MAY 2020 · VOLUME 19.4 RRP $14.95 PRINT POST APPROVAL NUMBER PP352532/00001 Urge to merge When science meets artistry. FEATURE More than a feeling Parramatta in Sydney’s west is undergoing a substantial transformation as it seeks to become “Australia’s next great city”. Sean McGowan reports on the progress of the new Parramatta Square development that is re-imagining the city’s centre. As the first stage of Walker Corporation’s A business and events centre also The new civic, cultural and community new $2.4 billion Parramatta Square provides office suites and flexible, building – dubbed by the local Mayor development – one of the largest functional event spaces to cater to as the “beating heart of Parramatta” – urban renewal projects in the country the growing needs of tenants. will be the final addition to Parramatta – 4 Parramatta Square is the first Square. This will feature a wave-shaped commercial office tower to have MASTER PLANNING façade of crystalline blocks as well as reached completion at the site. rooftop gardens. The wider Parramatta Square Designed by architects Johnson Pilton development has been designed to Its design is the work of a joint Walker (JPW) and constructed by Built re-imagine the civic and commercial venture between Manuelle Gautrand with its joint venture partner, major heart of the city. Architecture, Design Inc and Japanese construction firm Obayashi Lacoste+Stevenson – the winning team of Corporation (BOJV), the building Located across a 3Ha city block, an architectural design competition held offers A-grade office accommodation the precinct will include four by the City of Parramatta. Local, national to house three government agencies Walker-developed commercial and international responses were sought. in a single building. This arrangement office towers to complement the improves efficiency, collaboration and already constructed Western Sydney The architects presented the $130 million the services provided to the people of University (WSW) School of Business, six-storey building as the focal point New South Wales. Sydney Water Headquarters and for Parramatta Square. 6,000m² of public space. The 65,000m² 34-storey Recently awarded to Built to construct commercial office building features It will also feature a new state-of-the-art and with AECOM to design civil, a three-level “super basement civic building to accommodate the structural, building services and carpark”. It also boasts multiple City of Parramatta council and specialist services, the building is podium levels of retail and public library (5 Parramatta Square). expected to be completed and open to public spaces that link directly to The existing heritage-listed Town the public in April 2022 to coincide Parramatta Station and rail links Hall will be refurbished to meet BCA with the completion of the remaining to the Sydney CBD. upgrade requirements. projects within the precinct. 24 MAY 2020 • ECOLIBRIUM FEATURE 4 PARRAMATTA SQUARE Close collaboration between AECOM’s mechanical and fire engineering One of four commercial office towers teams, as well as mechanical services planned for the site, 4 Parramatta Square contractor A.G. Coombs, ensured that is home to major government tenant all modifications to the original design Property NSW and its 5,000 staff. could be seamlessly integrated. Having already played a role in the Angus says developing the spatial feasibility and master planning of requirements of the building’s mechanical the entire precinct since early 2015, services plant was particularly critical AECOM was engaged by Walker in ensuring the building envelope was Corporation to provide multi-disciplinary appropriately provisioned and “locked in” services at 4 Parramatta Square. for a smooth transition from feasibility This included mechanical, electrical, through to construction stage. hydraulic, facade, fire and fire safety engineering, acoustic, protection, “Working closely with A.G. Coombs, vertical transport, audio visual, our approach – through collaboration ICT services and ESD/sustainability between AECOM principal mechanical to the base building design. engineer Michael Calcoen and A.G. Coombs senior project engineer AECOM was also engaged by Property Paul Archer – was underpinned by a NSW to design the integrated base build commitment to innovation and the and tenancy fitout. DBS Consultancy creation of aesthetic, sustainable, led the peer-review of building services functional and economical designs,” and stakeholder engagement across the he says. government agencies, Property NSW, “We initially provided a design using tenancy architect Woods Bagot, and Built. conventional systems and material “We worked closely with the builder to always seek to optimise the Built in a joint venture with Obayashi quality of