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National @ Docklands, the head office of our Australian business, is set in Melbourne's Docklands precinct. Designed from the inside out, National @ Docklands is a highly efficient workplace that not only supports the needs of the business but also looks after the health and well being of employees and the environment.
The development consists of two-low rise, interconnected, highly transparent buildings set amongst sunlight filled Atriums. With a 4 star building energy rating, National @ Docklands features a number of innovative sustainable design features that are unique to the building. Mixed mode ventilation is a key sustainability symbol where parts of the building are fresh air ventilated. In these zones people are able to open windows, work outside or work in glass greenhouse environments.
Other unique design features are the glare screens located on the exterior of the building that reflect daylight onto the ceilings of the Northern and Eastern façade considerably reducing glare and therefore eye strain. This ensures that people are able to work in natural light all day.
Featuring a saw-tooth roof, sunlight penetrates the building even on overcast days, reducing the reliance on conventional lighting. Traditionally a key area of energy consumption, the building lighting has been specifically designed to almost halve the lighting load of similar size buildings. Light sensors are located in many meeting rooms, with the building moving from full to access lighting at 7pm each weekday. The use of flat panel technology instead of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors also greatly reduces energy consumption.
Sustainability is a key theme throughout the building design that follows right through to the selection of materials using low off-gassing components, natural materials and easily recyclable components. The Mirra Task chair, chosen primarily for its superior ergonomic features, is also 96% recyclable. Even the plants that line the Atrium play an important role in absorbing toxins and refreshing the air in the building.
To maintain the commitment to sustainability, the building occupants have a major role to play. The amount of printers in the new environment has been almost halved, with printers set to duplex as default to greatly reduce paper usage. An active environmental champions network is up and running promoting and supporting recycling programs and minimising the use of disposables in the workplace. Reporting systems have also been developed to track energy, water and paper usage to ensure that we maximise all the opportunities that the new environment presents.
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