Melbourne buildingearns world's highest environmental rating

The Pixel Building in Carlton, a leafy suburb of Melbourne in Australia, has received the world’s highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the US Green Building Council.

Developer Grocon built Pixel, a four-level structure with a striking façade, in conjunction with sustainability consultants Umow Lai and Studio 505 Architects. Grocon chief executive officer Daniel Grollo said the LEED rating followed a perfect score from the Green Building Council of Australia and proved Pixel was at the forefront of green buildings internationally.

“There are over 44,000 buildings in 120 countries around the world that have used the LEED rating system, and in scoring 105 points out of a possible 110 Pixel has now surpassed all of them,” Grollo said. 

Shane Esmore, Umow Lai, director and head of the sustainability team, said, “Pixel has also outscored the previous highest-performing LEED building by a massive 10 points. The Pixel project demonstrates how excellence and innovation can push the boundaries of sustainable design; and while it may be only a small building, its impact will be felt on  the design of other office buildings not only in Australia, but around the world.”

Pixel, a carbon-neutral building, boasts an impressive array of sustainable design technology and innovation, including wind turbines on the roof and fixed and tracking solar panels.

Studio 505’s directors Dylan Brady and Dirk Zimmermann said Pixel was the culmination of a wealth of ideas, vision and innovation in design, architecture and sustainability. “The capacity to collaborate with like-minded individuals thinking ‘outside the square’ has been the  key in the successful delivery of Pixel and in ensuring its achievement of 105 LEED points,” they said.

Umow Lai developed many of the innovative technologies that have helped Pixel surpass all current sustainable developments, providing a benchmark for the office of the future. Grocon and Umow Lai have already begun a further collaboration on another carbon-neutral building in Sydney, called Legion House, that is seeking to break further ground in sustainable building design.

Daniel Grollo of Grocon said Pixel has notched up some impressive achievements since its completion in 2010.  

As well as receiving a perfect score as a ‘6-Star Green Star Building’ from the Green Building Council of Australia, it has won the prestigious Banksia Award for Sustainability and also a host of other industry accolades for its sustainability and design achievements.