A sustainable high-rise with lofty ambitions.
January 19th, 2010
Melbourne’s latest high rise project by Valad Property Group ‘AIR Apartments’ – is a residence with serious ecologocial ambitions.
Situated in Valad’s master planned community of ‘Pentridge’ in Coburg, the AIR residence will feature roof top wind turbines to capture wind energy, transferring it to the grid to power lighting in the communal areas of the building.
Designed by Kim Lowman of Rothe Lowman Architects, AIR reaches dizzying heights at 18-storeys high, comprising a total of 275 apartments, the highest in the Coburg area.
“The entire building has been designed to reduce its impact on the environment, to the point of producing its own energy, harnessing the wind’s natural power and heating and cooling powers as well as catching rain water for toilet flushing and garden re-use”, said Andrew Leoncelli, development executive.
“The wind turbines atop AIR make a significant environmental statement as well as producing a stunning architectural impact. We are extremely proud to be the first to bring this technology to residential buildings in Australia”.
An extensive series of solar panels will be installed on the roof of the northern tail of AIR in order to harness solar energy and reduce the need for gas as a provider for hot water.
AIR is part of the Valad Group project to revitalise a six and a half hectare Pentridge site eight kilometres from Melbourne’s city centre.
Valad and Rothe Lowman architects have worked closely with sustainability consultants Norman Disney Young to execute these revolutionary design initiatives.
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