BVN Donovan Hill in association with Jasmax – ASB North Wharf - IDEA 2023

BVN Donovan Hill in association with Jasmax – ASB North Wharf

From inception through to commissioning, the drive for the sustainable design in ASB North Wharf has been to set new standards for indoor environmental quality and energy performance. The services design employs the first fixed bin displacement mixed mode ventilation system in Australia or New Zealand. Harnessing the local mild climate and cool breezes the design empowers tenants with the ability to open windows when conditions are favourable by a red light/green light notification system. The shape and form of the buildings atrium and funnel has been purpose designed to ensure cross ventilating mixed mode operation.

Furthermore the facades mathematically designed sun control has been modelled to shade the north façade to enable optimum mixed mode ventilation performance. In order to realise the brief the team defined key parameters:

1. Passive design and mixed mode: based on an understanding of local climate.
2. Displacement ventilation: based on a desire to help the client achieve a step change in their sustainability performance.
3. The Funnel: to maximise mixed mode performance.
4. The Façade: to provide excellent levels of thermal control while still maximising views and daylight.
5. Exposed services: to thermally attenuate the building by harnessing thermal mass.

During the concept design the team embraced first principles – the physics of how air, light and water work in the built environment – to incorporate and maximise the passive features of the site and building to deliver significant energy reductions and environmental benefits.