The sustainable transformation of the 1960s industrial precinct in Melbourne, formerly owned by Philip Morris, into a $200 million commercial community, has resulted in savings of 19 million kilograms of embodied carbon, or the equivalent of 400 rail cars full of coal. This was achieved by the project’s builder, Kapitol Group through adaptive reuse construction techniques, which entailed retaining the existing structure throughout the build.

Spanning 6.3 hectares, the Morris Moor project is led by Up Property, who appointed architects ClarkeHopkinsClarke (CHC), and builder Kapitol Group for Building 4. With the completion of the building, Kapitol Group has delivered a construction program in which these embodied carbon savings contribute to the developer’s overall goal for the site to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs, further supported by sustainable onsite infrastructure including a 460-panel solar power system, which will generate up to 245kWp.

“Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of development and are specifically looking for sustainable options. Adaptive reuse presents a great opportunity in this space,” observes Kapitol Group Project Manager, Jamie Kerr, who led the delivery of Building 4.

Kapitol Group was also able to recycle 92 percent of the materials from the demolition program, which was executed by hand to allow them to work with the existing infrastructure.

“Partial demolition of an existing structure in a live environment is both complex and time-consuming. However, this careful process has allowed us to salvage materials such as the original façade brickwork, which has been repurposed throughout the building,” Kerr confirms.

Up Property general manager Marcus Jankie said the adaptation of what was once Moorabbin’s major employer has had a widespread impact, directly from the 19 million kg of embodied carbon savings.

“It would take more than 7,500 hectares or 4,300 MCG Ovals full of eucalyptus forest to absorb that amount of carbon over the course of an entire year,” Jankie says.

“The goal was to reuse as much of the existing building as possible. This involved retaining the structure, finishes, flooring and glazing to not only capture the invaluable and non-replicable charter of the buildings but to harness the one-off opportunity of limited environmental impact through adaptive reuse over new construction. This was maximised not only through thoughtful design by the consultant team but executed practically by an experienced builder - Kapitol Group."

According to architect Gaston Nogues, associate at ClarkeHopkinsClarke, adaptive reuse is an approach now driving the best placemaking worldwide.

“...it breathes new life into unique places, minimises embodied carbon, reduces operational carbon and construction waste, and makes construction quicker and more cost-effective,” he says.

“Morris Moor is part of the next generation of workplaces that are embracing the character of historic buildings, treading lightly and creating a community meeting place. We’ve connected existing structures, brought natural light deep into the building, created a biophilic courtyard, and designed flexible public and private spaces that can be used in multiple ways.

"Locals love hanging out here because it’s unique and there’s always lots going on, and their friends are happy to cross town to join them. It’s not enough just to put up an office building anymore. If you don’t provide authentic amenity the community won’t love it, and tenants won’t either."

Tenants are keen to relocate their operations to a new neighbourhood that balances commerce with culture and helps them meet their ESG commitments, Jankie says.

Tenants include global provider of DaaS and SaaS solutions for automotive companies, Info Media, fourth party innovative logistics company EFM Logistics, environmentally conscious beauty manufacturer of 45 top bath and body retail brands worldwide, Hunter Amenities, flower delivery specialists LVLY, sustainably sourced and recycled materials anti-fast fashion brand, Dakota 501, and the most advanced livestock monitoring solution in the world, Smart Paddock.

Building 4, level 1, with over 12,500sqm NLA, is slated to open by the end of the year.

Architecture & Design Team

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