U-City named South Australia’s first carbon neutral building

A mixed-use high rise is setting new standards for sustainable development in South Australia after becoming the first building in the state to achieve Carbon Neutral Building Certification and a 5-star Green Star Performance Rating via the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the Australian Government’s Climate Active Program.  

Located on the top six floors of a 20-storey building in the heart of Adelaide, Uniting Communities’ U City features a state-of-the-art function centre, accessible accommodation, retirement residences, a social services hub, serviced apartments, community spaces, a concierge and a restaurant and café.

WSP led the design of the Building Services and Sustainability on the project in conjunction with Woods Bagot. Together, we designed a space that catered for residents’ differing accommodation needs, as well as Uniting Communities’ sustainability goals.

Bernadette Fitzgerald, WSP’s Director - Precincts & Infrastructure, says that “U City is a great outcome as it shows that forward looking projects and clients have been able to achieve carbon neutral that are cost effective to maintain. The extent of materials reused for the construction (96%) as well as its energy efficiency (predicted to consume 45% less energy than a comparable new building) has enable U City to reduce the costs associated with purchasing carbon offsets.”

Derek Martin, WSP’s Director of Building Services, explains that embedded technology and assistive technology was a critical component in ensuring that the project’s objectives were met.

Future Ready^TM Solutions

Sensor technology throughout the building is used to monitor occupancy, enabling efficient use of lighting, heating and ventilation. The building also contains a 55-kilowatt solar system, double glazing and gas-boosted solar hot water.

Derek says, “Our work on U City showcases best practice in sustainable design, demonstrating how we can work with clients to create user friendly and technologically innovative buildings that reduce our environmental impact.”

In order to achieve the certification, the building’s carbon emissions were measured including natural gas, refrigerant, purchased electricity, waste to landfill and water consumed.

Offsets were purchased and retired to cover the total emissions with reporting provided to the GBCA and Climate Active Program. Uniting Communities has committed to offset the building’s carbon emissions for 10 years. The carbon offsets include biodiversity credits from the EcoAustralia native revegetation protection project, which covers 7,350m2 at Mount Sandy in the Coorong National Park in South Australia, and a wind power project in Taiwan. Both projects contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which WSP has committed to helping to achieve. We have identified 10 goals that we contribute to through our client work and in our own operations.

In addition to being recognised as a carbon neutral building, U City has won the 2020 innovAGEING National Awards: Improving Consumer Choice, the UDIA 2020 SA Awards for Excellence: Seniors Living and the 2020 Property Council’s Rider Levett Bucknall State Development of the Year Awards.

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