DESIGN AND BUILD: SKY’S THE LIMIT

SKY’S THE LIMIT

WITH THE HOTEL INDUSTRY UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE TO DELIVER GREENER HOTELS, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT FRESH WAYS TO REDUCE THEIR IMPACT, RUTH HOGAN REPORTS.

It will soon be mandatory for hotels and buildings to disclose their NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) energy rating, according to Green Building Council CEO, Davina Rooney.

Speaking at this year’s Design Inn Symposium, hosted at SkyCity Adelaide, Rooney said the government rating system of a building’s environmental performance will become even more important to the industry. “NABERS mandatory disclosure is coming,” she told delegates.

Eos by SkyCity Adelaide features high-performance facades to minimise heat loads

“It is currently being formally considered by government as to when that will come into place.”

Rooney talked about the importance of engaging people through leading sustainable programs.

“We have 85% of our consumers becoming greener in their purchasing habits,” she said. “We have leading hotels that we’re working with in this space, we’d love to see a lot more.”

Sponsored by Hansen Yuncken, Design Inn provided a platform for industry representatives from Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific to share insights into hotel design, construction, and future trends.

SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION

It was fitting that the Design Inn took place in the $330-million luxury hotel Eos by SkyCity Adelaide –a Yuncken build which was heavily focused on green construction and design practices.

Waste reduction throughout the build was incredibly important to Hansen Yuncken - we recycled around 90 per cent of our waste.

-Scott Brumfield, Hansen Yuncken

Hansen Yuncken Construction Manager, ScottBrumfield, said, sustainability in commercial accommodation is a rising focus for industry, and was a key focus in the development of Eos by SkyCity.

“Some of the innovations employed during the Eos by SkyCity build included high-performance facades to minimize heat loads, a very detailed commissioning process, and guest management systems,” Brumfield said.

Guests are looking for hotels that share their values on sustainability

“We used triple Low-E glass to help block out the sun's ultraviolet and infrared rays, and desktop thermal modelling to understand the heating and cooling factor of the final building.”

Hansen Yuncken also used electric cranes rather than diesel throughout the project, to reduce the impact on the environment.

“Waste reduction throughout the build was incredibly important to Hansen Yuncken - we recycled around 90per cent of our waste, which reduces our carbon footprint dramatically,” Brumfield added.

Construction of the glazed facade, a major feature of the building, was complex however, as it was partially sourced from overseas.

“The glazing was prototyped in Thailand, as well as Adelaide, where it was adapted to a standard system to ensure cost-effectiveness, and yielded to accommodate the required curves and capability,” Brumfield said.

“Extensive desktop analysis and computer modelling was carried out to test for the high-performance efficiency for thermal loads and acoustics that this first class building demanded.”

Hansen Yuncken took a green approach to Eos by SkyCity Adelaide

Eos by SkyCity General Manager, Jodi Brown, said the development of Eos by SkyCity was an extremely positive experience.

“To successfully deliver projects in this changing landscape, companies need to understand the client brief and work within the brand’s intended outcomes,” Brown said.

“This means having a very open dialogue with architects, designers and other stakeholders which Hansen Yuncken did very well. As a result, I’m happy and confident in saying we are Adelaide’s market leader and excited to see the local hotel industry develop.” Since opening, interest in the property has remained strong, according to Brown.

“We have consistently achieved extremely high occupancy levels,” she said.