GIW Environmental Solutions

13/05/2024

🌿 Open Court: Reinventing the Workspace

🌆 The urban infill project promises to reinvent the traditional workspace, celebrating community and cultivating creativity.

🏗️ Spanning six levels with two basement levels and an onsite F&B tenancy, the building has been benchmarked to achieving a 5 Green Star Design and As-Built Rating.

☀️ It will feature a 25kW solar PV system installed on the rooftop that will save 43,890 kg of carbon dioxide annually. The fenestration strategy incorporates large, double-glazed, low-E windows. A 25,000-litre rainwater tank will supply all WCs.

🏀 Amenities include a two-level gym and a rooftop half-size basketball court for wellness and social cohesion. Planter boxes and garden trellises create a green space to enjoy and connect with nature.

🚴‍♂️To enhance neighbourhood walkability, Open Court offers 56 car parking spaces, 6 electric charging stations, and 84 bicycle spaces, reducing transport emissions.

10/05/2024

🌿 Introducing Brunswick East by Milieu 🏙️ Nestled in Melbourne's vibrant dining district on Lygon Street, our latest project redefines urban living blending modern design, sustainability, and community.

🏢 Formerly two single-storey commercial buildings, 121 Lygon Street now stands as a six-storey urban infill development, boasting 43 medium-density homes, F&B, office, and social tenancy spaces.

♻️ To achieve carbon neutrality, the building will be gas-free, utilising a central heat pump system and induction cooktops. An 11.4kW rooftop Solar PV system powers over a fifth of common area lighting and power.

🌟 Targeting an average 7.5 Star NatHERS energy rating, installing water- and light-efficient appliances and a 25,000-litre water tank will ensure resource efficiency.

🌳 Tactile materiality blends industrial architecture with modern design, while our fenestration strategy maximises daylight and cross-ventilation, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

🤝 Brunswick East is designed to foster community, featuring shared facilities like a lush communal rooftop, 67 bicycle spaces, and easy access to public transport.

🌇 This project aims for a new standard for urban living: where modernity meets sustainability meets community. We're proud to be part of this journey.

10/05/2024

GIW is proud to be assisting CARR and Knight Frank in delivering the new pavilion at retail spaces at 303 Collins Street, Melbourne. Our involvement has culminated in a streamlining of façade treatment for energy efficiency, thermal comfort consideration, daylight and views from project inception. Located at the intersection of Melbourne's Collins Street and Elizabeth Street, this two-storey pavilion is set to host a new mixed-use premium retail centre right in the heart of the bustling city streets.

09/05/2024

💭 Is the Australian Dream still possible to achieve today? Yes, but it’s evolving to embrace sustainability and adapt to our changing urban landscapes.

🌟 Introducing the Inkerman and Nelson project in Balaclava – an exemplar of this evolution.

🌳 Designing 26 modern family townhouses, our focus was on social equity and seamless integration with nature.

🌞 🌧️We prioritised shared private green spaces irrigated with rainwater from a 20,000L tank, saving 230,000L of water annually. Adorned with lush vegetation and native plants, they enhance community spaces and combat the urban heat island effect.

🌬️ Our townhouses are designed for passive heating and cooling, with almost every residence facing north for optimal sunlight and natural cross-ventilation. They're also equipped with 3kW Solar PV packages and high-performance thermal envelopes for energy efficiency.

🚲🏙️ This urban consolidation project supports modern family living while maintaining housing density, with 42 bike stations to promote a walkable neighbourhood and reduce car dependence.

🏡 So, the Australian Dream lives on – now more sustainably – in the heart of Balaclava.

29/04/2024

As part of the City of Yarra's Zero Operational Carbon Developments pilot program, we are proud to deliver Dover House.
Nearing completion, it stands as a completely fossil-fuel-free building that will help champion the goal of zero-net emissions by 2030 in the City of Yarra.
ESD Excellence details:
- A minimum 10 year commitment to carbon neutral operations.
- A 15kW rooftop solar PV system
- High performance façade including double-glazed, low-e coated geometric façade to provide abundant natural light whilst providing thermal performance.
- Installation of a 22,000L tank to capture rain from the raked façade used for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing.
- A 8m2 raingarden for natural stormwater treatment prior to leaving the site.
- All-electric appliances throughout the complex and air-cooled reverse cycle chiller units with heat recovery ventilation.
- Reusing and recycling 90% of the waste during construction and demolition.
- Promoting alternative transport with the provision of bike spaces, electric car charging stations with future rollout of electric charging facilities for all parking, and high quality end-of-trip amenity.
- Landscape elements such as creepers and rooftop planters to promote biodiversity and habitat.

24/04/2024

Brunswick Yard 🏙️ 🌿

Our vision was to cultivate a vibrant, modern residence that embraces Brunswick's dynamic essence.

The project’s ESD credentials shine with a 7.5-star NatHERs energy rating, a 9 kW solar PV system, a 24,000L water tank saving up to 280,000 litres of potable water annually, and ample green spaces that foster interaction with both community and nature.

There are also 122 bicycle parking spots, a repair station, an electric car charging point to promote eco-friendly transportation and capacity for further future rollout.

Brunswick Yard is a testament to ESD excellence, integrating ecological and socially conscious principles to enrich the local community's cultural fabric

22/04/2024

TREAD LIGHTLY ON THIS EARTH AND PLACE YOUR FEET DELIBERATELY.

On Earth Day, we don't just ponder our environmental footprint; we confront the urgency of our sustainability goals. With every passing second, the ticking clock reminds us that the time for action is now. While progress has been made, our journey is far from over. Each effort, no matter how small, is a crucial step forward in safeguarding our planet's future.

03/04/2024

GIW Environmental Solutions proudly provided ESD consulting services for the first fossil-fuel-free multi-residential apartment building in Brighton: Slate House. A multi-award winning project with a NatHERS thermal efficiency rating of 8.0 stars, it delivers well-conceived spaces for liveability and longevity, offering essential medium-density housing in Melbourne. Read below for more information.

A 14-apartment development won local approval by mimicking the scale of a local church building. Can it be repeated elsewhere?

26/03/2024

Challenges of the Age event by Monash University, discussing “What’s next for climate change after COP28?”.

Takeouts:

🧠 Get involved, think global, act local.
🌏 The best way to cure climate change anxiety is to give back to the community.
👀 Listen patiently to the way people describe climate change effects, particularly with climate deniers. They are usually telling the same impacts differently.
👉Respond to climate deniers in the same language they use, in ways that resonate with them and their livelihoods.
🗣 Personal stories about climate change bring us closer together.
We can tackle the climate crisis together with localised action and a deeper understanding of each other.

25/03/2024

The WMO's State of the Global Climate 2023 report confirms it: last year was the warmest on record, with temperatures almost reaching the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement.

Every climate indicator got “smashed”, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with some “chart-busting” records. They include:

💨 Greenhouse gas levels
🔥 Surface temperatures
🌡 Ocean heat
🌊 Sea levels
🧊 Glacier retreat

This is not the news we need! We can rise to the occasion, but urgent action is needed now. Let’s work together to tread on this earth as lightly as possible in 2024.

24/03/2024

Hearing decision-makers of Australia’s built environment at the Green Building Council of Australia’s TRANSFORM 2024 conference. An engaging conversation about leadership on sustainability, driving progress and demanding change in our industry.

21/03/2024

It’s International Day of Forests! Urban forest strategies help to tackle urban heat island effect. Trees also provide a sense of connection and aesthetic qualities that are to be cherished. We celebrate the green lungs of our planet and take action to protect them. 🌏🌱🌳