Curtin University has received the first 6 Star Green Star – Interiors rating awarded to an Australian university for its St Georges Terrace building which is housed in Perth’s oldest educational landmark.
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) Green Star – Interiors rating assesses the sustainability outcomes of interior fit-outs across nine categories, including management, indoor environment quality (IEQ), energy, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, emissions, and innovation. The rating represents world leadership in sustainability.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the rating was a significant achievement for Curtin St Georges Terrace.
“This is the first 6 Star Green Star – Interiors rating awarded to an Australian university and reflects Curtin’s commitment to reducing environmental impact across our campuses,” Professor Terry said.
“The University is continually striving to be a leader in sustainability, working with leading sustainability consultants and other stakeholders including architects, services engineers and builders to establish a best practice level of building performance.
“We have taken a leadership role in the area of sustainable building, stipulating that all new buildings and retrofitting of existing buildings adhere to the Curtin University Sustainable Building Design Guidelines.”
GBCA Chief Executive Officer Ms Romilly Madew applauded Curtin’s achievement and its ongoing leadership in sustainability.
“With Curtin University also being the first university in Australia to achieve a Green Star – Communities rating for its Greater Curtin Master Plan, this latest certification reinforces a long-term commitment to creating places that are good for both people and the planet,” Ms Madew said.
Curtin St Georges Terrace is housed in the Old Perth Boys’ School, the first purpose-built public school in Perth. Constructed in 1854 and located at the entrance to the Brookfield Place precinct in the Perth CBD, the building has historic links to Curtin through Perth Technical College and the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT).
The University entered into a leasing deal with the National Trust of Western Australia in early 2015, after submitting a proposal that committed to the Trust’s criteria of sustainable and compatible use of state heritage places.
The National Trust and Curtin University subsequently worked together on an internal fit-out that would reflect the building’s contemporary use while conserving and respecting its unique mid-19th Century architecture.
The single-storey limestone building, which has a large exhibition room, a board room and a mezzanine office space, opened as Curtin St George’s Terrace in March 2016.
It has since been used for a range of stakeholder activities, helping the University to achieve deeper and more effective engagement with industry, business and alumni.
For further information on Curtin St Georges Terrace, visit http://campaign.curtin.edu.au/curtin-university-st-georges-tce/