Sustainable Building Design at Calvary The Highbury

Our modern lifestyles impact our environment in several ways. The cars we drive, the foods we eat, and the buildings we live and work in all place pressure on our natural resources, and with the climate crisis becoming an increasing concern, it’s important that we work hard to ensure solutions are in place to preserve our planet.

Sustainability has become a vital factor in the planning and construction of modern buildings. “When we built Calvary The Highbury, our objective was to provide a healthy, comfortable, and productive building environment for our residents and staff whilst maintaining a reduced impact on energy and water resources,” says Sam Snaddon, Real Estate General Manager at Calvary. “These initiatives were instrumental in the sustainable design and construction of the project.”

During both the demolition and re-construction of The Highbury, a thorough inventory was kept of all building materials and construction techniques used. These techniques and materials were specifically selected to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions when compared with a standard practice equivalent development. For example:

• Double glazing and thermal insulation systems to minimise expected energy consumption
• Climatically responsive building fabrics designed to use thermal mass and limited areas of well shaded glazing to reduce solar heat gains
• Disposal of over 90% of demolished materials from the site in an environmentally-friendly manner

A building management system is also in place to meter energy and water so that faults and excess usage patterns can easily be identified and rectified.

We all have our individual routines; some of us enjoy a warm and toasty environment, whereas others prefer a cooler room temperature. Our sleep patterns can vary too, so when living in a shared environment, it can be difficult to find the right balance to suit everyone’s needs.

All residential rooms at the Highbury have individual temperature systems and localised lighting controls. Not only do these smart technologies give residents control over their own living environment, it also helps us to reduce our carbon footprint by only using we energy we require.

The planet’s water supply is limited, and in the face of global climate change, freshwater resources in Australia are expected to decline. Yet Australians are still the greatest per capita consumers of water each year, and this combined with a growing population places immense strain on the water supply in our country.

The Highbury utilises sustainable building design to reduce water usage within the home and recycle where possible. For example, all water used during the mandatory fire pump tests is recycled into the rain water harvest tanks and reused. The building also uses air cooled mechanical services to avoid excessive water use by cooling towers, and e-water systems throughout the home reduce the demand for harsh chemical-based cleaners and disinfectants.

Click here to find out more about Calvary Health Care