FE ATURE
Best western?
Club NDY is a place of respite for staff to relax.
NDY says new office fit-outs don’t have to be expensive.
When it became apparent that the Western Australian
office of Norman Disney and Young needed to expand,
serendipity stepped in when the floor above their tenancy
at 200 St Georges Terrace became available. NDY used
the opportunity to expand upstairs to level 11. The brief?
An environmentally friendly fit-out that could show clients
and competition that here was an outfit serious about
cost-effective sustainable design. Ecolibrium editor
Matt Dillon posed some questions to NDY’s WA associate
director Ian Harwood, M.AIRAH, about the project.
Ecolibrium: Could you provide
an overview of the project’s scope.
Ian Harwood: When NDY first
moved into the building at 200
St Georges Terrace – previously known
as Mt Newman House and now owned
by the Anglican Diocese – half a floor
on Level 10 was occupied. NDY moved
from 1321 Hay St into the CBD in 1972,
and was among the initial tenants in
the building. At the time 200 St Georges
Terrace – an 18-storey structure – was
among Perth’s tallest buildings.
Following growth over the past few years
NDY needed more space for the growing
office, and when level 11 became available,
took the opportunity to lease the space, and
fit it out more specifically for our needs.
In setting the brief for the project,
we decided that we wanted an
environmentally friendly fit-out that
could demonstrate to our clients and
competition that we are serious about
sustainable design, and that it can be
performed in a cost-effective manner.
The benchmark was 5 star Green Star.
We also decided that there were benefits
to be gained from a substantially openplan lay-out. But this was compensated
for by providing additional meeting room
space and break-out spaces.
Eco: What were you looking to
achieve with the refit, and how did
you convey this to the architects?
IH: We were looking to achieve a
simple fit-out that was performed in a
sustainable fashion, and something that
wouldn’t date too quickly. We wanted to
use recycled materials wherever possible,
and maximise views of the outside
for our staff. We wanted to increase
the level of amenity by providing lockers,
a better break-out space, state-of-the art
AV solutions in the meeting rooms, and
a reception area that draws the attention
of our clients when they come to visit.
The design and fit-out were performed
in an integrated way with the architect,
who was given free reign to perform
design decisions.
Though we performed the building
services design in-house, we were
conscious not to allow this to constrain
the architects’ approach by toppling
traditional working team structures
or allowing the building services design
to dominate.
Eco: Did you have anything
particular in mind when you
started out?
IH: Not really. We perform fit-outs
for all levels of clients, from law firms
to construction companies. Although
we didn’t want it to look too extravagant
– especially in the current market – we
also wanted it to be representative of
the professionalism that we endeavor
to portray on our projects.
Eco: Was it different working
for yourself as client?
IH: In setting up the project team
we made a conscious effort to structure
the team in much the same way as we
M AY 2 0 1 4 • E CO L I B R I U M
45
FE ATURE
Workstations are fitted with sit/stand capability.
traditionally work. The main exception
was that we had a “client” – being
Andrew Macgregor, our office director –
and the design team, which worked in a
traditional fashion, led by the architect –
and taking directions from the architect.
Our design was conscious of the ESD
rating that we were trying to achieve,
but the equipment and specification
were very similar to that which we would
apply to any similar-sized project.
Eco: Could you explain the HVAC
strategy that you designed?
IH: The landlord’s HVAC system
provides most of the air conditioning to
the office, which was altered to suit the
NDY wanted a simple fit-out that wouldn’t date too quickly.
new lay-outs. However, supplementary
units were provided to the larger meeting
rooms in order to meet the capacity
requirements.
As a result, this building still maintains a
position as having a very efficient HVAC
system in comparison to many buildings
in the Perth CBD.
Supplementary units provided were
split-units, with local room control.
All were set up on a two-hour run
timer in order to minimise electrical
consumption when the room is not
in use.
Eco: What was the biggest challenge?
The landlord’s system was originally
designed by NDY in the late 60s, and is
a zoned constant-volume system. Since
then variable-speed motors and inverters
have been added to the fans, cooling
towers, and modern efficient chillers have
been retrofitted.
GREEN STAR FOR LEVELS 10 AND 11,
200 ST GEORGES TERRACE
NDY approached achieving 5 Star Office Interiors v1.1 rating by selectively
targeting sustainability initiatives that practically align with the design vision
for the fit-out and staff use of the space.
With MKDC as the lead consultant/project manager and interior designer,
NDY Sustainability as the Green Star Accredited Professional, and head
contractor Northerly, the 5 Star (Australian Excellence) rating includes
stretch targets for the design and construction team.
Key targets throughout construction focused on materials, indoor
environment quality, energy efficiency, and initiatives beyond Green Star.
On the materials side, certified timber was used throughout. Also, the project
realised 22 out of the possible 23 points for furniture and construction
materials procurement.
The use of plants and low-VOC products helps promotes good quality IEQ in
the tenancy.
Other sustainability initiatives include “Club NDY”, a place of respite for staff
to relax and engage away from their workstations, all of which are fitted with
sit-stand capability.
Meeting rooms and private offices have adequate speech privacy to reflect
the space’s use.
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E CO L I B R I U M • M AY 2 0 1 4
IH: Working for a demanding client.
Incidentally, I sat on the client side of the
table on all the meetings.
The IT integration and changes meant
that we were trialling new technologies
for NDY, which presented some risks
in terms of program.
We needed to be 100 per cent operational
on day one of the move, otherwise it would
lead to inefficiencies and an unhappy client.
All of the IT changeover needed to happen
in the space of a single weekend, and was
not without its challenges.
Eco: What did you most
enjoy about the project?
IH: One: Working on the client side for
a change. Two: The challenges of making
it happen and seeing it all unfold. Three:
the ongoing relationships that have been
built up with the team, architect and
builder, in particular.
Eco: What lessons did you learn?
IH: New office fit-outs don’t have to be
expensive in order to be sustainable.
Recycled materials can look really good
in a well designed environment. Older
buildings can achieve excellence in
sustainable design. ❚
Need to know
Ian Harwood, M.AIRAH is on AIRAH’s Western Australia
division committee, and is a former state president.