30 The Bond - January 13, 2011

The MGT visited 30 The Bond Office building in Sydney Australia, which is the first office building in Australia to receive a 5 star energy rating in sustainability (http://inhabitat.com/30-the-bond-sydneys-greenest-building/).  The building’s major sustainable features are:

1.        Natural ventilation use

2.       Passive chilled beam cooling system allowing 100% fresh air

3.       Operable shading on the building

4.       Roof top garden with native plants which require little or no maintenance (although not in use due to agreement with neighbors)

5.       Open lobby area cooled and heated by a natural stone wall

6.       Glass elevators with open stairs inside and easily assessable

7.       An open office environment similar to cubicles

8.       Glassed open conference rooms

9.       Staircase made from steel treated outdoors to rust and then sealed

In addition to being environmentally sound, the building is beautiful and creates a very pleasant office environment.   This was one of my favorite sites based on the uniqueness of the building and it appeal to a productive work environment.   The design manager, Matt Williams did state that the one drawback to the building’s design is the fact that the design misjudged the amount of sun that the atrium would get, thereby causing the atrium to be too hot during the summer months. 

Although I love the design of the building, I believe that a major disadvantage of the building would be the constant distractions of meetings and work due to the open design. 

Sustainable House - January 11, 2011

One of the major highlights of this trip for me was a visit to the sustainable house in Sydney Australia, and meeting Mr. Michael Mobbs, the visionary whose tenacity and hard work is probably a major contributor to the aggresive sustainability move in Australia (http://sustainablehouse.com.au/).  In first reading Mr. Mobbs’ book “Sustainable House”, it was refreshing to read about sustainability from a practical and realistic viewpoint.  Mr. Mobbs in his writing presents sustainability in a no-nonsense manner, and shares not only the positive, but the drawbacks of becoming sustainable.  Although Mr. Mobbs’ house was built in 1996 and his book first published in 1997, all of the practices that he presented and utilized in 1996 are applicable today.

The house is 100% sustainable, and at a glance appears to be a normal house.  Until Mr. Mobbs begin pointing out the sustainable features, one would not know that it was much different than the house next door.   Some of the major features of the house are:

1.      No public water comes into the house from the city. (Rainwater is harvested for use)

2.      No water or waste leaves the house.

3.      Gray water (water used for shower) is reused for toilet or washing clothes.

4.      No public electricity comes into the house, as it generates nearly twice the amount of electricity that it uses. (Solar Panels)

5.      Backyard fruit and vegetable garden used.

6.      Only four times since 1996, has the house required additional outside water due to lack of rain. 

Mr. Mobbs is very forthright about the challenges that he faced in making his house stainable in 1996, even though many of those challenges no longer exist due to a more educated public.  The major challenge was getting the project approved through city council and local code and zoning.   Mr. Mobbs now has not only the city council on board, but the entire neighborhood is benefiting from his vision.  Small community gardens exist throughout the neighborhood, of which people participate and partake.

Mr. Mobbs’ house represents a milestone in achieving sustainability, however realistically it is tantamount to going from 0 to 100 mph in 3 seconds!  All of the features that he built in his house can easily be duplicated, however most people would be more comfortable with taking a few features at a time.  I admire and applaud Mr. Mobbs, and I am truly inspired by his works.  I am moved to personally reach outside of my comfort zone to do more. 

Britomart – January 6, 2011

The MGT was privileged to be provided a tour of the Britomart Development Project in Auckland New Zealand by its Development Manager, Sarah Ballantyne.  The project is a large transport and urban revitalization project which spans seven inner city blocks, and is the country’s most expensive infrastructure project undertaken by a local authority (http://www.britomart.org/about-britomart  )  The project has received 5 star rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council for its sustainabile design.  The development is a collaborative effort by Cooper and Company (www.cooperandcompany.org) and Hamilton Construction Company (http://www.hawkins.co.nz/ ).  The project, initially intended for a mixed use development to include office space, retail, and apartments, made a major adjustment to its intended use after the residential market took a drastic downturn.  Although construction had already begun, the development team made design changes that would make the project commercial and retail only.  The design is of such that once the real estate market rebounds, the building could be easily reconverted for apartment use.  The building incorporates many sustainable features, one of which is it will serve as a major transportation hub for the train, ferry, and bus line.   In addition to the knowledge and leadership of the development manager, Sarah Ballantyne, I was most impressed by the ability of the team to change the design of the project to remove the apartment aspect and still meet the scheduled completion date of April 2011.

