Collaboration was the cornerstone of The GPT Group and National Australia Bank’s commitment to achieve Australia’s first Green Star – Performance rating. Working in partnership, the building owner and tenant now have independent, third-party proof that 800-808 Bourke Street in Melbourne is efficient, productive and sustainable.
Partnership plus
Achieving the first Green Star – Performance rating was the result of exceptional collaboration between a building owner and a tenant.
In 2012, NAB renewed its lease for 800-808 Bourke Street until 2027. The new lease agreement includes a number of best practice lease clauses that have been effective in improving performance throughout the building.
One requirement of the new lease was to establish a Building Environmental Management Plan and Committee. This Committee included members from NAB and the GPT management teams and was instrumental in the building achieving the following lease requirements:
- A Base Building NABERS Energy rating of 5 Stars, which was achieved two years ahead of the target date (December 2015).
- An improved Base Building NABERS Water rating from 2.5 to 3 Stars, achieved in first year of the new lease.
Through the new lease, GPT and NAB also collaborated on what is believed to be the largest LED retrofit in an Australian commercial office tenancy. A massive 3,896 lights were replaced, resulting in an energy saving of 62% when compared to the original lights. The new LED lights are also predicted to have a lifetime of around five times longer than the original lights, thereby further reducing waste and maintenance costs.
Positive proof of performance
Designed just before Green Star was launched, with construction completed when the rating system was in its infancy, 800-808 Bourke Street was unable to achieve a Green Star rating for design or construction.
A 4 Star Green Star – Performance rating provides The GPT Group with independent verification that the building ‘stacks up’ against newer offices built to Green Star benchmarks. A Green Star – Performance rating will ensure 800-808 Bourke Street holds its value in a highly competitive commercial office market.
GPT’s Head of Asset Management, Matthew Faddy said: “We are pleased to now have a sustainability measurement in the market for the performance of our assets. Not only does it allow us to benchmark our assets with those of our peers but it also assists us to drive consistent sustainable outcomes across the business.”
Nicola Murphy, NAB’s Head of Environmental Sustainability, says: “NAB has transformed our commercial portfolio over recent years through a commitment to seeking to achieve Green Star certification across all major refurbishments and new builds, and the implementation of activity-based environments. Given the building was designed before the Green Star design rating tools were developed, we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with GPT to assess the operational performance of the building through the Green Star – Performance Pilot.”
Impressive energy efficiency
800-808 Bourke Street was designed with green principles in mind. The building, with its brightly patterned exterior and extensive atria is flooded with natural light and has high indoor air quality.
Achieving the full 25 Green Star points for greenhouse gas emissions means 800-808 Bourke Street is a carbon neutral building in operation. This was realised through a combination of tenancy and base building energy efficiency initiatives, with NAB offsetting remaining emissions with the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard.
In partnership with NAB, The GPT Group has embarked on a building efficiency program that has resulted in a 29% reduction in energy consumption since 2012.
Tenant engagement and commitment was essential to achieve this spectacular outcome, with five Green Star points in the Energy category awarded for NAB’s commitment to a NABERS Energy rating. NAB achieved a tenancy NABERS Energy rating of 5.5 Stars in March 2015.
