International Towers Sydney, Barangaroo South

Designates projects that provide innovative and sustainable solutions for our clients

Lendlease Group, the developer and design and construction project manager, selected Tetra Tech to provide building services for the three energy efficient, sustainable commercial towers—the International Towers Sydney—at Barangaroo South. Our work included mechanical and electrical design services focused on enhancing energy efficiency and incorporating Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles in collaboration with the Lendlease Applied Insight ESD team. These efforts reduced environmental impacts while increasing comfort and health for building occupants—both key objectives for Lendlease.

In partnership with architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Lendlease’s Applied Insight design team, Tetra Tech developed and integrated building services design based on concepts developed by Applied Insight into the towers’ built form, which includes more than 270,000 square meters of office space and 16,000 square meters of retail space. Our team helped ensure the design targeted 6 Star Green Star Office Design and As Built (v3) and 5 star plus NABERS Energy Star ratings.

Our team incorporated an active and passive chilled beam solution, one of the most energy- efficient air conditioning systems available, coupled with a 100 percent fresh air, non-recirculatory supply air system. The cooling distribution system, which is unusual for high rise buildings of this size, provides a high level of energy efficiency and benefits tenants by improving indoor air quality.

Tetra Tech’s design further minimized energy consumption through monitoring and control of plant equipment such as fans and pumps. The monitoring and control system also communicates using the building’s Integrated Communications Network (ICN)—a first for this type of integrated, multi-tenanted high-rise building.

For the three towers, lighting provided the greatest opportunity for electrical energy savings. Applied Insight were the catalyst behind the uptake of the LED technology solution. Tetra Tech provided detailed and sophisticated modeling and analysis of numerous lighting solutions to achieve an optimum layout that would best meet tenants’ lighting needs while attaining the highest level of energy efficiency. The resulting design combines enhanced effectiveness and efficiency and features an intelligent lighting control system that uses addressable fittings, which allow for more individualized and granular control, and separate zoning for lighting around the building perimeter.

While the commissioning and tuning process at International Towers Sydney is still being finalized, all three buildings are approaching their energy targets. The buildings have achieved 6 Star Green Star ratings for design and 5 star NABERS Energy Star ratings and emit less than half the carbon dioxide of other office buildings in Australia. The International Towers Sydney also are the first in the world to be awarded WELL Core & Shell Certification at the Platinum level, which is provided to buildings that are designed and operated to support tenants’ health and wellness.

Our team also designed sustainable interiors for ITS tenants, including some of Australia’s largest, publicly listed companies, further reducing energy requirements and improving staff engagement. Learn more about our modern, flexible, technologically enhanced interiors designs.