Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP, has today officially opened Australia’s first 6 Star, Green Star designed educational building.
The Bond University Mirvac School of Sustainable Development was awarded its 6 Star, or ‘World Leadership’, status by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) for the design of its recently completed building
The 6 Star Green Star - Education PILOT Certified Rating puts Bond University, and Australia, at the forefront of world’s best practice in sustainability.
The design rating is the result of a 12-month submission process Bond University undertook with GBCA as part of their Green Star pilot process for educational buildings, as one of only five education providers nationally chosen to take part.
Bond University Chancellor Mr Trevor C Rowe AM stated the University is proud to be leading the way in sustainability.
“This achieves the goal we shared with Mirvac to create an educational building that reflects a Living Laboratory for the advancement of teaching sustainability principles and practices, not only to Bond students but to the wider community.
“We will be inviting schools, governments, industry and the general public to visit the new building and see sustainability in practice and have a hands-on experience of sustainable planning, design and construction processes,” he said.
“We look forward to using this marvellous facility to help shape the thought processes of the next generation of development professionals and the future direction of sustainability,” Mr Rowe said.
The building has been designed to minimise energy consumption through an innovative design that makes maximum use of natural light and mixed mode ventilation.
Water tanks, solar heating and a grey water recycling system means it won’t rely on the already stretched South East Queensland water supply, and the building will generate around 40 per cent of its peak power through solar cells and wind turbines.
The design also made extensive use of recycled materials, including recycled-certified steel and timber, low-emission paints and carpets made from recycled fibres.
“It is also unique in as much as it is a joint venture between tertiary education (Bond University), the corporate sector (Mirvac Corporation), and the Government (Federal Government Capital Development Pool Grant)," Mr Rowe added.
Mr Rowe said that while the building is estimated to be around 30 per cent more expensive than traditional buildings upfront - at a cost of $11 million - it represents significant cost savings in the long-term.
“I hope this will encourage other education providers to ‘think green’ when embarking on new developments because not only will an environmentally sound approach help to promote healthier learning facilities for students and teachers, but it will also help to improve their bottom line by reducing operating costs in the long term,” Mr Rowe said.
In announcing the 6 Star rating, Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, commented that the Bond University Mirvac School of Sustainable Development has gone beyond creating just a world leading green building, but has also invested in the future of Australia.
“By going green in our universities, not only are we reducing the negative environmental impact of these buildings but also providing these students with healthy and safe surroundings that will increase their learning potential.
“The Green Building Council of Australia congratulates Bond University and Mirvac for taking on the challenge and creating a world leading building that will use less resources and provide an opportunity for hands-on learning,” concluded Ms Madew.
Mirvac Managing Director, Greg Paramor said that this recognition demonstrates Bond University’s and Mirvac’s commitment to world leading sustainable practices.
“Our in-house Mirvac Design team collaborated with the University and consultant team to develop a design that holistically addressed the principles of world’s best practice sustainability.
“Mirvac continues to set industry sustainability benchmarks. This includes our 6 Star Green Star Orion Springfield Town Centre, one of the world's most sustainable shopping centres,” Mr Paramor said.