Woods Bagot's retrofit of the GPT workplace in the MLC Centre in Sydney has won the Office Fitout award at this year's BPN Sustainability awards.

The  architects explained that  the GPT workplace challenged market perception and set new standards in retrofit projects, by creating an innovative, connected, collaborative and most importantly sustainable fitout in one of Sydney's most famous assets, the 30 year old MLC Centre. 

The project was challenging as the MLC Centre had not undergone a major base building refurbishment over its 30 year lifespan, even though it has a 5 star NABERS rating.  GPT’s tenancy at 3600 sqm represents only a small portion of the overall NLA in the building and as such the design team had to work extremely hard to create a ‘green infrastructure to support a small tenancy” and to rework the building services.

The judges said that the architects have shown an acute attention to detail.

 "The GPT workplace project demonstrates the benefit of attention to detail when ‘re-lifing’ or repurposing an existing building. The team effectively places a safety net under the usual project process to catch all the little bits that usually fall through to the void. But they have captured a lot more than the norm."

The architects aimed to challenge the preconceived restraints of older, smaller floor plate, central corebuilding stock. 

The GPT fitout materials strategy is a methodology that was developed as a part of the GPT tenancy fitout which informs GPT’s wider materials procurement and waste diversion strategy across their entire portfolio. The sustainable materials strategy is twofold, an existing materials strategy to maximise waste diversion followed by a new materials strategy which is for material reuse and procurement.

The new working environment allows for business growth and optimises performance by providing task orientated wireless and technologically enabled spaces, allowing employees to utilise a range of settings from concentrated private spaces to collaborative and project specific settings, coupled with a broad range of meeting rooms. 

The design aims to honour and interpret the building’s heritage and Seidler’s forms and uses these forms in the ceiling and also in the two statement staircases.  The combination of exposed and concealed ceilings, help to create relief in the ceiling plane and ‘breaks’ the monotony of the reduced ceiling height and standard ceiling grid of a regular office tower.

INITIATIVES

  • From a services perspective there is an increase in fresh air rates internally to provide 11.25 litres/sec/person to push delivery to be 50per cent above the requirements of AS 1668.2-1 991 by 50per cent (equivalent to 11.25l/s/p).  This is augmented by the introduction of 500 plants, that promote a feeling of ‘fresh’ and clean air, which is as much about user perception as it is about impact on the internal air quality. .
  • The lighting strategy looked at reducing the overall lighting level to below the recommended Australian standard in circulation spaces and provided task lighting to augment focused task areas. 
  • The external bays of lighting are on PIR to reduce lighting levels when the daylight level is sufficient. 
  • GPT has implemented an alternate working environment with 270 desks for 320 users, this in itself is a sustainable use of space and resources. 
  • Has 90per cent less paper stored
  • Uses 75per cent less paper
  • Uses 50per cent less energy
  • Lighting energy consumption is down by 70per cent
  • Fresh air intake increased by 25per cent with the addition of external louvres into the façade
  • 500 plants were added
  • 12 months occupied at 14 June 2012
  • 320 lockers/272 desks. The 272 desks are generally only 77per cent occupied
  • 100per cent of pre-existing equipment and fitout materials  were either recycled or re-used
  • Staff moved from being spread across five floors to being consolidated across three floors
  • A more mobile and engaged workforce.