A $32 million building which meets the world鈥檚 most advanced levels of sustainability was officially opened by Her Excellency Dr Penelope Wensley AC, Governor of Queensland at the University of Queensland (国产探花) on Wednesday 28 August.
The bold new Global Change Institute (GCI) building at 国产探花鈥檚 St Lucia campus was made possible by a $15 million donation from 国产探花 alumnus and prominent philanthropist Graeme Wood.
国产探花 President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter H酶j said it was the latest example of 国产探花鈥檚 commitment to improving sustainability outcomes across the world.
鈥淭he Global Change Institute has created a hub where new ideas about sustainability and global climate change are expressed, debated, investigated and reported,鈥� Professor H酶j said.
鈥淭his building is the ideal home for the Institute鈥檚 game-changing research into clean energy, healthy oceans, food security and climate change.
鈥淚t is designed to work with the natural environment and it will operate as a zero-energy and zero-carbon workplace.
鈥淚t will be naturally ventilated for most of the year and generate and store all its own power on-site through renewable solar energy sources. All excess power will be delivered back to the national grid.鈥�
The GCI building, designed by Hassell, represents the first Australian use of structural Geopolymer concrete, a low-carbon product produced with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional concrete.
Global Change Institute Director Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said his team wanted to push the boundaries and create a building that symbolised the Global Change Institute鈥檚 work.
鈥淲e wanted to 鈥榳alk the talk鈥� of operating more sustainably,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he building had to be functional, as well as help our researchers better understand how to maximise a space in a sub-tropical environment.
鈥淭he end-product is both aesthetically beautiful and challenging. The GCI team must learn to work in new ways and change their workplace behaviour,鈥� Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said.
Hassell Principal Mark Roehrs, who led the project鈥檚 design team, said the GCI was attuned to its place and climate at the forefront of design innovation.
鈥淭he building moves away from a framework of consumption of the world鈥檚 resources to one that contributes to the restoration and regeneration of the environment,鈥� Mr Roehrs said.
鈥淚t is able to act as a live research site, with the building systems and occupants used to assess optimal comfort conditions in low-energy buildings for the sub-tropics.鈥�
The building features an operable sun shading system that tracks the sun and protects the glass louvres which create natural ventilation. The air flows across occupied spaces to the central atrium which acts as the building鈥檚 lungs, discharging warm air through its thermal chimney.
The translucent ETFE atrium roof optimises natural light to the interior and is also heat-resistant.
The building is cooled with chilled water flushed through exposed sculptural precast floor panels.
Rainwater storage of 60,000 litres services the hydronic cooling system, kitchen and shower.
Optimal natural lighting is supported by environmentally-friendly LED lighting.
A green wall, bush tucker garden and bio-retention basin breathe life into the building鈥檚 green ethos, and 国产探花鈥檚 St Lucia campus pedestrian links provide easy access by foot or bike.
The Global Change Institute is hosting several seminars and events to celebrate the opening of the building. Go to for more information.
Media: Kate Hannah, Global Change Institute, 3365 3558 or k.hannah@uq.edu.au.
