Blackwoods Warehouse Karratha

Disciplines
Sustainability

Markets
Industrial

Offices
Perth

Key People

Prasanna Suraweera

Sustainability Section Manager, Principal

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WGE was engaged on the development of a new Blackwoods Warehouse in Karratha. The warehouse is Western Australia’s first ever project to be awarded Green Star 4 Star Industrial V1 Design certification, which was successfully led by WGE’s sustainability team.

The Blackwoods Karratha Retail Warehouse achieved the prestigious Green Star certification with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) through a number of innovative sustainable initiatives and materials that were implemented and used throughout the build, including the implementation of one of the first large scale PV solar systems powered on the Horizon Power network.

Additional sustainability initiatives include:

• Daylight responsive ‘high bay’ fluorescent lights in the warehouse as an alternative to traditional metal halide lighting, providing significant energy savings.
• 100% of waste water treated on site through blackwater and greywater systems.
• Indoor air quality improved through use of low VOC paints and adhesives.
• The use of sustainably sourced timber throughout the project.
• Efficient humidity control through a dedicated outside air heat recovery system.

The location of the new warehouse in a remote and cyclonic region brought about challenges to the team in both climatic conditions and the availability of materials. WGE’s team took into account conditions such as humidity, heat and cyclonic structural issues to ensure appropriate sustainability solutions and a robust PV solar installation.