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The developer that retrofitted a 20-year old South Melbourne building into Australia's greenest refurbished office is turning its hand to the eastern suburbs.
Super green advocate Peter Szental, a director of renewable energy technology and construction group Szencorp, will convert a B-grade office near the Camberwell Junction into a six-star green-rated office building, which would be one of the most efficient in Melbourne's suburbs.
Among the building's list of sustainable initiatives, the 2000 square metre building will include rainwater catchments, grey water recycling, solar hot water panels and temperature-resistant construction materials.
Szencorp paid a syndicate of private investors $6 million for the part-vacant 124 Camberwell Road building late last year. That syndicate of private investors paid $3.6 million for the then tenanted building seven years earlier.
Szencorp's office is near Shell's Redfern Road headquarters and abuts the Fritsch Holzer Park, which sources say was once used as a rubbish tip. It is also near Camberwell Junction, which is undergoing a building boom since being announced as a principal activity centre in the Melbourne 2030 policy.
One of the biggest developments under way in the precinct is the $80 million mixed-use The Well development, being developed in part by a consortium including Andrew Myer, grandson of entrepreneur and philanthropist Sidney Myer.
GormanKelly sales executive Mario Nobrega, who is leasing 124 Camberwell Road, would not comment on the rent being asked by Szencorp, other than to say it would be at a slight premium to standard offices. Rent is believed to be in excess of $350 per sq m.
While this might seem higher than average Hawthorn East rents, green buildings use key resources like energy, water and materials more efficiently. The extra cost of rent is recovered in lower "utility" expenses.
The Albert Road, South Melbourne office Szencorp redeveloped in 2005 produces 30% of its own electricity, and uses 72% less energy than it did originally.
Mr Szental was last month recruited to the board of the Melbourne Football Club by Brownlow medallist Jim Stynes.
A passionate environmentalist, he is also the deputy chairman of the Clean Energy Council.
His company promises to change the way communities look at their energy needs, and says it is on the lookout for office refurbishment opportunities.
Szencorp says one-fifth of energy use in Australia can be attributed to office buildings, and it claims the cost to retrofit offices makes the argument to go green compelling on a financial, as well as an ethical level.
Mr Szental is one of the pioneers of delivering sustainable property products, joining Drapac developer Michael Drapac, which also develops green offices.
Earlier this year, Szencorp funded a Sydney Institute for Sustainable Futures initiative, which would see Australia's first plug-in hybrid vehicle that can be charged using renewable energy from a normal household power point.
Former Colliers International chairman Bill McHarg, who before last year's election drove a milk truck around John Howard's seat of Bennelong, also now runs a consultancy, CityMetro, that encourages environmentally sustainable property development.
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