,270m2. Retail tenancies such as cafes and restaurants will take up much of the towers’ lower levels.

HQ looks set to be a winner for both its tenants and the environment.

ENVIABLE POSITION FOR 6 STARS AT ONE ONE ONE EAGLE STREET

A soaring, iconic building in Brisbane’s CBD with enviable river frontage, One One One Eagle Street will proudly proclaim its sustainability credentials when completed in mid 2011.

Inspired in its design by the way plants grow towards the light, this building will have 44 levels of premium grade office space, a six-level basement car park and retail space. Total floor space will be 63,400m2.

The owner, The GPT Property Group, is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating, which will be a first for Brisbane’s CBD for Office Design and Office As Built. Like many other sustainable buildings, One One One Eagle Street will include multiple environmental sustainability initiatives, including chilled beam cooling; river water heat rejection; co-generation, as well as a high performance curtain wall facade system.

Green Square North Tower Green Square South Tower Artist’s Impression HQ Artist’s Impression One One One Eagle Street

Green Square South Tower was the first project in Queensland to achieve a 5 Star Green Star – Office Design v2 rating. It set an environmental benchmark for others to follow and begun the monumental shift in the way buildings are designed and constructed in Queensland.

Suzie Barnett, Executive Director, Green Building Council of Australia

LCPL ACR Ad.indd 1 3/06/09 4:26 PM

18Cover storY

smarter, green building — leighton Contractors’

lead the way

Project reviews

96

Childers 53

Bevchain Project (tooheys brewery) 54

Bligh st 57

leichhardt bus depot 58

Macquarie lodge 64

law Faculty, university of sydney 67

Platinum o’riordan 68

st John of God hospital 74

Da vinci Business Centre 80

Harmony Broadwater 85

Bounty Boulevard school, north lakes 88

the oracle 91

Hallet Cove shopping Centre 95

Cabrini Brighton Hospital 96

epping Medical and specialist Centre 99

Claremont Quarter 99

st Quentins 102

AustrAliAn ConstruCtion review2

in the spotlight - sustainability

sustainability Projects

Contents

26

24

sustainability 9Australia’s construction industry, from architects, to developers and builders, have embraced sustainable building.

Green light 10 what does it mean to go ‘green’? From smaller office buildings to skyscrapers, it is worth adopting green building practices.

industry comment 11is the future of construction in green buildings? the answer is a definite ‘yes’, according to industry reps. view from the top 12this interest in green roof construction has been encouraged by the increasing availability of technologies.

Paint it green 15low toxic paints are taking the risk out of paint fumes for both painters and office workers.

Green square 20 one one one eagle st 24

HQ Development 26

santos Place 29

1 shelley st 33

triniti Business Campus 36

the rocket 38

Bishops see 43

sustainable design heats up 46environmentally aware architecture and design is being exported to the world.

Glass joins fight against climate change 48new technologies mean glazing has come into its own as a way to counteract the rising need for air-conditioning.

Dousing the flames on water use 50Climate change and progressively drier conditions are increasing the risk of fire, but we need to save water too.

15AustrAliAn ConstruCtion review in tHe sPotliGHt

In The Spotlight | Sustainability | Green Painters

st M

ary’

s Ca

thed

ral i

n Pe

rth

was

pai

nted

with

Bau

wer

k en

viro

nmen

tally

frie

ndly

pai

nt.

Bauw

erk

Colo

ur, F

rem

antle

Paint it

Going ‘green’ applies equally to painting, with a greater range of environmentally friendly plant-based and low toxic paints hit the market and take the risk out of paint fumes.

green

next time you paint it is worth considering the environmental impacts

of the paints you choose, says Daniel wurm, president of the GreenPainters Association.

“Painting is still an environmentally friendly thing to do, as it preserves and protects assets, but it has to be done in a way that lessens its impact on natural resources,” Mr wurm said.

“You can have any color as long as it's ‘green’. “now there are safer alternatives to conventional paints. Consumers can

choose to keep using the toxic conventional coatings, or they can use more sustainable products, such as natural paints or low-voC (petroleum-based solvents called volatile organic compounds) acrylics.”

