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                    About Council House 2

                    Rooftop with seating areas and plants under a metal pergola,
                    In 2004, the City of Melbourne was faced with an accommodation dilemma. Staff were housed in dated office buildings which, although centrally located to the town hall, were nearing the end of their lifespan.

                    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Rather than relocate staff to alternative offices, Council embarked on an ambitious plan to construct a new office building, Council House 2 (CH2), that would meet its spatial requirements and lead the way in the development of an holistic green environment.

                    CH2 has been designed to not only conserve energy and water, but improve the wellbeing of its occupants through the quality of the internal environment of the building. CH2 demonstrates a new approach to workplace design, creating a model for others to learn from and follow.

                    CH2 is located at 240 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.

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                    Awards and recognition

                    The design of CH2 has been recognised through the awarding of a '6 Star Green Star – Design' certified rating, amongst a number of other industry awards. The completed building was awarded with a '6 Star Green Star – As Built' rating, completing the 6 Star certification for the building through the Green Building Council of Australia.

                    Awards

                    CH2 has been the recipient of a range of awards.

                    2010

                    6 Star – As Built Rating Certification, Green Star Rating Green Building Council of Australia

                    2007

                    Environmental Planning or Conservation, National Awards for Planning Excellence Planning Institute of Australia

                    President’s Award, National Awards for Planning Excellence Planning Institute of Australia

                    Sustainable Architecture Award, 2007 Victorian Architecture Awards, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Victorian Chapter in association with DesignInc

                    President’s Award, 2007 Excellence in Property Awards, Australian Property Institute, Victorian Division

                    Sustainable Architecture Award, 2007 National Architecture Awards, Royal Australian Institute of Architects in association with DesignInc

                    Finalist, Sustainable Design, Global Innovator’s Awards 2007 CoreNet Global

                    Environment and Sustainability Award, Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards 2007, Engineers Australia, Victorian Division i association with Lincolne Scott and Bonacci Group.

                    Sustainability Award, IDEA Excellence Awards 2007 (Inside) Australian Design Review in association with DesignInc.

                    Sir William Hudson Award, Australian Engineering Excellence Awards 2007 Engineers Australia in association with Lincolne Scott and Bonacci Group

                    Sustainable Building Award (projects under £25,000), Sustainable Building Services Awards UK Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Awarded to Lincolne Scott

                    2006

                    Greenhouse Expenditure Award, Eco-Buy Awards 2006

                    Recycled Expenditure Award, Eco-Buy Awards 2006

                    The Hey Big Spender Award, Eco-​Buy Awards 2006

                    Environmental Planning or Conservation Award, Awards for Planning Excellence 2006, Planning Institute of Australia, Victoria Division

                    2005

                    Special Projects Initiative, Award for Excellence LG Pro Local Government Professionals

                    6 Star Rating Certification, Green Star Rating Green Building Council of Australia

                    Green Building Award, World Environment Day Awards 2005 United Nations Association

                    2004

                    Exemplar, Imagining the Future Award, Year of the Built Environment Awards, CRC Construction Innovation in association with DesignInc.

                    ​Facts and figures

                    Council House 2 is a 10-storey office building housing approximately 540 City of Melbourne staff, with ground-floor retail spaces and underground parking. CH2 was officially opened in August 2006.

                    Gross floor area (GFA): 12,536m² comprising:

                    • 1995m² GFA basement areas
                    • 500m² net lettable area (NLA) – ground floor retail
                    • 9373m² total NLA
                    • 1064m² GFA – typical floor

                    Bike spaces: 80

                    Showers for cyclists: 9

                    Car spaces: 20 plus one disabled space. The car park can be converted to office space or other uses.

                    Fast facts

                    • By opening the purge windows for four hours a night in summer, CH2 reduces its cooling requirements by 20 per cent.
                    • CH2 office spaces have 100 per cent fresh air, which is calculated to save Council over $2m a year in increased staff effectiveness and productivity.
                    • Lower light levels (150 lux) supported by task lights saves 2/3 of normal energy use and has a beneficial effect on staff.
                    • CH2 replicates the leaf area of its original site through plantings on the north façade and roof terrace.
                    • All fit-out materials are recycled and/or non toxic which is expected to improve the health of staff.
                    • CH2 is projected to pay off its environmental features in approximately six years.
                    • CH2’s indoor plants are still alive and prospering – a typical indoor office plant gets replaced every two months.
                    • CH2 was Australia’s first '6 Star Green Star – Design' certified rated commercial office building by the Green Building Council of Australia.

                    Staff wellbeing evaluation

                    CH2 has proven that the productivity of office building occupants can be enhanced through good building design and providing a high-quality, healthy, comfortable and functional interior environment that takes account of basic occupant needs.

                    The first full year of operation was evaluated independently by the CSIRO and the report is available for download below. The CSIRO report includes analysis from independent consultant Adrian Leaman of Building Use Studies in the UK; it indicates that staff productivity has improved by an impressive 10.9 per cent.

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