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Nestling on the park’s edge, Garigal benefits from
an constant flow of oxygen pumped out by countless
trees in its immediate vicinity.
This, coupled with Sydney’s temperate climate, offers occupants the choice of working in naturally ventilated offices for a healthier, quieter, cheaper, and potentially more productive environment.
Alternatively, the convenience of air conditioning is always available with each unit controlling its comfort level and
operating costs via individual, energy-efficient inverter systems.
Up and away
Black louvred 'boxes' have been added to the stairwells at both ends of Garigal to have them double as 'heat chimneys'.
As the sun heats these boxes, warm air is drawn along the corridors (breezeways) of Ground and First Level and up into
the stairwells. Expelling through the louvres, it creates a natural flow across the floors.
The top floor employs a continuous clerestory window along the ridge line of the roof. Its venting is governed by thermostatically controlled motors.
Additionally, this system provides ample natural light for
the corridor and is supplemented with photocell actuated
electric lighting.
Architecturally dramatic, the foyer's three-storey atrium serves
as the third heat chimney. While its intriguing water feature
adds a pleasant cooling effect at ground level.
This results in a comfortable and continual movement of air throughout the building without recourse to expensive artificial ventilation. So simple, so effective.
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Reduce the glare, not the view
Garigal has an innovative way of substantially reducing
the heat-load on its external glass: solar activated blinds.
As the sun traverses the building it triggers roof-mounted
sensors into lowering the heat-repelling blinds. Additional sensors prevent wind-damage by refurling the blinds during gusty periods.
See-through and positioned to the outer edge of the facade,
the blinds create breezeways between themselves and
external windows. Their fabric dramatically cuts heat-transfer, letting occupants open balcony doors to enjoy the resulting ambient air while still affording a view.
And, as less air-conditioning is needed, electricity charges
and greenhouse gas emissions are greatly decreased.
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Comfortably off
Typically, an air-conditioning plant is an office building's
single, largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Garigal, however, only uses artificial cooling and heating
when necessary.
And unlike the all too common whole-of-building approach,
its innovative 'inverter' technology ensures the conditioning
is limited to what's needed, where it's needed.
By 'reading' a room's temperature, inverter air-conditioners use
a graduated deployment to optimise your office environment. Rather than just running fully on or off.
And importantly, each office is serviced by an individual split-system unit so your comfort is maximised, usage is metered,
and costs are minimised.
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Totally exhausted
Garigal avoids yet another source of costs and greenhouse gas emissions by cleverly using full natural ventilation of its secure, under-building carparking.
Despite abundant parking, neither plant nor a single dollar
is used to exhaust vehicle fumes. Just imagine how much
others are paying to maintain the most non-productive part
of a building…
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