Paints, lacquers and varnishes are among the chemical everyday products that have a particularly distinct effect on the environment and health. solvents, monomers, softening agents, and biocides are only some of the components of these products that present the potential for

serious ecological and toxicological risks during their production, manufacture, application, use, and ultimate disposal.

Hazard watchPaints are a major source of indoor air pollution. the us environmental Protection Agency puts paint on its top five list of environmental hazards. Conventional paints can make indoor air a chemical cocktail, even long after they have dried, as they continue to release petroleum-based solvents (voCs) as they cure. it is estimated that each year in

16 AustrAliAn ConstruCtion reviewin tHe sPotliGHt

In The Spotlight | Sustainability | Green Painters

REMEDY PAINTING

[ a non toxic approach ]

Small pro

fessional

business

Quality workmanship

Customer serviceResid

ential / Commercial

Wide range of non toxic / natural products

Over 30 years experienceMember o

f Greenpainters A

ssociatio

n

Licenced

Email or call to see how affordable a healthy, decorative environment can be.

34 Holyman St Scullin ACT 2614 | PH 62786737 | MOB 0411722757E remedypainting@optusnet.com.au

[ License 15333C | ABN 70320546169 ]

Australia more than 80,000 tonnes of voCs are released into the atmosphere, with the paint industry contributing significantly to this amount.

emission profiles from the ePA in California show that surface coatings are responsible for nine per cent of all voC emissions.

studies show that the cumulative voC emissions from architectural painting operations exceed the combined emissions from a variety of industrial operations. voCs from solvent and paint emissions contribute to harmful ozone formation and peroxyacetyl nitrate.

According to the Masters Painters Association, ozone from paint emissions irritates eyes, nose, throat and lungs; reduces breathing capacity even in healthy adults and children; increases susceptibility to infection, hospital visits and admissions; and causes damage estimated to cost over millions of dollars a year to crops and buildings.

typical oil-based paint averages 350 grams per litre of voCs, or 35-50% of the paint's

volume. even water-based acrylics, which are much less toxic, still contain 3-7% solvent content.

“the voC content of paint and the Co2 emitted during manufacture are key contributors to environmental impact, primarily in the form of air pollution (petrochemical smog) and, to a lesser degree, greenhouse gases,” Mr wurm said.

“Just because a paint label states it has no voCs does not mean it does not give off hazardous vapours. other chemicals in conventional paints include glycols, toulene, hydrocarbons, xylene, and ammonia. Mineral turpentine (used as a thinner and solvent) may contain up to 20% benzene, which is a confirmed carcinogen and mutagen in chronically exposed workers.

“Many metal pigments used in paints (such as cadmium) are highly toxic and relatively rare resources.

“in most paints up to 20% of a tin by volume can be the pigment titanium

dioxide, a product that can have a very high environmental impact load."

safer paintingAcrylic paints are much safer than oil-based paints because they have less hydrocarbon. solvent content in water-based paints tends to range from 0-200g/l compared with 250-750g/l in ‘oil’-based paints. low voC paints are up to 16g/l and ultra-low to zero, 0-1g/l. However, acrylic paints typically include a range of biocides to protect the latex, which can include arsenic disulphide, phenol, copper, formaldehyde, carbamates, permethrin and quaternary ammonium compounds.

“while biocide manufacturers’ claim that the formaldehyde in these products won’t come out, ePA data shows this is not the case,” says Mr wurm.

“Having these chemicals coating our walls and in the air we breathe is surely not desirable.”

Another problem with synthetic paints is post-application waste and disposal. the petrochemical paints that currently dominate the market are predominately derived from oil, a non-renewable resource. waste needs to be specially treated to avoid adverse environmental impacts. it has been estimated that water-soluble gloss paints require dilution of 40 million parts to one to render their entry to the sewerage system harmless.

low voC acrylics the benefits of choosing low or zero voC paints are obvious — apart from being better for the environment, there are little or no fumes when painting. in 1997 the Australian Paint Approval scheme began an initiative within the Australian paint industry that aimed to reduce overall voCs in locally manufactured paint.

