Doltone House is pioneering a green approach to building construction, design, materials and operation in Sydney, with the launch of the new waterfront event centre at Darling Island Wharf in October.
Located on the Sydney waterfront, Doltone House’s newest Darling Island Wharf venue has been crafted by green-minded industry experts to become part of the first six-star green-star rated building, workplace6, in New South Wales.
Workplace6 is only the second building in Australia to obtain this certification, and this six-star green-star rating represents the world’s best practices in sustainability. Darling Island Wharf incorporates a fresh food and wine emporium complete with open kitchen, a café, intimate meeting rooms and an 800 seated capacity event space.
Compared to a normal office building, Workplace6 reduces greenhouse emissions by 70%. The interior of Darling Island Wharf is clad in a variety of environmentally sustainable and durable materials: recycled, green-minded, low-toxin emitting and built to last. Eco-ply flooring and stone are the green materials used throughout the site, and even the carpet in the event centre has green credentials. The event centre bar is made from a durable marble with a high quality finish, while a counter crafted from recycled Ironwood from Queensland is the focal point of the bluestone-clad cafe downstairs.
On a structural level, Workplace 6 is Australia’s first building to use concrete manufactured from recycled products. The high performance insulation used throughout the building is green-certified as it manufactured without the use of ozone-depleting gases. Details such as custom-fitted carbon dioxide sensors and variable speed fans are employed in Darling Island Wharf to reduce the toxin emission and air pollution normally associated with buildings of this scale. As a result, fresh air supply is increased by up to 50% making it a healthier, safer space for the public.
Energy reduction is a significant factor in being green, and Doltone House have tackled this issue head on. In the kitchen, gas combi ovens that run on natural gas, have been installed while fridges and freezers will be insulated with thick panels to reduce energy consumption. Perhaps the most iconic innovation is the ‘watercool’ system, which captures heat rejected from Sydney harbour and transforms it into usable energy for the building’s water-cooling system.
Environmental initiatives also extend to the site’s every day operation, including re-using blackwater for parkland irrigation and a tri-generation energy system, where heat, power and chilled water for air conditioning are produced by one single unit.
While ‘greening’ a site of this scale adds an extra 15% to construction and fit-out cost, embracing the green approach at this level signifies Doltone House’s serious commitment to environmental and social responsibility.