How to Retrofit a Skyscraper
Sustainable Pty Ltd can convert any suburban home to a cool, bright and energy efficient place to live. What if we upped the scale somewhat and tackled some of the multiplying high rises in Brisbane’s CBD. Brett McKenzie, Sustainable’s CEO, let's us know what it would take to retrofit a skyscraper…
The first basic step would be to install a timed lighting system. Walking through our city at night, it’s easy to spot the many empty offices wasting energy and money by leaving their lights on. A simple motion sensor, active after 5pm, would automatically switch off lights and other appliances in empty rooms. This would also be combined with low energy compact fluorescent bulbs in all fittings.
With a change of attitude and settings, the next step would be smart conditioning. Many buildings in Brisbane and elsewhere are air-conditioned to very low temperatures. In a subtropical climate, that takes a lot of electricity. It also makes outside temperatures feel much worse, and can be very uncomfortable for acclimatised Queenslanders. If a building were to raise its air-conditioning temperature to a comfortable 25°C instead of the usual 22°C, it would greatly reduce its resource use.
Introducing passive lighting is vital to the process. Tall buildings centred around a dark lift shaft have no choice but to artificially light most areas all day. These lifts would be removed in our plan, to the outside of the building and replaced by a core of light to illuminate the entire building. Natural light is healthier and far more pleasant to work in than artificial, as well as friendlier to the planet.
To make the most of the new natural light source, the next focus is creating people-friendly space. Buildings need to be broken out of the pigeon-hole office habit. If we open up the office layout, creating dynamic, creative spaces, it promotes cross-area discussion and breaks down power play and nasty office politics. Light, air and ideas can circulate freely. The lower levels of the people-friendly building would be commercial and hospitality space, the middle level would be function rooms and accommodation. Above that, the whole building would open up into a mid-level open air meeting place. Cafés and recreation would create an area that circumvented the need to go to street level to escape the inside of the building, integrating the multipurpose needs of a working day. Above this level are the open plan offices.
A large city building has a very large surface area that facilitates harvesting. Rainwater, recycled water, solar energy, wind and thermal mass can all be exploited. Combined with improved public transport systems, some of the basement car parking will be sacrificed for storage and processing and the new central light core will be used for transport cables and piping. All the water in the building used for secondary purposes such as toilet flushing and hosing surfaces could be gained from runoff that otherwise goes, polluted from street surfaces, straight to our river. Large amounts of electricity could be supplied by photovoltaic cells on the roof and north sides of the building, from mini-hydro power generators utilising water moving from the top of the building to lower levels, and wind generators would be installed on the ceiling. Food wastes and other organic materials generated by the many people and businesses in the building would also be collected and used for compost.
Using recycled water and harvested compost, the next step is to create green walls and balconies. Extensive green spaces and gardens will be planted. The whole western face of the building would become a ‘green wall’ for shelter and cooling. All balconies and open spaces will become shady and actually inviting. People can open their windows, turn off their air-conditioning and actually get outside. The roof will become a thickly planted garden also, insulating the building, soaking up gaseous pollution and reducing the urban heat bubble that cities generate. In places with open air car parks, those baking plains of metal and bitumen, a roof will be constructed over the car park and more gardens, parks and entertainment space will be generated.
The building would also have centralised administration. By pooling available resources, funds, wastes and large machines, costs are minimised and efficiency is greatly increased.
The corporate sector has a responsibility to make businesses sustainable. That’s not just economics, the impact on our finite resources and environment should be minimal. In a living and breathing building, people are happier and healthier, this impacts the way they work.
It just makes sense!
