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At the turn of the twentieth century the northern end of Sydney’s CBD was defined by a dense grid of stately sandstone buildings extending from Macquarie Street in the east to George Street in the west. The cluster of sandstone office buildings between Bridge and Hunter Streets formed the hub of Sydney’s business activity.
Completed in 1916 as the prestigious headquarters of Perpetual Trustees, 39 Hunter Street has stood at the centre of the city’s financial district for more than ninety years. With the wave of post-war construction that swept through Sydney in the 1960s many of the original low-rise office buildings were replaced by modern commercial towers.
Today the building’s significant heritage qualities are recognised by its inclusion on the NSW State Heritage Register, the City of Sydney Heritage Schedule and the Register of The National Trust.
The interiors of this nine storey building have undergone a succession of changes, including a large scale modernisation in the 1960s. By the early 21st century the interior spaces were cramped and dark and the building required a significant upgrade to ensure its continued commercial viability.
Building on their long-standing commitment to delivering sustainable workplaces, the Kador Group recognised the potential to create a unique office environment at 39 Hunter Street. The challenge was to transform the existing building into ‘A grade’ equivalent office space that would achieve a 6 Star Green Star Office Design rating; a first for a heritage building in Australia.
Since winning the inaugural Royal Institute of Architects Environmental Award in 1994 for the Advanced Technology Centre at the University of Newcastle, Jackson Teece Architecture has developed an enviable reputation as one of Australia’s leading proponents of sustainable design. The Kador Group commissioned Jackson Teece Architecture to design the project, assisted by a broad team of specialist consultants with extensive experience in delivering sustainable architectural projects.
Led by Director Damian Barker, Jackson Teece Architecture worked closely with ARUP, Hyder and Project Managers JCK Consulting to develop the following key design initiatives:
39 Hunter Street now stands complete. The contemporary refurbishment sits comfortably within a heritage building and new tenants are moving in. This ground-breaking project demonstrates the potential to revitalise heritage buildings while applying innovative environmentally sustainable design features.
The History of 39 Hunter Street
39 Hunter Street is a beautiful example of a prestigious Beaux-Arts style office building which forms an important historical element in the streetscape of Sydney’s northern CBD.
The building provided 6,000 square metres of floor area and has a steel framed structure with reinforced conrete floor slabs, brick external walls and sandstone-faced facade on Hunter Street. Two large light-wells positioned midway along the eastern and western boundaries allow filtered light to penetrate to the lowest work environment levels.
The grand, double height Ground Floor level housed a columned open-plan business chamber, as can be found to this day in the headquarters of the national banks in Sydney’s Martin Place.
A boom in post-war construction saw the demolition of many sandstone office structures to make way for the rapid expansion of skyscrapers, leaving No. 39 as one of the few surviving heritage buildings on Hunter Street.
During its life the building was refurbished on a number of occasions with much of the light-wells covered in. Office levels were fitted with suspended ceilings, mechanical air conditioning and fluorescent lighting, together with a web of electrical services, which resulted in the building becoming inward-looking, claustrophobic and with little access to natural light.
Ornate ceilings were retained but suffered much damage by the installation of new building services and ceilings.
Typical office floors after modernisation circa 1960
View of Hunter Street after World War Two
Ground Floor circa 1916
Project Brief and Design Approach
In 2006 The Kador Group purchased the building with a vision to refurbish it to meet contemporary workplace requirements (min. A Grade PCA) and as a showcase for innovative sustainable practice.
From the outset The Kador Group structured their consultant selection process to obtain the best team with a proven record in refurbishment of existing buildings and sustainable design experience.
This core consultant team convened early with a series of design initiation workshops for the project. Led by the client, the team established an overall strategy for the refurbishment which hinged on the following key principles:
1 Reconfigure the voids to encourage natural light penetration
2 Remove the suspended ceilings to reveal the ornate plaster ceilings
3 Enhance the heritage qualities of the building4 Create a flexible contemporary work environment5 Generate on-site power for peak load management6 Minimise water use7 Improve indoor air quality to boost performance
and provide individual comfort8 Encourage self transport with extensive bike and
shower facilities9 Provide a new entry experience incorporating
equitable access10 Retain as much of the building as possible to
minimise waste11 Incorporate low VOC emission materials to reduce
toxins12 Ensure energy efficiency in all services including
lighting, water use and power consumption
A key design consideration was to provide a solution that allowed daylight into the centre of a building surrounded by much taller buildings.
As the conservation of the building’s existing heritage fabric was a key project consideration, Jackson Teece Architecture was also engaged as the heritage architect for the project.
