D 1.

ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRINCIPLES

The construction and use of infrastructure can have a detrimental effect on the environment. As a
corporate citizen, RailCorp wishes to minimise this impact when constructing or upgrading station
facilities.

D31.1.1 Objective

Station Designs must reflect community concerns with, and RailCorp’s commitment to, minimising
the impact of station infrastructure on the environment. Station designs should therefore aim to:

• Use, reuse and conserve resources wisely

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Reduce consumption of non-renewable energy needed to manufacture, construct and

operate buildings

D31.1.2 Overview
To achieve the above objectives, the Consultant will need to:
• identify appropriate opportunities to reduce the impact on the environment, and
• develop a station specific checklist from conception phase through to Development
Application phase that:
- facilitates the delivery of green opportunities
- reports, tracks and evaluates the appropriate fit of environmental opportunities.
For each station project, a checklist of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) opportunities
should be developed, by the Design Team that identifies viable outcomes, and documents why some
‘green’ options were not deemed appropriate. These station specific checklists will be delivered at
every stage (inception/PDR/DA) by all Consultants and Sub-Consultants (arch/SE/HE/EE/ME) and will
work towards building RailCorp’s information database reporting on green opportunities. The station
specific checklist will also ensure that effective delivery of sustainable initiatives, like dual flush toilets or
sensor operated lights to store areas, once identified as viable, are carried over into the construction
phase.

Currently there are no rating tools for Station Buildings, however this is likely to change, and it is the
architect’s responsibility to ensure that any mandatory rating and targets are complied with. The items
noted below are not exhaustive, nor will they necessarily always be current best practice, as technology
evolves. The purpose of this self-built designer’s checklist is to produce a dynamic framework that:
1. Encourages initiatives
2. Allows for new technologies to be examined, costed, tested for appropriate fit, and
tracked ensuring delivery.
Four primary resource categories are defined under The Environmental Performance Guide for
Buildings and are as follows:
 Land (and Landscape)
 Energy
 Materials
 Water
D31.2 Detailed Requirements
D31.2.1 Land (and Landscape)
The amount of land used for buildings and for related developments is an important factor determining the
amount of water naturally filtering to ground water reservoirs. Ground water conditions significantly impact
the biodiversity and effectiveness of local ecology.
Consider minimising the building footprint and related development where possible. Ground water run-off
and pollution are dealt with under the water section.

D31.2.2 Energy used to operate buildings

Energy associated with the building operation and use (eg lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation etc.) typically
represents the largest proportion of life-cycle energy use. The reduction of operating energy potentially is
one of the most critical performance requirements of green buildings.
Where possible, the Consultant should therefore:
 Examine/adopt passive design solutions (includes orientation, thermal mass etc)
 Identify zones according to operational needs and occupancy patterns, and treat them separately
 Select suitable control systems (eg local switches, time switches, occupancy sensors, photoelectric
switches)
 Provide metering and monitoring systems, especially in larger stations, as energy consumption
management tools
 Identify/select efficient luminaries, appliances (including hot water), HVAC + ventilation systems
 Consider alternatives to full air conditioning (eg displacement ventilation): ensure humidity controls are
in place, to protect IEQ (indoor environmental quality)
 Provide operable windows
 Adopt energy-saving devices and systems (eg variable speed drives for fans and pumps, and waste
heat recovery)
 Specify high efficiency motors for all fan and pump applications
 Use gas fuelled systems, not electric where possible and in line with Station Safety Policies
 Maximise energy use from clean renewable sources
 Specify appropriate levels of insulation (hot water pipe runs, walls, roof and ceilings)

This information will be used to develop at a later stage, during the construction phase:
 User-friendly instruction manuals, preferably fixed in a visible location, to assist staff understand
what energy efficient principals have been employed, and how best to use them
 Maintenance manuals to assist maintenance staff understand how to ensure performance is
maximised.
D31.2.3 Energy used to manufacture and construct buildings
Energy to manufacture and construct buildings is a relatively new field of inquiry, but one that is increasingly
important as operating energy is reduced.
The Consultant should therefore identify all opportunities to reduce the quantities of new materials by:
 Selecting materials that can be reused or recycled
 Selecting materials on the basis of embodied energy / life cycle analysis: report using Ecospecifier or
similar (www.ecospecifier.org)
 Reusing or recycling construction and demolition waste, and
D31.2.4 Materials
Minimise resource consumption through material selection, use and reuse initiatives.
Where possible, the Consultant should:
 Investigate an option to avoid significant demolition if possible, or specify dismantle and recover for
reuse or recycling
 Give preference to manufacturers and suppliers who use high levels of recycled content in their product
 Mechanically fix using vandal proof techniques where appropriate.
 Select/specify natural fibre alternatives to mineral glass wool insulation
 Eliminate the use of CFCs, HCFCs and ODSs (ozone depleting potential substances) especially in
HVAC systems wherever possible.
 Avoid use of halogens wherever possible: provide complying alternative methods of fire suppression
such as carbon dioxide, water-spray, foams and powders
 Give preference to interior materials and finishes that emit low-zero levels of VOCs.
 Reduce the amount of PVC by replacing with alternative materials of equal performance.
D31.2.5 Water
Australia is one of the driest continents in the world (published 2006 Australian Government Bureau of
Meteorology). Reductions in water consumption together with new water delivery solutions will enable
sustainable development into the future.
Where possible, the Consultant should therefore:
 Collect roof water for reuse in landscape or toilets (preference: gravity feed)
 Investigate/propose/specify water-saving devices like dual flush toilets, waterless or sensored urinals,
sensored taps, tap aerators and slow close valves
 Investigate/propose/specify appropriate metering and monitoring systems on larger stations, or stations
with retail units, as water consumption management tools
 Design landscape layout to slow down run-off and encourage slow release (swales)
 Select native, water resistant hardy plants
 Investigate/propose/specify pollution traps for water run-off to control contaminated run-offs from
polluting sources such as car parks
 Re-stabilise and re-vegetate all areas disturbed by construction activities as soon as possible
 Install pre-treatment systems (eg in-floor dry basket arrestors) to minimise pollution loads on sewerage
system
 Ensure that new works do not discharge stormwater to the track area (although this may occur in many
existing stations)
 Label drains “storm water only – fines apply”