425 Smith St

The 425 Smith St project involved the sophisticated renovation of the heritage Gloweave factory in Fitzroy. The scope of works included the comprehensive refurbishment of two lower levels and the addition of six new levels of specialised office space.

Challenges

City of Yarra planning conditions mandated a 4 star NABERS energy rating, representing a significant technical challenge for a development featuring a highly-glazed facade. Attaining this performance level required a closely integrated facade design to effectively balance solar gains, thermal comfort, and daylight amenity.

Technical Solutions

Co-Perform developed a client-focused Sustainability Management Plan (SMP), which was successfully endorsed for both the heritage refurbishment and the contemporary office extension.

Key technical contributions included:

• Daylight Analysis: A detailed daylighting assessment was prepared and submitted to VCAT to justify the design outcomes.
• Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD): Best practice WSUD benchmarks were achieved despite the constraints of a fully built-out urban site.
• Energy Efficiency: NCC energy efficiency compliance was secured for the highly-glazed office extension, ensuring the architectural vision met rigorous performance standards.

The completed project demonstrates that exceptional daylight coverage and a 100% glazed facade can be achieved through rigorous environmental modelling and integrated design optimisation.