target sustainability @ marrickville

Case Study 11 - Arthur Velliss Architects

42 Enmore Road
Newtown 2042
02 9591 1064
0404 306302
avarchitect@optusnet.com.au

Summary of business

Arthur Velliss Architects is a chartered architectural office that specialises in new residential, restorations, multi unit projects, and light industrial estates in the inner west of Sydney. Arthur Velliss Architects also designs and documents medium density housing projects in areas such as Port Stephens and Cairns.

Sustainability Vision

Arthur Velliss Architects will demonstrate that small professional offices can be ecologically sustainable. Arthur Velliss Architects applies current green design solutions into designs of homes and residential projects (e.g. roof gardens).

Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity usage

Future targets

• 10% reduction on carbon dioxide emissions from electricity for year ending December 2009 relative to the 2008 year.

Baseline

• Arthur Velliss Architects had approximately 1 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions for 2007 (to be verified) based on the electricity usage for this period.

Planned energy efficiency work

Arthur Velliss Architects plans to be energy efficient by:

• changing to compact florescent energy saving bulbs on all desks and drawing boards, 
• researching the feasibility of a skylight to allow more natural light into the building,
• changing the signage light to low energy fluorescent light with a timer,
• trading in the old photocopier for more energy efficient one with energy saver mode.

Water Imported from Outside the Catchment

Arthur Velliss Architects has decided not to focus on water as it is a relatively low water user.

Waste to Landfill

Targets Achieved

• 46% of resources (waste) is diverted from landfill based on recycling to waste volumes.

Waste Baseline

• 7.3 m3 of waste goes to landfill based the volume of waste removed from the premises.
• 6.2 m3 of co-mingled resources is removed from the premises for recycling.

Future Targets

• 20% reduction of resources (waste) to landfill for 2009 relative to 2008.

Arthur Velliss Architects plans to meet this waste reduction target by recycling:

• ink cartridges,
• mobile phones,
• phone batteries,

And by:

• purchasing ceramic cups to replace foam cups,
• avoiding plastic bags.

Innovative sustainable reuse

Arthur Velliss Architects reuses toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes to package rolled up plans to customers or consultants. This saves on elastic bands that break or eventually melt on to the paper plans and saves on staples that eventually rust the paper during storage and make it difficult to recopy later. The reused paper tubes can be easily labelled with a pen or pencil for reference. 

Old A1 size plans are delivered to Ferncourt Public School for students to use in painting classes.