Construction of the ANZ building in the 1960s 39 Hunter Street surrounded by modern office towers
39 Hunter Street
CAPITARL 170-175m
BUILDING TO THE EASTRL 105-110m
TELEPHONE EXCHANGERL 97m
PROPOSED KINDERSLEY HOUSEBLIGH ST NORTH OF HUNTER STRL 178m
ANZ WESTERNRL 101m
BUILDING FACING 39 HUNTER STRL 64.6m
70 PITT STREET WESTRL 60.4m
72 PITT STREET WESTRL 42m
ANZ WESTERNRL 30m
Hunter Street ElevationDrawing by the original architects, Robertson + Marks
Section through New Atrium
Methodology for Environmentally Sustainable Design
Conservation
Conservation is an inherently sustainable practice. Ageing buildings hold an enormous amount of embodied energy, but their outdated mechanical and other services systems are expensive to maintain.
At 39 Hunter Street a complex juggling act was performed to maintain, reveal and enhance the key historic features of the building while updating the interior spaces to suit the demands of contemporary commercial office tenants.
Most of the existing building fabric was retained with areas previously thought lost, such as the coffered ceilings, restored to add character and depth to the typical office environment.
Throughout the design process Jackson Teece Architecture, as heritage architects, liaised closely with the City of Sydney Council and the NSW Heritage Office to facilitate the approvals process.
Sustainable Initiatives
There are three major new elements introduced at 39 Hunter Street which enable a raft of key sustainability initiatives to be achieved.
1. Central Atrium A new central atrium was created extending through the full height of the building to allow sunlight to penetrate to the lower floors. This elegant void is defined by operable glass facades on two sides and the black-tiled wall of the new lift core on the eastern wall. A glazed roof acts as part of the smoke exhaust strategy with operable glazed louvres allowing rising hot air to be flushed out of the building as part of the clean air cycle.
Typical new office environment
2. Raised FloorA new raised floor enables all mechanical, electrical and hydraulic services to be located below the floor of each office level. Localised air quality control is available through the use of dispersed air flow controls which occupants can alter to their individual needs. The original timber flooring, while in poor condition, remains intact beneath the raised floor and can be viewed through glass panels at the ground level.
The network of fire services, alarm systems, speaker cables and electrical wiring was laid within the floor zone and passes through the floor slabs to service the level beneath. This eliminates the need for ceiling-mounted conduits.
3. Lily PadsTermed ‘Lily Pads’ by the team, a series of innovative new panels was designed to fit within and complement the existing coffered ceilings. A combination of light source and acoustic dampener, the ‘Lily Pads’ also serve as a consolidation device for the new services, such as sprinklers and lighting, which penetrate through from the floor above.
The atrium enlivens the interior by providing natural light, activity and vibrancy to the heart of the building
View across completed atrium
View from Level 1 during demolition works for the new atrium
Original Typical Floor PlanDrawing by the original architects, Robertson + Marks
New Entrance and Ground Floor Plan
The outcomes were the result of extensive, detailed and co-ordinated work by the entire project team which, from the inception of the project, was required to consider the often conflicting requirements for quality, energy-efficient commercial space and the need to conserve the heritage qualities of the building.
Sustainable Plant and Services
A number of technical proposals to facilitate the minimisation of power usage, water loss and waste production were adopted.
1 Use of the roof-mounted sprinkler tank for thermal storage
2 Installation of state-of-the-art building services, including displacement air conditioning and energy-efficient lighting controls
3 High efficiency luminaires used with high efficacy lamps and high frequency ballasts
4 Gas-fired generators used to run one of two chillers as part of the peak load reduction strategy
5 Rain water collection and re-use through a system of grey water networks
6 Storm water leaving the site is treated and filtered using a leaf filter
7 Fire system test water has been designed to be stored and run on a closed loop which mitigates waste
8 Due to recycling, outflows to the sewage system are reduced by 40% against an average building
New Typical Commercial Floor Plan New 7th Floor Plan
Material Use
Underpinning the new architectural solutions was a commitment to sustainable material use including:
1 All timber and composite timber products used in the building and construction works were required to be sourced from post-consumer reused timber or FSC certified timber
2 95% of all painted surfaces, carpets and adhesives/sealants have been specified to comply with low VOC benchmarks
A-Grade Amenity and Facilities
The new typical floor plan allows the building to be occupied in various configurations. A single tenant may take the building as a prestigious CBD flagship or, alternatively, each floor can be individually occupied or divided into two tenancies.
Three new lifts and services are provided in the former light-wells which minimised both the amount of demolition in the project and the impact of the lifts and services on floor space.
The atrium acts as a contemporary design device which serves an environmental function. From a tenant’s perspective, in addition to providing natural light and air flow, the atrium enlivens the internal spaces of the building through movement, views and activity; all important components of contemporary office life.
Green Star Assessment Process
Ageing and inefficient buildings constitute a large part of Australia’s commercial building stock. Tackling the fundamental problem of refurbishing existing buildings to meet contemporary tenancy standards, which includes improving sustainability, is fundamental to the ongoing commercial viability for many asset owners and collectively significant if we are to meet our Kyoto targets.