Rotorua Aquatic Center – January 5, 2011

The MGT visited the Rotorua Aquatic Center, which is the first Aquatic Center in the country to be awarded the gold environment award, recognizing the country’s highest standards in environmental practices.  The center is owned by the Totorua District Council and consistently demonstrates highly effective energy efficiency, waste management and water conservation (http://www.rdc-aquatic.co.nz/).   After being provided a tour by the shift supervisor, it is easy to understand why the Aquatic manager says “the achievement is a result of dedicated Aquatic Centre staff constantly thinking of ways to support and implement sustainability.  Not only has the Center been successful in achieving the highest standards for themselves, but they have inspired other local organizations to become more sustainable by challenging them to meet or exceed their accomplishments in implementing sustainable measures.  When the shift supervisor, with great pride, offered to show us the vegetable garden that the Aquatic Center had established, I believe that we were all looking for a garden large enough to feed the staff and its family.   Much to my surprise, the garden comprised of a few gallon tubs of plants which included tomatoes, peppers, and a few other vegetables.  I believe this garden and the pride of the aquatic staff epitomize the true essence of the sustainability movement.  Every accomplishment, no matter how small, must be viewed as a major step forward in the move toward a more sustainable environment.

Hamilton Gardens – January 6, 2011

The MGT visited Hamilton Garden, a public park owned by the people of Hamilton and managed by the Hamilton City Council.  The Garden contain five garden collections, one of which is the Productive Garden Collection.  This collection represent forms of productive plants which provides food, raw materials for clothing, shelter, and medicine.  The garden includes:

a.       Te Parapara, a garden demonstrating traditional Maori horticulture;

b.      Kitchen Garden, containing a range of vegetables and small fruits;

c.       Herb Garden, containing plants for culinary, cosmetic, perfume and medicinal purposes; and

d.      Sustainable Backyard, demonstrating principles of sustainable food production on a backyard scale.

The gardens are maintained by specific organizations, i.e. charitable organizations, schools, churches.  These organizations maintain the gardens, as well as reap the harvest to distribute the food to families in need or food banks.  The sustainable backyard section maintains a worm farm as well as compost for use in the gardens.  Some of the vegetable being grown are peas, tomatoes, greens, melons, squash, and others. 

Lessons Learned:

·         Community gardens would be an excellent source of affordable fresh fruit and vegetables for families.

·         Sustainable gardens can be utilized to reduce food cost as well as food transportation cost.

Source:  Hamilton Gardens Site Guide; www.hamiltongardens.co.nz

IRONBANK - January 3, 2011

IRONBANK – Auckland, New Zealand

The MGT visited the IRONBANK complex located in Auckland, New Zealand.  The complex comprises of 4500m sq. of retail and commercial office space around a landscaped plaza with 95 car parks accommodated in a mechanical car stacking machine below street level. It is located on the edge of Auckland’s Central Business District. One of the most unique features about this complex is the car stacking system.   

IRONBANK is Ecologically Sustainably Designed (ESD) and has been awarded a 5 Green star as-built rating by the New Zealand Green Building Council.  The project has been recognized with a Commendation award in the 2008 MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards.  (www.worldarchitecturenews.com) 

See pictures at:

http://www.contemporist.com/2010/06/16/the-ironbank-building-by-rta-studio/

The IRONBANK project seems to be a maverick, and ahead of it's time as may be evident by its lack of occupants.  The facility's parking garage is innovative and very useful where parking is a premium; however consumer's demand for this innovation does not exist.  I do believe that in the future as a balance is struck between economics and sustainability this building will be in demand.

Stanley Construction - January 3, 2011

Stanley Construction

Our Team (hereafter referred to as the Mobile Green Team MGT), met with Gary Caulfield, General Manager Stanley Construction, and an active member of the New Zealand Green Building Council.  Being an advocate for sustainability, “because it’s the right thing to do”, Gary is one of a few people in New Zealand who have managed a project that has attained a Green star rating (http://www.stanleygroup.co.nz/page/140-our-people). 

Gary provided in-depth knowledge about the New Zealand Green Council, of which he has been a member since its inception in 2005.  (http://www.nzgbc.org.nz/main/) The Council  was established in July 2005 with its goal to move the global property industry and built environment towards sustainability.

Gary provided detailed information about “leaky buildings”, a problem that manifested itself much in the same way that lead paint issued did in USA.  During the 1990s many houses were built using methods that haven't withstood the weather conditions in New Zealand. Because of the problems involving design, and installation of materials, these houses leak when it rains.  (http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/leaky/leaky-background.php)

Once water or moisture gets behind certain cladding types, if there is no cavity between the cladding and the framework, the water becomes trapped and cannot easily escape or evaporate.  In 1998, a change in the New Zealand standard for Timber Treatment (as referenced in Acceptable Solution B2/AS1) allowed the use of untreated kiln-dried timber in wall framing. If this untreated timber framing gets wet, the timber starts to rot. Likewise, steel framed buildings and treated timber can also be affected if they remain wet long enough. This causes, in some cases, extensive damage to the fabric and structure of the house.

A side effect of leaking buildings is the risk to human health. Some molds that grow on damp timber and other materials can cause respiratory and skin problems.  In addition, some residential structures have been determined to be dangerous because of weak timber and/or weak building structures.  

One of the facts that I found most fascinating about the leaky building issue is even though there is much litigation and tax payers’ dollars being spent on this problem, the New Zealand Government has not banned the use of this untreated timber in buildings.   

One of the most impressive things about this visit was Gary Caulfield’s dedication and commitment to sustainable living and practices.