internal spaces for tenants Corporation (BOJV), to further and environmental performance develop their construction preference for the occupants. This proactive and methodologies,” says Paul Angus, AECOM associate director and project manager for the multi-disciplinary project. PARRAMATTA SQUARE “Design solutions evolved as the MASTER PLAN project progressed.” The Parramatta Square precinct will feature several buildings and spaces The entire precinct is designed to when it reaches completion in 2020: share the three-level “super basement ▲ Parramatta Square 1 – carpark” while three high-rise towers Western Sydney University sit above a two-storey retail podium. School of Business (26,500m²) This infrastructure required careful ▲ Parramatta Square 2 – consideration from the AECOM Sydney Water Headquarters engineering design team to find the best (23,000m²) placement of shared plant and equipment. ▲ Parramatta Square 3 – Particular attention was given to 43,000m² commercial minimising disruptions during the office building staged delivery of the precinct. ▲ Parramatta Square 4 – 65,000m² commercial “With structural floor-to-floor heights office building at podium level determined by adjoining ▲ Parramatta Square 5 – developments such as the existing City of Parramatta civic, cultural Parramatta railway station, servicing the and community hub retail tenancies and traversing services ▲ Parramatta Square 6 – to and from the basement level into 71,000m² commercial office tower the towers presented many challenges ▲ Parramatta Square 7 – overcome only by persistence and Refurbished heritage-listed collaborative thinking,” says Angus. Town Hall ▲ Parramatta Square 8 – The design of the “super basement” also 53,000m² commercial office tower required detailed CFD (computational ▲ Parramatta Square fluid dynamics) modelling of the carpark Public Domain – basement levels to ensure the ventilation 6,000m² public space system was carefully assessed. FEATURE These targets included provision of a solar The 34-storey development features multiple podium PV array to produce onsite renewable levels of retail and public spaces that link directly to Parramatta Rail Station. energy, an energy-efficient mechanical services plant, rainwater harvesting, and extensive CO2 monitoring to deliver a high level of indoor air quality. Also adopted were passive design elements such as the use of natural daylighting to illuminate building perimeter spaces, and a high level of BMS monitoring. VARIABLE VOLUME SOLUTION To provide space cooling, a low- temperature variable-air-volume (VAV) system served by thermally zoned air-handling units (AHUs) was adopted at 4 Parramatta Square. “This solution was chosen, as it requires significantly lower air quantities compared to standard-temperature systems and subsequently provides reductions in duct sizing and fan energy,” explains A.G. Coombs’ Archer. Through the careful selection of diffusers, suitable air distribution at low temperature and volume has been achieved. The 34-storey office tower features multiple mechanical services plantrooms on Levels 1, 2 and Podium approach adopted by A.G. Coombs sustainability section manager and Level 3, as well as on Level 19 and was strengthened by certainty of principal at Stantec – the ESD consultant Level 34 servicing the upper and delivery and robust risk management for the D&C contract. lower levels of the tower. through considered design and high-quality, fully coordinated Angus says the sustainability targets The main chilled water plant located on 3D documentation.” not only influenced the design of the Level 19 of the building feeds water to building and services, but also led to the the AHUs in the low-, mid- and high-rise The project’s sustainability ambitions introduction of a number of initiatives. plantrooms. This variable primary chilled were established early in the design process and outlined within the base building accommodation brief. LESSONS FROM As well as being designed to achieve Restores degraded condenser coils in HVAC units compliance with stringent BCA Section THE BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEER J energy efficiency requirements, Rebuilds damaged thermal connections 4 Parramatta Square targeted 5 star AECOM multi-disciplinary project but also the daily operation of the Green Star Office design and as-built manager Paul Angus offers precinct that is operated by the City of Improves heat transfer and dissipation across cooling surfaces ratings plus NABERS Office Energy Parramatta council. some of the key lessons from the 5 star base building rating. Improves operating efficiency 4 Parramatta Square project. Regular meetings and workshops were Major tenant Property NSW also required conducted with all the key stakeholders, its own