Architect and Builder Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | Page 73

To acquire the 6 star Green Rating that was
achieved required input from both the civils and
structural disciplines. Contributing factors included
the reuse of rubble for the complex underfloor
drainage system, as well as the use of re-cycled
steel, while pushing the reduction in cement
contents to above standard industry norms.
SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT’S REPORT
As the sustainability and Green Star consultants on
the No 1 Silo job, the Arup team were instrumental
in bringing the client team’s vision of a 6 Star rating
to fruition. As consulting engineers, Arup prides
itself on good design principles, and the team
looked far and wide for engineering solutions that
would respond to, and harness the environment
of the building.
Seawater from the Atlantic Ocean is one of
the stand-out examples of a green solution; using
seawater to reject waste heat, thereby eliminating
the need for potable water in the cooling system
and resulting in huge water savings. The system
draws cold seawater (normally between 14 and 16
degrees) from the harbour through a titanium plate
heat exchanger system in the basement.
Another key to the 6 star rating is the façade
on the building. The largely glass design presents
challenges as it needs to remain as transparent
as possible, whilst eliminated glare from not only
the sun, but the sea as well. Glass can also add
to energy usage due to the need for extra cooling
in summer and heat loss in winter. To manage
this, the building has a double skin façade on the
north east and north west elevations. These have
a clear glass outer layer, 700mm outside the main
façade – which is double glazed. To deal with the
No 1 Silo
glare, there are automatically controlled blinds,
found between the two façade skins, which tracks
the sun as it m oves across the sky. Many other
alternative solutions were sought, including:
• Under floor displacement air conditioning
• Solar thermal panels and heat pumps
• Energy and water sub metering
• Energy efficient lighting and lighting sensors
(only using lighting when required)
• Sub soil drip irrigation and hardy plants used to
reduce landscape water need by 50%
• Sustainable use of materials including a reduction
of cement usage by 60% and virgin steel to
10% (i.e. 90% of all the structural steel was
recycled steel).
• Intelligent building management system.
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