The GPT Group, one of Australia’s largest diversified property groups, owns and manages a $20 billion portfolio of offices, logistics, business parks and prime shopping centres across the country. The Footprint Company (TFC) employed their software tools together with appropriate guidance and support to deliver a 30% reduction in the whole of life footprint of GPT’s assets and operations.
The Waterless Wok
A water auditing project highlighted excessive water use in a single Asian tenancy. The solution to the issue was a waterless wok retrofit and trial, with the project involving every stakeholder in a retail trust including asset managers, leasing, centre operations, sustainability, tenants and authorities.
Key outcomes: A catalyst project that led to the first ‘green-lease’ requirements of their kind; validation of metering, monitoring and sustainability targets as part of an asset’s core measures; and the importance of tenant sustainability to an asset sustainability success.
Rouse Hill Town Centre
The use of the ecological footprint concept as a central tenant to the sustainability commitment for the project supported the first whole of project deployment of TFC’s footprint calculators for design, evaluation and validation. The success of Rouse Hill gave GPT the confidence to expand this approach across all operational and new developments.
Key outcomes: A 19% footprint reduction target (as compared to a conventional centre) was set and was ultimately exceeded (32% finally achieved); a comprehensive approach to passive design, energy efficiency, recycled materials procurement, supply chain and tenant sustainability targets and engagement; and prestigious sustainability awards including the Banksia Environmental, Business and People's Choice Awards.
Charlestown Square Expansion
Building on the Rouse Hill success, Charlestown Square’s ecological footprint framework led to the design and installation of the largest solar cooling system and tri-generation installation with the goal of delivering low carbon energy to the base building and tenants. A comprehensive approach of energy efficiency linked to the 3 MW tri-generation scheme delivered a significant improvement to the total ecological and economic efficiency of the base building and tenancies. The project was also the largest test and validation of TFC’s retail tenant application, which was deployed to measure, suggest improvements and validate operating energy and carbon emissions.
Highpoint Shopping Centre Expansion
GPT set (and achieved) a whole of building ecological footprint improvement target of 30% as compared to Charlestown, demonstrating that a focus on ecological efficiency also delivers economic productivity. Highpoint continues to be the lowest occupancy cost centre in the GPT portfolio.
Key outcomes: TFC’s multi-use and tenancy software was used to quantify the project’s ecological and carbon footprint and drive initiatives through the project and all its tenants; integrated approach helped achieve the project sustainability targets as confirmed by the final ‘as-built’ assessment result; and the final result - 2.1 planets, 26% better than Charlestown.
Direct Engagement with Tenants (Highpoint Shopping Centre)
Tenants began using software to measure impact and calculate heat and power loads. TFC partnered with GPT to provide direct feedback to the designer on simple, cost effective ways to reduce the ecological intensity of their design; and identified 20% footprint savings for each tenant on average, reducing capital carbon emissions by ~360 TCO2 and saving tenants ~$53 /m² GLA in energy costs over the life of their tenancy.
This program has been able to increase awareness of ecologically efficient designs for both designers and tenants.
GPT Development Manager:
"By taking a holistic, early approach to measurement, informed decisions were made that have paid off. The design is more capital-efficient, delivers a lower operating and embodied carbon footprint while hitting social targets by delivering a superior internal environment quality for people."
Image Credits:
The Waterless Wok (Image Source: Plumbing Connection)
Rouse Hill Town Centre (Image Source: GPT Group)
Highpoint Shopping Centre (Image Source: GPT Group)
Highpoint Shopping Centre (Image Source: GPT Group)
