The awards are still coming now that Brisbane’s 25 King has moved from construction into its working life.
Not satisfied with taking the gong for Australia’s tallest engineered timber office building, 25 King is also Queensland’s first building with WELL Core and Shell Certification at the Platinum level, complementing its 6-star Green Star Design and As Built rating.
These sustainability credentials have been earned through a combination of materials selection – sustainably sourced glulam was used for the structural beams and columns, and CLT for the floors, lift shafts and escape stairs, delivering a 74% saving in carbon emissions over a similar steel and concrete structure – and design, with, the building’s natural aesthetic enhancing the health and wellbeing of its occupants as well as reducing energy use by 46% and potable water consumption by 29%.
The certification was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard (WELL), which is the premier building standard with regards to human health and wellness in the build environment. 25 King earned the distinction based on seven categories of building performance: Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
People and how they use the building are central to its design and success. As well as wood-rich, light-filled workplaces, a communal open area on the ground floor is filled with booths and meeting spaces and framed by foliage – creating a village green feeling in an urban office.
Additionally, 25 King is situated within a mixed-use precinct that includes a thriving food strip as well as handy services and shopping. A new train line for the area is currently under construction and the building is only 500m from an existing train interchange, along with multiple other transport options –all of which contribute to the quality of life for workers at 25 King.
The WELL certification validates the recent timber focus of developer Lendlease. Matthew Mears, Lendlease’s managing director, development, said, “Investing in the wellbeing of employees leads to a better employee experience, which ultimately drives customer engagement and satisfaction. This successful outcome would not have been possible without the support of many people, especially our tenants and investors, who continually showed a willingness to work in partnership with Lendlease.”
Rick Fedrizzi, International WELL Building Institute chairman and CEO, describes 25 King as a model for future builds: “This extraordinary building exemplifies how leadership and innovative design can unite to deliver an iconic workplace that puts people first. It’s early adopters like Aurecon [25 King’s consulting engineers] and Lendlease who pave the way for the entire movement to advance human health and well-being everywhere.”
For more on WELL certification, visit www.wellcertified.com
