1200 Buildings Program overview
Signatories to the 1200 Buildings Program embark upon challenging retrofit projects to improve the environmental performance, health and value of their buildings. Our 1200 Buildings video series captures their stories.
View 1200 Buildings Program overview video
530 Collins Street, Melbourne
530 Collins Street is an energy efficient premium grade office tower. The owners GPT Group have dramatically improved the building’s efficiency through a range of measures including new chillers and an on-site cogeneration plant to generate gas fired electricity and use waste heat in the building.
View 1200 Buildings - 530 Collins Street, Melbourne video
More information can be found on 530 Collins Street.
131 Queen Street, Melbourne
The owners corporation of 131 Queen Street have used retrofitting to ensure the building is competitive in the marketplace. The environmental retrofit work is designed to significantly increase the building’s NABERS Energy rating and includes a new high efficiency chiller, digital building management system and an award-winning rooftop garden with a variety of herbs and edible plants including strawberries, olives and lemons.
View 1200 Buildings - 131 Queen Street, Melbourne video
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 853kb)
Alto Hotel on Bourke, Melbourne
The heritage listed Alto Hotel on Bourke is Melbourne’s first carbon neutral hotel. Formerly the Victorian Railways Union head office, the building was intensively renovated to achieve superior performance in energy, water and waste efficiency. Features include wall, floor and ceiling insulation, a hot water reticulation system and low flow taps and showers.
View 1200 Buildings - Alto Hotel on Bourke, Melbourne video
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 933kb)
Ross House, Melbourne
Ross House is the only self managed and community owned not for profit building in Australia. The greening of Ross House aligns with both the owners and tenants’ vision for social and environmental equity and sustainability. Because the building is both heritage listed and owned by a not for profit organisation, resourcing the building retrofit is particularly challenging.
View 1200 Buildings - Ross House, Melbourne video
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 759kb)
490 Spencer Street, West Melbourne
490 Spencer Street is a small office building that packs a big punch when it comes to energy efficiency. The building has undergone an integrated retrofit to reduce building energy consumption and the tenants play an active role in managing operational efficiency. Solar photo voltaic can supply up to 100 per cent of the building’s power depending on the amount of sunlight available and energy required.
View 1200 Buildings - 490 Spencer Street, West Melbourne video
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 713kb)
500 Collins Street
500 Collins Street has been completely transformed during its retrofit, and has become the first CBD building in Australia to gain a 5 Green Star v1 Design rating in the process.
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 706kb)
406 Collins Street, Melbourne
Built in the late 1950’s Praemium House was a challenge to retrofit. The objective was to achieve a 4.0 star NABERS Energy rating. However, early indications show that the building is on track to achieve a 50-65 per cent improvement in energy efficiency which will result in a rating of 5.0 star NABERS Energy.
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 884kb)
182 Capel Street, West Melbourne
FMSA Architecture offers comprehensive architectural, interior and urban design and professional construction management services. As owner/occupier, FMSA Architecture has applied its expertise in environmentally sustainable design to the retrofit and extension of 182 Capel Street. The objective is to reduce carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent, reduce water use and waste to landfill.
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 848kb)
115 Batman Street, West Melbourne
Norman Disney and Young, a leading engineering consulting firm has completely transformed the internal space at 115 Batman Street. Maintaining the existing shell of the building proposed a number of challenges but these were systematically overcome to achieve low levels of energy and water consumption. The aim of the refurbishment was to provide an excellent working environment to enhance the productivity of their staff.
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 776kb)
385 Bourke Street
385 Bourke street, a 1983 concrete and steel structure, has been taken from zero to a 3.5 star NABERS rating.
More information can be downloaded in the case study (PDF, 687kb)
Other case studies
EPA Victoria, 200 Victoria Street
The former Carlton and United Brewery Laboratory is one of the first commercial retrofit buildings in Australia to apply for 6 Star Green Star ratings in Office Design, As Built and Office Interiors. Light-filled and beautifully finished the site uses a state-of-the-art tri-generation plant, rainwater harvesting, and locally manufactured materials.
More information can be found at EPA Victoria.