A Really Green Building – Central Park

Sydney new downtown landmark, Central Park is famous for its green walls. The green walls cover all residential floors. They can be seen far away from Broadway.  However, it is not only characterized by its rooftop gardens, green walls, solar panels and smart-metering systems. After I checked their website, I was surprised and impressed by their sustainable and recycling projects. 93% of all demolition waste has already been recycled. The recycling projects include on-site water recycling and own low-carbon natural gas power plant.

Recycled Water Network

Central Park Water is the biggest Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) recycled water facility in the world built in the basement of a residential building.

The system collects water sources from: Rainwater from roofs, storm water from impermeable surfaces/planter box drainage, groundwater from basement drainage systems, sewage from an adjacent public sewer, sewage from all buildings within the Central Park community, irrigation water from all greenwalls, drinking water from the public water main. 

After the collection, water sources will go through 8 steps:

Step 1: Wastewater Screening. Plastics and rubbish are taken out of the wastewater.

Stepe 2: Anaerobic Processing. After the wastewater is screened it enters the biological processing tank for anaerobic processing. Natural bugs break down the wastewater.

Step 3: Aerobic Processing. Air is added to the wastewater, creating new bugs, which continue the break down process.

Step 4: Chemicals Added. Four chemicals – Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hypochlorite, Aluminum Sulphate and Acetic Acid – are added at different stages if required during processing.

Step 5: Membrane Fibres. Purified water is sucked through microscopic membranes that block out bugs – removing bacteria, pathogens and all other impurities. The holes in the fibres are so tiny, bacteria and viruses are unable to penetrate and are forced out keeping the refined water clean.

Step 6: Ultraviolet. Water goes through the Ultraviolet purification process neutralizing any remaining impurityes.

Step 7: Reverse Osmosis Water then moves through another membrane filtrateion technology known as Reverse Osmosis (RO). Ro removes small molecules, ions and salts from the water, improving quality.

Step 8: Chlorine. Chlorine is added to the water for the final purification process.

After purification, Central Park Water service approximately 4,000 residents and more than 15, 00 workers and visitors daily. Residents will use between 40 and 50 per cent less drinking water, saving money and precious drinking water supplies.

Energy

Central Park will have its own low-carbon natural gas power plant, run on natural gas, but it will provide heating and cooling for 3,000 residences and 65,000 sqm of retail and Commercial space in 14 buidlings at Central Park.  Environmental consultants and design engineers WSP have recommended that 190,000 tones greenhouse gas emissions could be reduce by Central Park’s two-megawatt plant in the 25-year design life of the plant.

Central Park’s is a successful example of alliance of real estate developer and government. Central Park’s tri-generation plant was funded by a Environmental Upgrade Agreement. EUA is a voluntary agreement to encourage building upgrades, between a building owner, a finance provider and a local council, made possible by changes to the Local Government Act in 2011.  Frasers and Sekisui House entered into an EUA with City of Sydney in March 2013 to embrace a sustainable development.