Monash University Clayton Campus - Innovation Labs

In the world of buildings, going green is not a passing trend – it’s here to stay. 
 
New structures increasingly include energy-saving technology and design to minimise their negative impact on the environment and occupants. However,  adaptive reuse of older buildings is a different ball game altogether.  
 
Australia’s largest university, Monash, made one such recent transformation at their Clayton Campus, to bring them a step closer to achieving their Net Zero emissions by 2030 goal. 
 
WGA provided Structural, Civil, and Geotechnical services to modify two Clayton Campus buildings, that form part of the Monash Innovation Labs, (formerly called Monash Smart Manufacturing Hub). Known as Buildings 60 and 69, one of them has been upgraded to host an all-electric thermal plant powered by renewable energy. By ditching gas and switching to renewable energy sources, this initiative is helping five buildings at Clayton Campus go green.  

Making old buildings green

When it comes to transforming older structures, the devil is in the design analysis, according to the Brad, who led this project. 

 ”You don’t always need to tear down and start from scratch to make an old building sustainable. Sometimes, adjusting existing features and adding new tech can do the trick! For the Clayton buildings, WGA’s primary focus was to maximise the use of the existing structure to minimise the overall project cost, both from a budgetary and environmental perspective.” 

“The design work of  the redevelopment of the two buildings, named ‘UpLink’ involved analysing the existing structures to see if they could handle the new thermal plant equipment, pipes, new slab areas, and increased loadings from the new floor areas. WGA went to great lengths of thorough analysis via frequent onsite inspections, specialist investigations and the use of software such as ETABS, RAPT, RAM Concept, and Spacegass. By limiting the rework of the structural elements, our work significantly contributed to saving resources, and reduce costs, waste, and environmental impact” he adds. 

The results? An energy efficient structure with a reduced carbon footprint and happier staff and students who can enjoy comfortable indoor spaces. 

Building glow–up

For Building 69, the team devised the addition of  a 30x16m steel plant platform on the existing roof, along with a pipe bridge and walkway. Internal enhancements included a new feature staircase and room layout updates.

For Building 60, the upgrades included:

• Internal room layout updates.
• Additional cantilevering slabs on the Level 1 (L1) suspended floors.
• The addition of two new entry structures with plant platforms.

A lift shaft and central feature staircase were also added, along with additional suspended sections of the slab to maximise usable space at (L1).

What is a sustainable building?

A sustainable building, also called a green or eco-friendly building, uses environmentally responsible and resource-efficient processes throughout its life cycle. This includes planning, design, construction, maintenance as well as renovation and demolition.

There are many features that can set apart a green building from its energy-intensive counterparts, some of which are listed below: 

• Environmental-friendly design and construction 
• Usage of renewable energy 
• Reduced water usage 
• Efficient programming of a building’s heating, cooling, ventilation, and insulation 
• Energy and carbon monitoring 

 The buildings sector is right alongside energy, transport, industry, and agriculture scrambling to step up efforts to flight climate change. According to a report by United Nations Environment Program the buildings and construction sector is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering 37% (2023) of global emissions.

So, thinking of going green? Look no further – Building Sector Capabilities 

Image Credit: Brand Architects