Image Credit : Photographer: Eve Wilson
https://www.evewilson.com.au/
Project Overview
Wilam Ngarrang is a minimal-intervention retrofit of a 1970s apartment block in Fitzroy, it is Australia's first plus energy retrofit of an apartment block. The purpose of transforming this building was to create an example for the city. A financially replicable model of low environmental impact retrofit concentrating on improving thermal performance, extending the lifespan of the building, and increasing amenities for tenants. Importantly, there is also an emphasis on creating a sense of domestic comfort, on making places for people which are warm, welcoming, and beautiful, in their own modest way. The design of the project was a partnership between Kennedy Nolan and Finding Infinity, regular collaborators on a diverse range of projects.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Kennedy Nolan Architects: Rachel Nolan, Patrick Kennedy, Michael Macleod, Danny Truong, Marnie Morieson
Environmental consultants - Finding Infinity: Ross Harding, Will Young
Project Brief
The intention of the Willam Ngarrang Retrofit project was to set an example of the environmental, social, and financial benefits of retrofitting existing apartment blocks in Melbourne’s inner city. Alongside Finding Infinity as environmental advisor, Kennedy Nolan completed a ‘minimal intervention’ of this existing '70s apartment block in Fitzroy in order to improve its thermal performance, extend its life span, and increase amenities for tenants.
Key targets of the project included:
• a net-positive energy output
• the minimization of grid water demands from tenants
• approaching zero-waste operations
• minimized carbon output from construction
• approaching zero-waste construction.
Environmental initiatives undertaken included the retention of the existing building in its entirety, with only windows and doors replaced to improve airtightness and gap sealing.
Other initiatives included rooftop rainwater collection, the implementation of efficient water fittings and fixtures, and the installation of a 33kW solar system on the rooftop of the building. A heat recovery ventilation unit was also installed in each of the apartments for occupant comfort. It is estimated that the reduction in bills for tenants as a result of these inclusions will be 80% or more.
Through partnering with the organization HomeGround, two of the apartments are being rented out at below-market rates to assist those who are struggling to enter the rental market.
Project Innovation/Need
The project is Australia’s first plus energy retrofit of an apartment building, significantly improving the environmental impact of the building, and extending the life of the structure. As an ethos, the project aimed to reuse as much material on-site as possible. Where this wasn’t possible, the aim was to source the lowest carbon alternatives. During the construction process:
- The entire double brick structure was retained
- Recycled bricks and pavers were used for the steps and landscaping around the building and hills hoist
- The original roof sheeting was used for the perimeter fencing
- The hills hoist was reused from a family home
- The window sills used reused timber
- Brick from the existing brick window sills were reused to patch up the brick cavities
- Existing kitchen tiles were cleaned and reused as the communal laundry wall tiles
- Hallway handrails were retained from the existing building
- Internal door-frames of each apartment were retained, and timber was reused for the joinery handles
- Existing stair balustrades were retained
- The electric fuse box and switchboard located in each apartment were built from materials on site.
The project is 100% electric – with a CO2 heat pump for domestic hot water, efficient VRF heating and cooling, and cooking via induction hotplates. Recovering, reusing, and recycling existing materials and construction materials was a top priority for this project, as a result, 80% of construction waste was avoided.
Design Challenge
The design of the project was a partnership between Kennedy Nolan and Finding Infinity, regular collaborators on a diverse range of projects.
It is hoped that this project demonstrates how Architects can make a positive impact in new ways by deploying their unique understanding of the possibilities in all buildings and how modest intervention can make a big impact.
The ethos of the project aimed to reuse as much material on site as possible, where this wasn’t possible, low-carbon materials were prioritized. The existing double brick structure was retained, the existing roof sheeting was repurposed as fencing around the site, former kitchen splashback tiles were reused for the communal laundry area, salvaged marble was used for a communal table, and salvaged furniture was used for communal space fit-outs. Recovering, reusing, and recycling existing materials and construction materials was a top priority for this project. All aluminum, glass, metal, plaster, timber, and concrete waste that could not be retained was separated and recycled. During the demolition process, all materials were cataloged and stored on-site for re-use. To determine the best materials for this retrofit, an embodied carbon study was performed and compared to a new build. The embodied carbon associated with retrofitting the existing building was approximately an 82% reduction to a new building.
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is achieved through the reuse of site materials, the use of low-carbon materials, and the use of passive design strategies. Energy efficiency is achieved through passive design to first reduce the need for heating and cooling, improve the efficiency of water fixtures and fittings and the efficiency of the domestic hot water system, and finally install a 33kW solar panel system to the roof of the building. The efficiency initiatives reduced the energy usage of the building by approximately 70%, with the remaining energy supplied by on-site solar PV.
Economic sustainability is addressed by providing a financially replicable model for retrofitting apartment buildings. Showing that providing specific environmental initiatives for a building can improve its structural life while servicing its residents, the community, and the environment. These initiatives have resulted in lower utility bills for the residents of the site, and a commitment to having below-market rents contributes to its economic sustainability.
Architecture - Multi Residential - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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