The Council House 2 (CH2) office building was designed by DesignInc, in collaboration with City of Melbourne, to be a holistic system with its occupants as participants.
The design follows a model that promotes a more interactive role between the city and nature.
The City of Melbourne aims to achieve zero emissions for the municipality by 2020.
A major contribution to this strategy is the reduction in energy consumption of commercial buildings by 50%.
CH2 was piloted in an effort to provide a working example for the local development market.
The brief required a building that as far as possible relied on passive energy systems while producing a premium-grade building.
CH2 employs both literal and metaphorical expressions of environmental intentions in its architectural composition.
Nature is used as inspiration for façades that moderate climate, tapered ventilation ducts integrate with day lighting strategies and an evocative undulating concrete floor structure that plays a central role in the building’s heating and cooling.
It was the first new commercial office building in Australia to meet and exceed the six star rating system administered by the Green Building Council of Australia.
Equally important to its environmental features is that it provides 100% fresh air to all occupants with one complete air change every half hour.
Project Details
Project Size – 12,500 m2
Project Budget – $51,000,000
Completion Date – 2006
Building Levels – 10
Project Team
Architecture
DesignInc
DesignInc is an award-winning architectural and design practice with offices in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney in Australia. Their multidisciplinary teams are united with a common vision to make a difference to the health and happiness of people’s lives through the quality of the environments they help create.
Collaboration Partner
DPTLI/ City of Melbourne
Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Lighting
WSP Group
WSP believes believe that for societies to thrive, we must all hold ourselves accountable for tomorrow. For them, that means creating innovative solutions to the challenges the future will bring. It inspires them to stay curious, act locally, and think internationally.
Structural Engineering
Bonacci
Bonacci Infrastructure is a specialist structural and civil engineering consultancy with a wealth of experience over a wide range of project types. Over the last 30 years the firm have earned a reputation for quality of service and for the economy and constructability of their designs.
Acoustic Engineering
Marshall Day Acoustic Engineers
The firm’s projects represent the company philosophy and proud history as an innovative, creative, and specialist acoustic consultancy.
Construction
Hansen Yuncken
Hansen Yuncken is a a large and longstanding general contractor with a solid reputation for delivering building solutions that are etimely, efficient, and sustainable into the future.
Photography
Dianna Snape
Dianna Snape is a well-established and respected photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. She specialises in interiors, landscape, and architectural photography.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2021 DesignInc. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Dianna Snape. All Rights Reserved.
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