The former Clipsal light manufacturing building in Adelaide is undergoing an extensive green retrofit as part of the South Australian government's ambitious redevelopment of the Bowden industrial precinct.
Plans for the 2,818 square metre building are based on a five Green star rating and will include a new retail centre and supermarket.
Constructed in 1963, the former Clipsal light manufacturing building in Adelaide has been empty since 2009.
The project's ESD consultant and director of dsquared, Paul Davy, said the building was constructed before air conditioning was commonplace and the double brick façade provides great thermal mass.
He said the saw-tooth roof and soaring ceilings flood the building with natural light and promote good air flow.
“While it’s not always the case, we usually find buildings constructed before the 1960s have good bones – with passive design elements such as great daylight access, high thermal mass and good ventilation,” Davy said.
Many of the building’s industrial elements, such as cable trays and lifting hoists, have remained intact as design features, while other building elements have been repurposed into new staircases.
“The building had high thermal mass but limited insulation; it had fans and HVAC, but they weren’t efficient. It was a shame to throw out the old lighting, but we needed to upgrade it to ensure it met today’s benchmarks,” he said.
Some of the existing building evaporative cooling systems and some ventilation have been reused, while new services include direct and indirect evaporative cooling systems, lighting, potable and recycled water supplies, metering and building management systems. A new 60-kilowatt PV array is also being installed on the roof.
Renewal SA’s manager for sustainability project delivery at Bowden, Andrew Bishop,said the urban design guidelines for Bowden specify that even new buildings must respond to the industrial heritage of the area, and new residential buildings are incorporating bricks, sleepers and timber from demolished buildings in Adelaide.
He said each building on the 16.3-hectare site must achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating or above. Renewal SA has raised the bar further by committing to achieve a Green Star – Communities rating for the entire precinct.