australa sia
Hastie Australia
Feature
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Bligh Street:
HVAC innovation in practice
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Hastie Australia
Opened last July 1 Bligh Street is a striking new addition to Sydney’s skyline. Australasia Outlook talks to the project’s mechanical contractor - and ARBS Industry Awards Finalists for 2012 - Hastie Australia about the building’s innovative HVAC system and its green credentials. By Ian Armitage
“1 Bligh Street is built to Australia’s highest environmental standards. There really was nothing like this before”
Focus Construction
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t 27 storeys high 1 Bligh Street isn’t exactly Sydney’s tallest but it is certainly one of its most beautiful buildings and a striking addition to the city’s already world famous skyline. The building is very easy on the eye – its elliptical double-skin façade form, conceived by German architectural firm Ingenhoven and Australian architects Architectus, was selected from a swathe of entries to an international design competition run by owner DEXUS and the City of Sydney in 2006. It sparkles and glistens, day and night. But 1 Bligh Street is much more than a pretty face; it is at the forefront of a new era of smarter buildings and every aspect of the tower was designed to optimise sustainability, performance and the environment. “1 Bligh Street is built to Australia’s highest environmental standards,” says Frank Kotsis of Hastie Australia Pty Limited, the firm appointed mechanical contractor on the project. “There really was nothing like this before.”
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Hastie Australia
ELECTROMASTER Electromaster is a vital partner with Hastie Group on the No. 1 Bligh development and we are proud to be associated with the construction of a building that also looks towards the sustainability of the environment. Electromaster is now a major force in electrical for mechanical services in both NSW and WA, as well as electrical for building services in NSW. Our ability to combine the various areas of electrical work, complete with switchboard manufacturing, makes Electromaster a unique company proud of its reputation within the industry.
Australian buildings are evaluated using National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS), he says, and this building is targeting the highest NABERS and GREEN STAR ratings possible. “Several environmentally friendly design features make 1 Bligh Street what it is,” Kotsis explains. These “environmentally friendly design features” include the double-skin façade with automated solar control blinds, a naturally ventilated full-height atrium, rainwater recycling, a hybrid natural gas-fuelled tri-generation plant for combined heat, cooling, and power, and of course a hybrid air conditioning system. The office spaces are conditioned using chilled beams at the building’s perimeter zone and a variable-air volume system in the interior. 4
ELECTROMASTER
Electromaster specialises in: • Electrical services • 24hr Breakdown service • Mechanical & electrical • Industrial projects • Computer installations • Commercial projects • Automatic controls • Domestic installations • Complete custom switchboard design and manufacture Celebrating 40 Years of Service to the Electrical Industry 1972-2012 Electrical Engineers & Contractors 127 Victoria Road, Marrickville, NSW, Australia 2204 Phone: +61 2 9569 3911 Fax: +61 2 9560 0819 Web: www.electromaster.com.au
It is a complex, high-tech hybrid system. “It was a challenge,” Kotsis says. “The unusual architectural design of the building was a difficult one for the mechanical services design and installation and its shape demanded an innovative HVAC solution. It was almost impossible to provide a set-out based on the traditional way we used to have in other square buildings where the lift shaft or building core was used as a reference point so we did something unique and used GPS technology to provide a set-out plan for ductwork, pipework and the chilled beam configuration. It worked.” His team faced the challenge of coordinating the major plant on the project too. “That was a major challenge, coordinating the major plant
“It was almost impossible to provide a set-out based on the traditional way we used to have in other square buildings where the lift shaft or building core was used as a reference point so we did something unique and used GPS technology to provide a set-out plan for ductwork, pipework and the chilled beam configuration. It worked”
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Hastie Australia
such as the tri-generation system, blackwater recycling plant and evacuated solar tubes,” Kotsis says. “The precise coordination of diffusers was particularly critical in avoiding disruption of passive chilled beam operation, and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) proved extremely valuable.” He says that, with the building shape and complex structure, it (BIM) was the natural solution. “We have an experienced team who assisted the builder and other trades to resolve all issues. In our opinion, this level of coordination could not have been accomplished successfully in traditional 2D format. “The hybrid solution is innovative and it works very well.” Unsurprisingly the awards have been flowing in. Hastie was an ARBS Industry Awards Finalists for 2012. “ARBS are the organisers of Australia’s trade exhibition for the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and building services industries,” says Kotsis. “We were nominated in the HVAC Project Excellence category and are proud to have been nominated.” He says that 1 Bligh Street sets a new benchmark for A-grade sustainable office space. We agree. “Hastie Australia is a leading air conditioning contractor in Australia,” he says. “We pride ourselves on providing 6
Focus Construction
“We pride ourselves on providing friendly service and true value to our clients”
friendly service and true value to our clients. With high standards of engineering and project management, we have the in-house expertise to deliver on the most challenging and complex projects as 1 Bligh Street shows. We are one of Australia’s leading air conditioning installation companies and from our founding in 1970 we have grown to become an international company providing major project delivery and maintenance in Australia, New Zealand and internationally. Our ability to tailor air conditioning solutions to suit any requirement is what differentiates us in the market. Customers trust us to get the job done.” Hastie’s mantra is simple he says: “Exceed client expectations in all of our business activities and provide the highest level of service, quality, expertise and safety.” Hastie has been responsible for such landmarks as the Australian Stock Exchange, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Citigroup Building, Sydney International Airport Terminal and the Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour. Overseas, it has completed projects including as the Australian Embassies in Vietnam and China, Saigon Towers in Vietnam and the Earth Relay Station in Kazakhstan. To learn more visit www.hastiegroup.com.au.
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Suite 201, Level 2, Quad 3 102 Bennelong Road Homebush Bay NSW 2127 Australia PO Box 6161, Silverwater NSW 1811 Tel: +61 2 8732 5400 Fax: +61 2 8732 5401 Email: hastie@hastie.com.au
www.hastiegroup.com.au