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Austcorp’s $900 million Vision tower is set to break new ground in environmentally sustainable mixed-use building design in Brisbane, with its innovative design aiming to secure top ratings from leading environmental building agencies.
Austcorp's Queensland general manager Kerry Spencer says Vision aims to become one of the small handful of buildings in Brisbane recognised for innovative sustainable building practices.
Only fifteen buildings in Queensland currently hold an Australian Building Greenhouse Rating, with only two Queensland buildings currently holding a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Mr Spencer says Vision’s environmental design has the potential to set new benchmarks for the building industry and rank amongst the top in the nation.
“Our plan for sustainable development is quite unique because we are a mixed-use building, so we have had to plan specific strategies for our residential, commercial and retail sectors,” Mr Spencer said.
“Only 523 buildings in Australia have attained an ABGR rating and just 14% of these buildings have a rating of 4.5 stars or higher."
“Such buildings are the way of our future, and Vision has embraced the adoption of environmentally sensitive design principles."
The residential component of the building has been thermally modelled and achieves an average of 4.5 stars under BERS (Building Energy Rating Scheme)
Furthermore, Vision’s proposed design initiatives will be based on the sustainable management of the indoor environment, energy resources, transport facilities, water, building materials, land and waste.
Some strategies that will be considered include the use of ventilation and natural light, electricity generators, concrete and steel with recycled content, insulation with low ozone depleting potential, exhaust risers in the commercial building to remove toxic fumes and water efficient landscape irrigation through rainwater re-use or sub-soil drip irrigation.
However, Mr Spencer says he believes the key to Vision’s success is not only dependent on the initiatives and facilities, but the way in which they are utilised.
“We will also be educating building users about the building’s design so that they are conscious about how best to use the facilities."
“The environmental design ethos behind Vision is a commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of humanity as well as an investment in the future value of the building and the lifestyle of its residents and employees."
Vision is situated on a 5,485-square-metre site between Mary and Margaret Streets in Brisbane’s city centre and is set to be Queensland’s largest residential, commercial, retail and tourist tower, rising 287 metres above street level.
It will comprise 407* residential apartments over 54 levels, commercial workplaces consisting of 29,000 square metres of net lettable area over 15 levels and accommodating up to 1,500 workers, a civic and retail plaza covering 3,000 square metres of net lettable area over three levels and Brisbane’s first observation deck, providing a major new tourist attraction for the city.
Construction began in March 2007, with completion expected by early 2012.
For more information about Vision, visit www.visionbrisbane.com.au.
*Correct as at 01 October 2007
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