The conversion and upgrading of heritage buildings is no different. Heritage buildings also need to be made relevant and extend their useful life for years to come. From the project’s conception our team goal has been to deliver a sustainable, responsible building rated by the Green Building Council of Australia. This goal has been realised with 39 Hunter Street achieving a 6 Star Green Star rating for design, the first heritage building in Australia to do so.
The awarding of the accreditation is the culmination of an extensive collaboration between all team members, and particularly between the client/project manager and the architectural and services design team. It is an exponential leap to attain 6 Green Stars, classed as “world leading” over and above 5 Stars. Ingenuity and a commitment to achieving the best possible sustainable outcome were the key to this achievement.
In the context of a heritage building, all ESD design and services initiatives were required to be tested, not only against the usual parameters for new buildings, but for ‘fit’ with the heritage strategy. Years of expedient interior fitouts had buried much of the heritage features and character. The realisation of the original concept was to develop a system of services that respected and integrated sympathetically into the existing fabric of the building.
Arup worked closely with Jackson Teece Architecture to develop systems that would best integrate, be long lasting and flexible to a number of tenancy scenarios. The team achieved well above the 75 points required to achieve the 6 Star rating.
The result is a seamless integration of state-of-the-art building systems within an existing heritage structure, providing highly efficient services with a high degree of flexibility and improved indoor air quality to building occupants.
Level 4 after creation of the new atrium during construction works View across the new atrium
Completion
A pedestrian passing 39 Hunter Street today would notice only the updated entry and foyer at street level and the heritage facade (repaired previously). Only upon entering the building does the dynamic contrast between the new atrium and the heritage structure become apparent.
This project admirably demonstrates conservation practice in its widest context through the successful improvement in the quality and performance of an existing building.
The result is a building that is now future-proof for the next 25 years, appeals to a broad number of high-profile tenants and has vastly improved its commercial viability.
The new building owners, The Kador Group, are committed to the long term viability of all their ventures and see no distinction between long term commercial prudence and sustainable building practice.
This philosophy is very much in tune with Jackson Teece Architecture’s long-held commitment to sustainable design and construction.
Address 39 Hunter Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Owner Kador Group
Level 26, 500 Collins Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Contact: Mark Ross
03 8624 1555
Architect and Heritage Architect Jackson Teece Architecture
Ground Floor, Lot 1, Pier 8-9
23 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW 2000
Contact: Damian Barker
02 9290 2722
Project Manager & DDA Consultant JCK Consulting
Suite G01
350 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: Judith Knott
02 9227 8001
Sustainability Consultant, Building Services Engineer, Acoustic,
Mechanical, Electrical and Fire Engineers
Arup
Level 10, 201 Kent Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000
Contact: Robert Saidman
02 9320 9516
Structural Engineer & Facade Consultant Hyder Consulting
Level 5, 141 Walker Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000
02 8907 9000
Leasing Agent CB Richard Ellis
Level 26, 363 George Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000
Contact: Jenine Cranston
02 9333 3511
Quantity Surveyors Davis Langdon
Level 5, 100 Pacific Highway,
North Sydney, NSW 2060
Contact: Alan Jenkins
02 9956 8822
BCA Consultant Hendry Group
Level 4, 32 York Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000
02 9262 1565
Private Certifying Authority City of Sydney Council
Contact: Emilia Valkov
02 9265 9669
Hazardous Materials Consultant EMS
Level 1, 4b Lord Street
Botany, NSW 2019
02 9355 3300
Property Manager DJ Wear & Associates
PO Box Q843, QVB Post Office NSW 1230
02 9262 2256
Green Building Council of Australia Level 15, 179 Elizabeth Street,
Sydney. NSW 2000
Contact: Susie Parnell
02 8239 6200
GBCA Rating 6 Star Green Star - Office Design/Heritage
Certified Monday 12 May 2008
Score 79
Building Type Refurbishment
PROJECT INFORMATION
For more information on any of the projects in this document, or to discuss a business opportunity, please contact Damian Barker (Design Director) or Peter McKenzie (Director Heritage Conservation + Building Diagnostics).
Damian Barkerphone 02 9290 2722email [email protected] 0411 545 773
JACKSON TEECE
Sydney
Ground Floor, Lot 1, Pier 8-9
23 Hickson Road,
Walsh Bay NSW 2000
T +61 2 9290 2722
F +61 2 9290 1150
Brisbane
Level 35, 123 Eagle Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
T +61 7 3236 2771
F +61 7 3236 2338
Newcastle
744 Hunter Street
Newcastle West NSW 2302
T +61 2 4969 5199
F +61 2 4969 6177
Peter McKenziephone 02 9290 2722email [email protected] 0412 510 522
