Wellington Central

Disciplines
Civil, Electrical, Fire Engineering, Mechanical, Structural, Sustainability, Vertical Transportation

Markets
Commercial

Offices
Perth

Key People

Rowan Stokes

Structural Section Manager, Director

Mark Carroll

Electrical Section Manager, Principal

Prasanna Suraweera

Sustainability Section Manager, Principal

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Wellington Central is an unassuming commercial development in West Perth that through remarkable engineering has achieved a 5 star NABERS Energy rating for the base building.

The WGE team achieved this by understanding that energy efficiency commitments are as much about risk management as they are about technology and innovative design solutions.

Sustainability challenge:

• Determining the appropriate level of energy efficiency initiatives to include in the design phase in order to ensure the required performance was achieved during operation.

Solutions:

• Using detailed computer simulations to accurately manage this risk and test various design options (façades, mechanical systems, etc.).
• Selecting the right mix of design solutions that provided actual energy benefits at the least capital cost burden to the project.
• Through this process a vertically zoned low velocity variable air volume system was chosen, along with the CO2controls and high efficiency façade. At the time this was considered an innovative approach, one which challenged the industry expectations of having to use high cost alternative air conditioning options.

The accuracy and appropriateness of the models was a key outcome that was driven by WGE to ensure the results were relevant for its purpose.

In addition, the vertical transportation solutions for the building were particularly important to the success of the project, with the goal of achieving a Grade A quality service.

Vertical transportation challenge:

• The high traffic demand expected by the tenant, the Department of Immigration, included both office and public usage, each with a separate profile and performance criteria.

Solutions:

• Recognising that finding a balance on the number of lifts in any building that minimises capital cost but delivers on people movement expectations is important in order to achieve cost efficient designs and floor plate efficiency.
• WGE carried out detailed computer based, simulation modelling of various lift services options based on the building population movements. The final adopted solution achieved the client expectations for the lift services.

Following completion of the project WGE performed an ongoing management role to measure and verify the actual energy performance, which did in fact exceed the client expectations. Significant knowledge was gained regarding actual operational profiles of commercial buildings and building functional requirements which has allowed the team to further improve the approach.