Home Property Australia Grosvenor Place: Sydney’s sustainable office leader sets itself apart

Grosvenor Place: Sydney’s sustainable office leader sets itself apart

  • February 28, 2024
  • by Sponsored
Grosvenor Place

While new office asset developments are built to high performing sustainability and carbon reduction standards most commercial office space in Australia remains older existing stock and struggles to compete – not Grosvenor Place in Sydney.

The fundamental design of the landmark tower by Harry Seidler, which was completed in 1987, demonstrates remarkable foresight, incorporating environmentally conscious features long before sustainability became a widespread concern.

The owners of the tower have invested strategically, continuously, and substantially in being at the leading edge of workspace providers. The latest result of those efforts has seen the recent awarding of a Carbon Neutral certification and a 6.0-star NABERS Waste rating, ranking Grosvenor Place fifth nationally for Waste Management.

“Seidler was renowned as a futurist and the inbuilt design features in Grosvenor Place have enabled us to stay ahead of the times as we implement new technologies and systems for a building we term as everlasting. These include closed loop sustainability practices across the retail environment, exemplary food, and waste management on site and extensive renewable and monitored energy usage among other features,” says Executive Director, John Derrick.

He pointed to more than $32 million expenditure in continued investment in the building, with Grosvenor Place being at the forefront of tenant services and benefits. This includes the impressive lobby refurbishment creating one of the largest communal spaces in a premium building. The installation of new destination control technology in the lifts allow travellers to move faster between floors and has touchless control via a phone or card, plus the soon to be delivered Building Management and Control System which will deliver digital real-time airflow and air conditioning management for additional control and bespoke servicing of up to four different temperatures zones on one floor.

The Grosvenor Place journey towards sustainability began with a strategic chiller upgrade which, accompanied by a series of existing energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting, solar panels and thermal storage, propelled the building towards a NABERS five-star energy rating, a significant achievement. Inspired by this milestone, Grosvenor Place took the bold step towards carbon neutrality, earning the prestigious Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification.

One key aspect of this certification was the conscious shift towards green energy procurement. Leveraging favourable electrical contracts and the savings generated by new chillers and smart organic response lighting, Grosvenor Place seamlessly transitioned to 100% accredited green power.

Beyond environmental stewardship, Grosvenor Place’s carbon neutrality certification extends its impact to tenants, Mr Derrick said, empowering them to align their own sustainability and carbon certification goals with those of the building.

This commitment not only reduces the building’s carbon footprint but also highlights its dedication to sustainable practices and puts the building on a 6-star NABERS rating with green power.

Furthermore, Grosvenor Place’s sustainability initiatives extend beyond energy to waste management. Collaborating with consultants and tenants the building implemented efficient waste systems including Dry and Organic Waste systems minimising carbon offsets associated with waste management and earning a 6-star NABERS Waste Rating. 

These stellar sustainability stats are proof that every effort is made to respect the environment at Grosvenor Place through the latest innovations including an onsite dehydrator that makes fertiliser from food waste. Toilets and showers that use filtered harvested rainwater and 90,000 bees that are hard at work on the roof making honey in their purpose-built space.

For forward thinking, the ultimate modernist Harry Seidler would be proud.