Ecological Design Features:

Vegetated Green Wall
The ecological design of the building is expressed in a “Vertical Plantscape System” wrapping around the building’s envelope. The vegetation acts as an effective barrier against solar radiation and also acts to insulate the building significantly reducing heat build-up and reducing the cooling energy costs of the building.   The plants act as bio-purifiers and through a number of natural biochemical processes can break down and remove airborne contaminants which offer immediate environmental advances in reducing existing greenhouse and other volatile organic compounds,

Solar Sun-shading
The office areas are recuped 24 hours and require sun-shading to reduce direct heat gain and to reduce cooling loads.  It enables the use of clear glass for better daylight penetration, which in turn reduces artificial lighting loads.

Daylighting
The main office and circulation spaces are glazed using full-height curtain wall to provide maximum daylight penetration and enables energy efficient lighting systems within the spaces. Secondary rooms are also fitted with openable windows for natural ventilation and daylight.

Renewable Energy
An array of photovoltaic panels is installed on the building’s uppermost roof area.   Mounted on a steel trellis above the rooftop, the 234 m2 PV array generates 35.28KWh of electricity on site with all power generation feeding directly back into the municipal power grid.  This renewable energy production represents an overall reduction in CO2 emissions of 12,516 kg per year and helps offset the intensive energy demands of the datacenter facility.

Bioswale
Natural filtration and drainage systems are used to reduce the burden of surface run off to the public drainage system.  They also act to collect surface run off for reuse in the central irrigation system.  The project’s sustainable drainage strategy also includes the use of permeable grass pavers for all ground level car park areas.  These systems allow rainwater to replenish the site’s local aquifer rather than being diverted into an external storm-water drain.

Rainwater Harvesting
Siphonic rainwater down pipes are used for high velocity rain-water run-off from the building’s roof.  This rainwater is channeled into a collection tank situated at ground level, buried in the landscape for minimal impact.  Comprised of an innovative Versi-Tank™ system, the tank has a capacity of 100 cubic meters and is made of 100% recycled content materials.  Collected rainwater is filtered and reused to irrigate plantscapes around the building and cater for the water requirements of the vegetated green wall via an integrated gravity-fed rooftop irrigation system.  The project’s rainwater harvesting system is designed so that no potable water is used for irrigation purposes.

Air-conditioning
The project utilizes a highly efficient dual-mode air and water cooled chiller system (0.6KW/tone estimated) with multiple zoning FCU and precision air-conditioning in the data centre areas.   Zoning of FCU creates savings in Energy requirement due to variations on zoning usage.  The cooling requirements of the data centre are further optimized via an innovative ‘cold aisle containment’ system.  This system establishes targeted cooling zones that meet the requirements of specific equipment rather than expending the energy otherwise required to cool the entire room uniformly.

Lighting
Light fittings are energy efficient Florescent T5 using low loss electronic ballasts.  These offer higher luminance levels and their zoning enables energy conservation through specific usage requirements. This system is bolstered through the use of occupancy sensors and control via the central Building Automation control scheme.

Indoor Air Quality
There are minimum requirements for ventilation rates in accordance with ASHRARE 62.1:2007 which are designed to enhance the comfort and well-being of the occupants.  Strict use of low-VOC coatings, paints and adhesives further reduce detrimental impact on occupant’s health from finishes that emit internal air pollutants.  Extensive greenery at the building envelop further acts as an additional biological filter to improve ambient air quality.

Sanitary Fittings
Dual Flushing WC's are fitted allowing control of water volume based on different usage needs.

All basin taps and other sanitary wares are water efficient fittings with certified WELs ratings of 3-tics (maximum efficiency rating).

In addition, waterless urinals are specified in the male toilets, further reducing water consumption.  Overall use of potable water within the building is reduced by more than 50%.