Common Ground Sydney achieves 5 Star design rating
The Common Ground Sydney project recently became the first project in New South Wales to achieve a 5 Star design rating using the Green Star Multi-unit Residential v1 standard.
The project addresses chronic homelessness by providing stable, high quality permanent housing. The building itself is indistinguishable as social housing or an institutional building but rather presents as a contemporary and comfortable living environment. Common Ground Sydney adopts the 'street to home' approach of the Common Ground model originating in New York.
Some of the sustainability initiatives that have led to the project achieving a 5 Star design rating include:
_A unique natural ventilation strategy resulting in naturally ventilated apartments with ceiling fans and a central atrium with a passive stack effect to drive the ventilation system
_Solar thermal panels that provide 50% of domestic hot water needs
_A communal worm farm and composting facilities
_Recycling of 95% of construction and demolition waste
_A location well-serviced by public transport and extensive bicycle parking
_Communal garden beds for residents to grow food
_A plain language building users' guide to ensure people know how to make the best of the building's green features
The building achieved two innovation points for the ventilation strategy and zero car parking for residents and was recently highly commended at the 2012 World Architecture Festival in the Housing category.
HASSELL worked with developer and builder Grocon on a pro-bono basis to prepare preliminary design feasibility studies, before providing full design services at cost to Housing NSW. Many other specialists also contributed to the project on an 'at cost' basis which fostered a collaborative approach throughout its delivery.
If you would like more information on this project or to find out about tours of the building, please contact James Sandwith jsandwith@hassellstudio.com
Find out more about some of our other Green Star rated projects:
_Dandenong Government Services Offices
_ANZ Centre
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