Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory
The Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation facility is located in Wanniassa.
In brief:
- The Gugan Gulwan building has achieved a five-star Green Star Building certification for sustainability.
- It is the first operational building in the ACT to get a five-star Green Star Building certification.
- This article contains details about the building’s construction and design and services.
The new Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation building has achieved a five-star sustainability rating using the Green Star Buildings v1.0 tool.
Located in Wanniassa, it is the first building in the ACT to achieve a five-star Green Star Building certification for its daily operations.
While many buildings in the ACT have been designed to meet the five-star Green Star standard, this is the first to be certified for how it performs every day.
What is the Green Star Buildings tool?
The Green Star Buildings v1.0 tool is an internationally recognised Australian sustainability rating and certification system.
The tool assesses performance across construction and operation.
The Gugan Gulwan building
The ACT Government partnered with Gugan Gulwan to design and deliver their new home.
Gugan Gulwan’s new space allows them to deliver expanded services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans, including children, young people and their families.
The Government worked with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to design the building, with the goal of a five-star certification in mind.
The building earned its rating by using sustainable design and construction practices, including:
- all-electric building services
- performance window glazing
- highly efficient lighting, electrical and mechanical systems
- a large solar PV system generating renewable energy on site
- a 1,700L rainwater tank for water-efficient toilet flushing
- a climate-resilient approach that prepares for future extremes in weather.
Construction was also carried out with sustainability in mind by:
- diverting 95% of construction waste from landfill, with 125 tonnes recycled
- a 15% reduction in upfront carbon emissions, achieved by:
- using 74 tonnes less concrete
- reducing reinforcing steel by 12 tonnes and structural steel by 14 tonnes
- cutting Portland cement content from the concrete mixes by 30%.
The building will continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because of low-carbon material choices, efficient systems, and long-lasting structural design.
To find more information about Gugan Gulwan visit their Facebook page.
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