Canberra offers plenty of challenges when it comes to constructing energy efficient buildings, with its climate ranging from the sub-zero temperatures in winter to dry summer days reaching temperatures in excess of forty degrees. Doma Group has succeeded admirably with the Sirius Building, a 5 Star Green Star Design and As Built commercial office building for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, developed by Doma in joint venture with Mirvac.
The $200,000,000 project comprises 45,000 m2 of flexible office accommodation over ten floors with two levels of basement car parking. Doma delivered the project under a Design and Construct contract for the base building as well as an integrated fitout for the tenant, which included workstations and loose furniture. “The Sirius Building was delivered significantly under budget and approximately four months ahead of program,” said Doma Project Manager Drew Mathias. “This is a testament to the team’s commitment to managing the construction program and time on site. There were approximately a million man hours worked during the project, which was completed with safety as the highest priority. Our low number of non-conformances recorded under the OFSC Government Accreditation Scheme during the project is a testament to this fact.”
The Sirius Building, as it is known, has been designed with a focus on energy performance and green building practices. It was energy modelled and specified to a 5 Star + 20% NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) rating level. The design includes high efficiency chillers and variable air volume boxes for greater level of control which, coupled with meticulous commissioning verification and precision selection of all plant and equipment, positions Sirius to far exceed its lease obligation to achieve 4.5 NABERS stars under the NABERS Energy Rating Scheme.
In 2009, the Sirius Building was awarded a 5 Star Green Star – Design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, achieving 71 points from a possible 72 submitted. The building has also recently been awarded a 5 Star Green Star – Office As -Built rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, achieving 70 out of 70 credits submitted for assessment.
Extensive data collection and installed system compliance verification make As Built ratings difficult to achieve. To achieve a Green Star Design rating requires a commitment to innovation and a holistic approach to green building. Achieving an As Built rating means actually implementing those plans and realising that vision. The 100% achievement for the As Built rating credits submitted at the Sirius Building is a testament to the efforts of the Doma team as well as its design consultants, led by May + Russell Architects, and subcontractors. This result far exceeds the benchmark requirement of 60 credits for achievement of a 5 Star Green Star rating, and falls short of a 6 Star Green Star rating by only five credits.
The delivery of the Sirius Building is a substantial achievement for the Doma Group and proves that Doma Group is a market leader in the commercial building sector. The level of attention given to quality by the Doma team ensured that the Department of Health and Ageing headquarters was delivered to an extremely high standard and demonstrates Doma’s ability to deliver large high profile projects.