GEOCON’S Abode Hotel Woden certified as Australia’s first Green Star hotel

The Abode Hotel Woden has become the first hotel in Australia to be awarded a rating under the prestigious Green Star certification system by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

Green Star is an internationally-recognised sustainability rating system for the design, construction, and operation of buildings, fitouts and communities.

The 4 Star Green Star rating achieved by the Abode Hotel Woden builds on its 4.5 NABERS rating.

Formerly Juliana House, the building was home to a number of government departments and commercial organisations but was vacant for a number of years before it was purchased by GEOCON and transformed into a contemporary 152 apartment hotel.

“Our decision to do an adaptive re-use rather than knock-down rebuild meant we were on the sustainable path from the very beginning with this project. We wanted to see how far we could take that, so we decided to work towards achieving Green Star certification,” said GEOCON Managing Director Nick Georgalis.

“It was a challenging proposition because we were new to the Green Star process and at the time there was no rating tool for rating hotels. So, we worked closely with the Green Building Council of Australia and our sustainability engineers Northrop Consulting Engineers to develop tools relevant for a hotel.

“Because this was an adaptive re-use we were constrained around some of the environmental efficiencies we could achieve, such as optimising the façade, but we nonetheless delivered a standout result which demonstrates best-practice in sustainability.

“Even though the process continued over a sustained period, we were fully committed to it and I’m grateful for the persistence and support from those involved including the ACT Government and particularly Chief Minister Andrew Barr who as then Minister for Economic Development got right behind the project, the Green Building Council of Australia, our architects AMC, our sustainability engineer Bridgett Glasson at Northrop and our GEOCON personnel who delivered the project,” Mr Georgalis said.

“Achieving Australia’s first Green Star rating for a hotel is no small achievement, and Geocon has showed tremendous commitment to sustainability during this ambitious project,” said the GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer Romilly Madew.

“We know that the average Green Star-rated building consumes 66 per cent less energy, emits 62 per cent fewer greenhouse gases and uses 51 per cent less water than business-as-usual buildings.

“But this story isn’t just about the benefits for the environment. This Green Star rating provides the positive proof that Abode Woden is efficient to operate, a comfortable place to stay and work, and a better long-term asset,” Ms Madew concluded.