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8 June 2009
A group of young professionals has literally played a star role
in the company's move to new offices at 16 Marcus Clarke
Street.
The Workplace 2020 group – made up of about 15 young
professionals between the ages of 20 and 35 – was handed control of
the $3 million office fitout and the challenge of achieving a star
environmental rating.
GHD staff will be aware of their energy consumption from the
minute they arrive in the new office tomorrow. A key feature of the
office design is a resource monitoring system that monitors energy
use, water consumption and paper use, and broadcasts it to
electronic notice boards as a constant reminder of the company’s
carbon footprint.
Vish Kunjur, the Workplace 2020 group’s lead architect, said his
team was expecting to see consumption fall as people became more
conscious of what they were using.
The group has also capitalised on the building’s natural light,
and the relatively cool Canberra air will provide virtually free
cooling for GHD’s server room, with the use of economy cycles
installed in the mechanical systems.
A 1:1 person-to-plant ratio will help to keep the air inside the
office fresh, and it is estimated that the office’s green features
will result in an immediate 30 percent reduction in GHD’s energy
consumption.
Vish said the challenge in planning an office for the future was
to make it flexible and adaptable, with interaction emerging as a
key theme.
“The old office was a very traditional type arrangement, with
L-shaped workstations. In the new office, the focus will move to
working in interactive and collaborative group spaces, creating a
smarter work place,” he said.
Modelling has found that GHD’s move from Belconnen could reduce
the company’s carbon footprint by a further 25 percent through
changed travel habits. The central location of the new office will
allow many staff who drive to catch public transport or ride their
bikes to work.
GHD Canberra Manager Robert Knott said the
Workplace 2020 group should be proud of their achievement.
“The team has managed to meet the criteria to
be assessed for a green star rating within a tight timeframe and
against stringent budgets,” he said.
“These young people will be the leaders of our business in 2020.
We’re obviously in good hands.”
For further information, contact:
Sonia Adams