Some recent projects; 2006-2010
Kmart International, ESD Consultants-new and refurbished stores, Energy auditors Kurri Kurri TAFE-HVHA Hotel Academy -5 star Green Star; ESD Consultants and Accredited Professionals Kiora Rd Passive Design 6 storey office building -ESD Consultants-Geoform Architects Uniting Care Gordon ACT Aged Care project CEO Oran Park School precinct -ESD Consultants -Thomson Adsett Elizabeth St Apartments-Tony Owen Architects -Basix Assessors Hyde Apartments; College St Sydney-Basix Assessors -80 Luxury Apartments Scott Carver Architects Resitech Apartments-300 plus apartments -ESD Consultants and BASIX Assessors Architects CEO Schools -Illawarra district -28 schools -ESD Consultants CEO Schools -Sydney District-120 schools -ESD Consultants Innaburra School Menai-ESD Consultants Reliance Office Building Bathurst-Sustainability Consultants Hammond Care Horsely Project -Sustainability review,energy audits Uniting Care Lakeview Sustainability Consultants; Shellharbour Baptist Community Services, Sustainablity Consultants Emanuel School, Randwick, Thermal Assessment Coral Corp, Boyd's Bay Marina; EOI; Sustianability Consultants Colys Developments, Sustainability Consultants-Kangaroo Valley Project 'Tall Trees' Oxenford,Queensland- Retirement Living Facility The MAC Group Remote Accommodation Units; Karratha.WA Doutta Galla Independent Living Units,Shepparton. Vic Rumbalara Indigenous Community Lifestyle Project, Shepparton.Vic Vic Urban, Logis Industrial Project, Vic Willowood Aged Care, NSW Blacktown Aged Care, NSW Colys Developments, Boutique Hotel, Kiama. NSW Kuru Indigenous Building Company, NSW Maroba Aged Care, Newcastle.NSW Uniting Church, Traralgon,Vic Yallambee Aged Care, NSW Coral Corp Developments EOI, Port Macquarie Marina. NSW Fishermans Wharf;EOI Blackwattle Bay,Glebe. NSW Sydney Slipways Marine Maintenance Centre,Rozelle Bay.NSW Sundale Village Retirement and Aged Care Facility, Noosa Heads.QLD Traralgon Aged Care, Vic. - Sustainability Master Plan Churches of Christ, Perth. - Eco Audit Parramatta Aged Care,NSW.- Eco Audit Satyananda Ashram, NSW. - Eco Audit Assorted residential projects 'Contained Space' Sustainable containers design strategies BCA Section 'J' assessments-assorted clients and projects Building Thermal and Energy Modelling -assorted clients |
$400,000,000
$9,000,000
$6,000,000
$35,000,000 $12,000,000 $15,000,000 $35,000,000
$120,000,000
$60,000,000 $300,000,000 $8,000,000 $1,000,000 $10,000,000 $16,000,000 $400,000,000 $3,000,000 $50,000,000 $100,000,000 $20,000,000 $7,000.000 $5,000,000 $37,000,000 $300,000,000 $9,000,000 $15,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 $14,000,000 $8,000,000 $37,000,000 $40,000,000 $35,000,000 $35,000,000 |
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Details on some recent projects
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Sustainability adding Value.
Satyananda Ashram - Eco Audit; 2007
This large spiritual Yoga Ashram is situated in a deep valley adjacent a river in Mangrove Mountain in NSW, just north of Sydney.
The Ashram is a spiritual learning centre and contains a variety of accommodation for around 250 attendees. There is also a variety of different offices, shops, library and large eating, meditation and meeting halls.
The Ashram has been constructed over a period of thirty years and during that time there was, understandably, little attention paid to sustainability. Sustainability of design, the built environment or sustainability of operations.
The running costs of the Ashram are high and management has identified that in order to remain cost effective and relevant into the future they need to understand where value can be added. Sustainability is a major tool for adding value to any operations. This can be achieved by significantly improving environmental outcomes and offering improved residential comfort, through changes to the built environment, operational performance and
a revised business vision that addresses future relevance.
The Ashram approached Vim Sustainability Consulting with
their concerns.
Vim Sustainability Consulting undertook an Eco Audit which examined all their current building designs, operational procedures and services infrastructure from a sustainability view point.
We also analysed the future vision of their business to ensure that our sustainability proposals would add value for the longer term viability of the Ashram.
The results of the analysis were interesting and informative. They formed a detailed 50 page report. The Ashram has been given a raft of costed options relating to built environment and infrastructure improvements, operational policies and procedures as well as the outline framework for a sustainability Master plan to assist with focusing the operations into the next 30 years. These outcomes and many others become a range of tools that if used will significantly improve the sustainable future of the facility and the organisation as a whole.
Parramatta Aged Care Facility
Eco Audit; 2007
The Parramatta Aged Care Facility is a 152 bed high care facility that was constructed in the early 1990s.It is located in Parramatta, NSW.
