Charter Hall Group has been awarded WELL Certification at the Gold level by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) for its landmark Adelaide office tower, GPO Exchange.
One of the most innovative and technologically advanced smart buildings in Australia, GPO Exchange is the first ever project in South Australia to achieve WELL Certification. GPO Exchange was recently awarded a 5.5 Star NABERS Energy rating, 5 Star NABERS Water rating and 5 Star NABERS Indoor Environment rating.
Several initiatives were introduced to raise GPO Exchange’s WELL rating from Silver to Gold. These included a green cleaning protocol focusing on the use of non-toxic cleaning materials to maintain healthy indoor air quality for occupants; design of high touch surfaces to enable regular deep cleaning to mitigate transmission of bacteria and viruses; specific cleaning equipment and storage of chemicals to enable the highest degree of cleanliness in the building; ongoing testing of building’s water quality; food policies supporting the use of healthier eating choices; and end-of-trip facilities enabling cycling to work and running during lunch breaks to support the physical health of occupants.
A report highlighting biophilic design features was also incorporated into the building to support the health and wellbeing of occupants.
“GPO Exchange is raising the bar for commercial sustainability in South Australia and has set a new benchmark for workplaces in this State. This incredible milestone is recognition of that,” said Charter Hall development executive George Roussos.
“Charter Hall continues to lead the way in delivering innovative buildings that support sustainability and a healthy working environment. This impressive accolade further demonstrates Charter Hall's commitment to excellence in sustainability and creating better workplaces.”
Roussos also credited the singular achievement to the efforts of their project team including construction partner Built, project manager RCP, architect Hassell, building consultants Floth, and the entire Charter Hall team.
“I look forward to working with our team to target Gold WELL Certification for our latest Adelaide development, 60 King William Street, along with 6 Star Green Star, 5 Star NABERS Energy ratings and 6 Star NABERS Waste rating,” he added.
The Gold WELL Certification for GPO Exchange follows the portfolio WELL accreditation that Charter Hall received across its Charter Hall Prime Office Fund (CPOF), Charter Hall Office Trust (CHOT) and Charter Hall’s workplaces. Together, these portfolios consist of close to 1 million square metres of real estate and places Charter Hall as one of the first organisations globally to receive this scale of WELL accreditation.