“Many of the larger paint companies have produced products which have been certified as ‘environmentally friendly’, but are still synthetic paints made from petrochemicals, with lower voC concentrations. However, these products are still a step in the right direction, and should be considered by specifiers and consumers who wish to use acrylic paints,” Mr wurm said.

Plant-based paints Made from naturally occurring ingredients, plant-based paints do not require high levels of processing. Many of the ingredients are

17AustrAliAn ConstruCtion review in tHe sPotliGHt

Gre

enpa

inte

rs A

ssoc

iatio

nmade from renewable resources, such as linseed oil and citrus oil. natural paints use plant-derived solvents and binders instead of synthetic ones, so usually have voC levels of 0-1%.

natural paints are generally well-tolerated by humans and the environment. there is no testing on animals. ingredients used are printed on the label, or on a technical data sheet to establish whether allergic reactions are a risk. some of the paints are even certified carbon neutral.

water used for cleaning after using natural paints can be re-used directly on gardens, without harmful effects to any plants, or groundwater contamination.

• GreenPainters Association is a non-profit programme, established to provide advice, knowledge and skills to help the painting industry go green. visit www.greenpainters.com.au.

Many painters avoid using the new low voC products because of perceived higher cost and unfamiliarity with them. But by using sustainable and natural paints they will not only help the environment, but also improve their health.

And according to the GreenPainters Association, becoming a GreenPainter they actually gain a marketing advantage. “it’s no longer about price; it’s about what the consumer wants, and the environment needs,” commented association president Daniel wurm.

the association has launched a national campaign to promote sustainable products and trade practices, targeting painters, architects, builders and consumers.

the GreenPainters sustainable Painting Programme features DiY sustainable painting workshops (available from selected retail outlets), and seminars designed for architects and builders looking to increase their knowledge of paints and coatings for the green building industry, which is forecast to grow at 4.8 per cent this year.

GreenPainters are also working with sustainability victoria, Holmesglen tAFe and Master Painters Association of victoria to develop an accredited course in sustainable painting, which starts as a pilot scheme mid-year.

Get on board

www.timespub.com.au

Disclaimer: This magazine is published quarterly. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, no responsibility is accepted by the publisher for any entry supplied by individuals, organisations or companies. Other than for the purposes of and subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright Act 1968, the reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part therein is prohibited without the written consent of Times Publishing Group and will be regarded as infringement of copyright. Every care is taken to ensure insertion of advertisements. While all care will be taken, no liability will be accepted for any loss by omission, alteration or misplacement of the advertisement. The Publisher expressly disclaims all and any liability for any action by any person(s) that may arise against the advertiser.

P U B L I S H I N G G R O U PTIMEStp

EditorAnne Cullinaneditor@timespub.com.au

ContributorsPhotographs supplied by: Aimee McDonald, respective developers, builders and architects.

Graphic designDavid Wright

Advertising designDavid Wright, Charlotte Lufino

Advertising salesNational sales managerNoman Kabirnoman@timespub.com.au Business development managerChristian Szczepanikchristian@timespub.com.au Advertising account managerIvy Wanivy@timespub.com.au

Advertising account managerJugreet Singhjugreet@timespub.com.au

Advertising account managerWayne Davieswayne@timespub.com.au

Subscriptions & EnquiriesJamie Lea Simmsreception@timespub.com.au

Publishers

Office manager

Editor (Advanced Safety Magazine)

Editor (Architect & Builder and

Australian Construction Review)

Editor (West Coast Boating)

National sales manager Account

ManagerHEAD OFFICEUnit 3/7 Day RdRockingham WAP.O. Box 2153Rockingham DC 6967T 08 9529 2599F 08 9529 2588

Janice Chantler

Ian Berry

Kim Hardaker

Anne Cullinan

Anne Cullinan

Mike Brown

Noman Kabir

PERTH OFFICEUnit 17a7 Aberdeen StPerthWA 6001T 08 9221 1466F 08 9221 4024

REVIEWAustralian Construction

Volume 2 No. 2, July 2009Published by Times Publishing GroupABN 53 723 369 369www.australianconstructionreview.com.au