The management of the facility has identified there are running costs expenses and operational inefficiencies that will only increase as the costs of water and power increase rapidly over the next few years.
In addition the management required advice on how to improve their sustainable outcomes to increase benefits to residents by further improving their already high levels of comfort.
Nearly every building or facility Vim Sustainability Consulting investigates has major deficiencies from a sustainability aspect. Sustainability as a concept was not current at the time of design or construction for most facilities so inevitably nearly all buildings are not designed for a sustainable outcome.
Vim Sustainability Consulting undertook a detailed Eco Audit of the existing facility. This included services infrastructure and built environment analysis, management procedures and policies as well as operational diagnostics.
The outcome was a detailed 60 page report. This report recommended a range of operational infrastructure and built environment changes.
The report also provided a framework for analyzing the long term vision of the facility and provided a raft of recommendations for operational and policy changes.
If these recommendations are implemented they will significantly improve running costs, comfortability of occupants and profitability while also ensuring the facility remains relevant and current into the future in the rapidly changing Aged Care environment.
Columbia Health Care Group
Willowood Aged Care Centre, Chatswood
A 90 bed high and low care Aged Care Centre
Winner of Master Builders Merit award for ‘Energy Efficiency’, 2006
This is a 3 story building that was designed to cater for 64 high care and 26 low care residents. We became involved as sustainable consultants after the building design had been completed. This left us little scope to incorporate many sustainable design features.
We used our knowledge of sustainable practice to make an assortment of cost effective recommendations to the client, most of which were accepted.
The reductions in water and power use as the result of our recommendations will be paid off by the Centre in 2 years, resulting in around $25,000-30,000 profit every subsequent year. These were only two of a raft of retro fit design principles we incorporated into the project. The client was so pleased with the outcomes and the overall benefits to their project that they have made a commitment that all their future projects will be sustainable.
The Kresner Group
A 120 bed Aged Care Centre, Bankstown
This is a large Aged Care centre that included many of our recommendations into their design.
The whole operating platform of this centre’s services were changed to suit a sustainable outcome after we became involved.
We encouraged the design team to rethink their design basis while providing examples to the client of how a sustainable project would benefit their occupants and their business.
We examined assorted sustainable options with the design team and the client, offering support and incentive whenever they became bogged down in the fears that often arise when investigating and committing to new design concepts.
We estimated they will reduce their power consumption by over 40% compared to another of their similar sized operations.
We anticipate this project, if operated correctly (very important) should provide at least a $40,000 saving per annum just through the main services design changes. This equates to a 4-6 year payback period.
This project will commence construction in 2007.
Maroba Aged Care
A 108 bed Aged Care Centre, Newcastle
This project has a client who is very committed to a sustainable outcome and is prepared to review all opportunities for sustainable benefits. This project is presently under the design process and construction is due to commence in 2007.
We are working closely with the design team to revamp the original design to provide what we believe will be measurable improvements in the sustainable operation outcomes for the building.
We have undertaken an in depth ESD preliminary report which has made an array of recommendations, many of which are stretching the design team and providing them the opportunity and tools to expand their understanding of the relevance and importance of sustainable design. We feel it will eventually lead to some important innovations on behalf of the design team which will only improve the client’s desired outcome of a sustainable facility.
Although in its early stages this project will definitely become the benchmark for sustainable design in Health Facilities in Australia.
This project is programmed to be completed in mid 2008.
Colys Developments
A luxury Hotel and Health Spa Complex, Kiama
This is a luxury hotel and spa development with restaurant overlooking Kiama that was partly completed and has another accommodation and function section under construction.
The Hotel industry is the fourth largest consumers (wasters) of water and power. We were asked to undertake an ECO audit of the current construction and provide recommendations that would, at this late stage, provide cost effective sustainable outcomes. Our recommendations are currently being implemented by the client.
We firmly believe that these recommendations are going to turn what was originally to be a hot and thermally inefficient building into a much more comfortable, and cost efficient building to stay in and operate.
At no stage did any design brief include a requirement for a sustainable outcome therefore the scope for possible effective change was high. But the ability to implement those changes was very limited as the building was already 50% completed.
None the less we provided recommendations that could be integrated into the existing structure with minimal changes while still ensuring improved comfortability and reduced operational wastage and therefore improved profit. We also highlighted the marketing benefits of an accommodation facility that has a commitment to a more comfortable and sustainable environment for its clientele.
Kuru Aboriginal Building Corporation
Residential Developments, Bourke
This Aboriginal construction company requested Vim Sustainability Consulting to review all their operations to improve efficiencies and streamline operations in order to position themselves to undertake more work.
We have also been involved with them in reviewing the design of the buildings they are constructing to improve their sustainability outcomes.At the same time we recommended the incorporation of indigenous design parameters deemed important by the local community. This concept had great success and these revised design concepts are currently being reviewed by the KURU Corporation.
Implementation of our management recommendations has markedly improved the Corporation's productivity and profitability.
