Delivered as part of the Revitalising Central Dandenong initiative, the key facilities that form part of the project include:

– Dandenong Library
– Customer service centre
– A café located within the building foyer
– Council chambers
– Council offices
– Community meeting rooms
– Open air civic square, plaza and events space – called “Harmony Square”
– External office and retail tenancies (all currently occupied)

225 Lonsdale Street Dandenong

11,371 GFA

Owner, Occupant: City of Greater Dandenong

Architect: Lyons

Builder: Watpac

ESD Consultant: AECOM

Services Engineers: AECOM

Structural/Civil Engineers: Bonacci Group P/L

March 2014

Green Star Public Buildings PILOT – 5 stars (65 points).

The development was benchmarked using the Green Star – Public Buildings (Pilot) tool. The building received a 5-star design and as-built rating. This demonstrates Australian Excellence in sustainable development of public buildings.

The project received achieved a total of 65 points across the areas of Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy Performance, Water Management, Emissions Reduction, Transport, Materials Selection, Ecology and Innovation.

With operations 7 days a week, careful consideration was given to the design of the energy and water systems to reduce consumption and greenhouse emissions. The building was designed to reduce energy consumption by 67% and water usage by approximately 70%, compared to a typical office building.

Significant savings in energy and water consumption have been achieved in the facility compared to a typical new office development and public building.

Council had a clear commitment to deliver a public building for the community that demonstrated leadership in sustainable design.

Key sustainable design and fit-out features of the Civic Centre include:

Indoor environment quality

• Internal blinds provided to all offices spaces, council chambers and parts of the library to manage glare and reduce heat gain.
• A central atrium to the office area maximises daylight through the core of the building, and enables alternatives to private meeting rooms and individual offices, whilst promoting staff interaction and engagement.

Energy efficiency

• Connection to Precinct Energy Plant.
• High performance double glazing (argon filled) to all building facades.
• External horizontal and vertical shading devices to mitigate heat gain.
• Building Management System integrated with power, lighting, water and gas meters throughout the building. This not only enables monitoring of services and consumption, but also fine tunes building performance.
• Tracking and benchmarking of energy and water usage is displayed to screens in public areas of the building.
• Lighting is automated on motion sensors within zones, and perimeter lighting is adjusted on natural daylight lighting levels using photoelectric cells.
• Air cooled chillers provide heating and cooling to the majority of the building through active chilled beams.
• Variable Air Volume (VAV) units are used to the Council Chambers areas, where usage and occupation of the spaces are highly changeable. Ventilation rates are 50% better than the minimum standards.

Water efficiency

• A 117,000L water tank reuses rainwater for landscape irrigation and toilet and urinal flushing.
• Water efficient fixtures and fittings within 1 WELS star of the best available have been used.

Materials

• All steel, concrete and PVC items within the building have been sustainably sourced.
• Low VOC paints, adhesives, sealants and flooring materials have been used in the office and public spaces.
• Materials with environmental benefits have been installed including flooring, assemblies and fit-out furniture.

Transport

• Minimal on-site car parking.
• Provision of secure staff bicycle parking with showers, lockers and change rooms. Abundant visitor bicycle parking spaces.

Urban ecology

• Planting of mature native trees and landscaping throughout the site.