RIPLEY TOWN CENTRE SOARS IN SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS

In 2020, Ripley Town Centre was declared one of Australia’s most sustainably designed buildings. It was awarded a 5 Star Green Star Rating in the Design & As Built category from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

But what does this mean?

The award represents ‘Australian Excellence’ in sustainability, and this particular category promotes buildings that are not just green, but healthy, liveable, productive, resilient and sustainable.

Key initiatives that contributed to Ripley Town Centre’s 5 Star Green Star rating include:

Management

• Responsible construction practices: The Centre takes a uniquely considered approach to ‘responsible’ development by reducing unnecessary infrastructure, reducing its carbon footprint through green energy initiatives, and passing on the benefits to businesses and partners.
• Adaptation and resilience: The Centre was designed to be used by generations to come, by taking into consideration climate change projections over the coming decades. This research influenced different elements of the design to ensure the Centre would withstand a changing climate and continue to function in more extreme weather conditions. Projections of temperature and storm intensity influenced the amount of insulation in the roof, use of natural light and ventilation and water management have all been designed with this concept in mind.
• Metering and monitoring: An automated monitoring system captures data from all energy and water meters to help identify any spikes in consumption as they occur, so that any issues can be addressed promptly to avoid energy and water wastage.

Indoor environment quality

• Thermal comfort: The Centre features energy-efficient glazing, shading and insultation to provide thermal comfort to occupants and to minimise energy consumption.
• Indoor air quality: Air quality and ventilation has been carefully considered throughout the Centre through careful placement of exhaust vents to mitigate pollutants. Satoyama Way also encourages airflow and natural ventilation.

Energy

• Greenhouse gas emissions: 1,800 solar panels are installed on the Centre’s roof and car park, generating around 75 per cent of the electricity for the existing shopping environment which feeds into a centralised, private community electricity network.
• Peak electricity demand reduction: In partnership with WINConnect, a private community energy sub-station was installed in 2018 and allows solar energy to feed into the system and power the Centre, enabling supplementary electricity to be purchased at wholesale rates and provided to tenants at a reduced cost. Additional sub-stations will be added as future stages of the development come to fruition. Energy-efficient LED lighting is also installed throughout the Centre.

Transport

• Sustainable transport: The masterplan design focuses on an energy-saving, connected community. With secure bicycle parking and end of trip facilities, the Ripley Town Centre encourages active transport options by walking or riding, particularly for those who work at the centre and live locally, decreasing the mental and social impacts that come with commuting. A bus service was introduced in 2019, with more than 18,000 trips taken on the Ripley Valley 531 but route in the first year of operation. Ripley Town Centre has also been earmarked to form a transit centre as part of the Ipswich Central to Springfield Central (I2S) Public Transport Corridor, seamlessly linking the regions.

Materials

• Responsible building materials: Raw materials were used throughout the design and build of Ripley Town Centre to reflect the connection with the natural environment. Materials were sourced locally to support the local economy and reduce transit and some recycled materials were used in the build. The Centre also used low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paints and other products.

Land use and ecology

• Ecological value: The Japanese principle of Satoyama has guided the design of Ripley Town Centre, and is all about the mutual benefits of integrating existing natural habitats with the built environment. It encourages human connection to promote greater health and wellbeing, with lush greenery throughout Satoyama Way as we aim to create a seamless connection, outside in and inside out.

Emissions

• Stormwater: Water sensitive urban design principles have been implemented to manage storm water, prevent pollution of local waterways and provide greater efficiency through re-using rainwater to maintain the gardens and for toilet flushing. Stormwater run-off is collected in the basin, where it is filtered naturally before entering surrounding waterways.
• Light pollution: The lighting at Ripley Town Centre has been designed to reduce light pollution and artificial light at night which can affect various animal species and ecosystems.

Ripley Town Centre joins Ecco Ripley as GBCA-certified, achieving a 5 Star Green Star — communities accreditation in 2015 and re-accreditation in 2020.

In addition to the re-accreditation, Ripley Town Centre continues to add innovative and sustainable measures including a number of high efficiency water fixtures and fittings, the installation of two, free-to-use electric vehicle charging stations, and the implementation of the retail incubator program — where local artisans and makers are discovered at the quarterly Ripley Providore Market, before incubating and transitioning them through to pop-up tenancies and longer-term leases within the Centre.