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Merchant House, 333 Kent Street

333 Kent Street is a careful transformation of a 1980s office into an A Grade workplace in the heart of Sydney.

The client vision was to retain the heritage frontage and as much of the existing structure as possible while delivering contemporary performance and amenity. The project targeted 5 Star Green Star and a 5 Star NABERS Energy Base Building Commitment Agreement, and these settings guided delivery through concept, documentation and operation.

The building orientation presented several constraints. The west facing perimeter invited afternoon heat gain and the floorplates and heritage elements limited major changes to the envelope. Electricity supply was constrained with no realistic headroom for a new substation. The team used these conditions to focus effort where it was most needed, shaping a deliverable plan that met operational needs and adhered to planning requirements.

As the Green Star Accredited Professional, Atelier Ten led sustainability delivery, working with the design team and contractor to translate the client vision into tangible design and delivery decisions. The approach began with a whole building sustainability strategy and continued through detailed modelling, certification planning and construction support.

We used digital sun and daylight studies to set clear façade rules for each side of the building, guiding choices for glass, shading and façade depth. Most of the existing façade and structure were retained, which preserved character and reduced embodied carbon impacts. Indoor air quality was enhanced through advanced air filtration and carbon dioxide control systems. We also modelled peak electricity demand against the supply cap and used the findings to right size the plant and agree practical rules for tenant equipment and hours.

Computer simulations under the National Construction Code performance pathway known as JV3 confirmed the design met energy requirements, and additional modelling showed the daylight and thermal comfort targets required for Green Star could be achieved.
Metering and monitoring were specified to verify performance in use. Tenant obligations and fitout reviews protected the ratings by setting clear limits for lighting, equipment density, occupancy and after hours use, so day-to-day operation supported the design intent. Water use was reduced by harvesting roof run-off into a 30-kilolitre rainwater tank for reuse in flushing and irrigation. The design was verified using the Green Star potable water calculator.

At completion, more than ninety percent of the existing structure was retained and kept out of landfill, preserving character while lowering embodied impacts. Early strategic moves were underpinned by rigorous analysis which flowed into construction and operations.
Post completion a tuning program has been initiated to compare metered performance with the simulation model and prepare the asset for assessment, closing the loop from design to operation. The result is an A Grade workplace that kept its heritage presence, operated within a tight grid capacity and carried a verified path to certification and sustained performance.