Umow Lai

The Umow Lai tenancy in South Yarra is the first Victorian project to receive a 6 Star Green Star - Office Interiors v1.1 rating, and the second project to do so in Australia. One of the leading sustainability and building services engineering consultancies in the country, Umow Lai wanted to create an office fit-out that would reflect the organisation's commitment to environmentally sustainable design and construction.

According to Managing Director of Umow Lai, Dominic Lai, the Green Star certification "demonstrates our commitment to providing innovation and expertise for green buildings that are designed and operated properly. It confirms the value of sustainability because it has delivered a 13 per cent improvement in staff productivity in addition to other environmental and social benefits."

Green grows productivity
According to an independently conducted occupant productivity study, the new office fit-out in South Yarra has brought with it an average 13 per cent increase in office productivity. Comparing annual financial performance data with staff costs for both the old and new office accommodation, the study found the green space is substantially more beneficial to worker well-being and output levels. Even higher levels of productivity were recorded with administration staff who spend the most time in the office.

Lai said: "This is an extraordinary result as the productivity benefits we have achieved have effectively paid for the cost of our new fit-out."

A breath of fresh air
The post occupancy testing and evaluation found a strong increase in staff satisfaction with their work space and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). At the same time, detailed scientific testing conducted on-site revealed significant improvements to indoor air quality, noise, lighting and thermal comfort through a number of design features including: a maximum floor plate depth of eight metres which provides superior levels of natural light to work-stations; access to large balconies and opening windows; as well as a localised photocopier exhaust. The base building air conditioning systems were also modified with heat exchanger added to provide a 150 per cent improvement in outside air quantities.

Wonder walls
In an Australian first, Umow Lai erected five bio-filtration walls throughout the tenancy. These act as natural biological filters to remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the air and filter it, resulting in a healthier working environment for staff.

Through the bio-filtration wall, air is actively drawn into the root system of the plants where micro-organisms that live in symbiosis with the root system break down the VOCs naturally, improving the air quality in the tenancy.

Leading edge materials
An emerging technology for thermal storage and temperature, Phase Change Material (PCM) was used in one meeting room to control room temperature without the need for a supplementary cooling and heating system - a key environmental concern for office fit-outs.

When a meeting is in progress the PCM ceiling absorbs any additional heat generated by occupants when the temperature in the room nears 23°C. When the occupants leave the room, the conditioned air supply is able to recharge the PCM over time, ready for subsequent meetings.

The Umow Lai tenancy is the first project in Australia to use the granular form of this material. This is one of the areas where the project achieved the maximum score of five points for innovation.

Umow Lai Director and Head of Sustainability, Shane Esmore said: "Achieving the GBCA 6 Star Green Star - Office Interiors v1.1 ('World Leader') rating for our offices reinforces our reputation for providing high performance and innovative sustainable engineering."

ESD initiatives featured in the project:

Energy

• Innovative lighting design and control systems, includes the use of single T5 tubes utilising daylight dimming and motion detecting controls
• Detailed energy metering and monitoring

Waste

• Centrally located segregated waste bins on each floor for both recyclables and general waste along with paper recycling bins at each work-station
• 93 per cent of waste materials recycled during construction
• Full integration of the fit-out and base building construction

Materials

• Materials (paints, carpets) selected for their low VOC and formaldehyde content, including reused and recycled furnishings
• Reuse of existing workstations, storage cabinets, tables and chairs
• PVC-free material used for plumbing, electrical and communications cabling
• Use of environmentally innovative materials in partitioning, joinery and finishes

Water

• Selection of efficient, low flush taps, showers, toilet pans, urinals to reduce water consumption
• Waterless and low flush urinals

Transport

• Secure bicycle storage facility, with shower and change facilities for staff
• Nearby train and tram services.