This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE Federal Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has picked Molonglo Group’s NewActon Nishi commercial building in Canberra as its new headquarters.
Located adjacent to Lake Burley Griffin, Nishi will be the most environmentally-sustainable large scale commercial office building to be constructed in Australia.
The new building sets new benchmarks in terms of environmentally sustainable design, with the DCCEE, as its anchor tenant, set to move into the 20,700 sqm NewActon Nishi building scheduled for October 2012.
Nishi is the third stage of the Molonglo Group’s critically-acclaimed, $550 million NewActon development, a precinct that has already won more awards, including the prestigious Canberra Medallion from the Australian Institute of Architects, than any other commercial or residential development in Canberra’s recent history, and is already home to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Molonglo Group director, Nectar Efkarpidis said the significance of the DCCEE choosing NewActon Nishi as its new headquarters is very special.
“Nishi is a visionary building that represents the future of environmentally sustainable development in Australia, and we see the new lease to DCCEE as a wonderful partnership in Nishi’s ecological credentials.
“Nishi is a building for the environmental age. It will use 50% less energy and produce 40% less carbon emission than the highest 5 Star NABERS rated building”, Efkarpidis said, “This is not about “ticking boxes” to achieve green rating points, but rather this the most sustainable building we could design at this point in time, given its specifications,”
Nishi, which is Japanese for “west”, boasts a creative and development team that, as well as Arup, includes internationally renowned Fender Katsalidis Architects from Melbourne, and visionary architect Makoto Tanijiri from Suppose Design Office in Hiroshima, Japan.
In addition, NewActon Nishi will consist of 250 residential apartments, shops and cafes. Additionally the Molonglo Group has allocated a budget of at least $2 million to continue its already significant commitment to public art in the NewActon precinct.
Australian Property Journal
