Retain, Repair, Reinvest: Barak Beacon Estate
Residential apartments
Image courtesy of OFFICE
Location
Port Melbourne
Use
Public housing (89 dwellings)
Client
OFFICE
Makao role
ESD engineer
Status
Feasibility
Year
2022
ESD engineering for OFFICE's community-backed study showing Barak Beacon's 89 public homes could be refurbished and expanded instead of demolished.
The government had slated the Barak Beacon estate for demolition, and no public study of refurbishment existed. Residents and OFFICE needed independent evidence to show whether the existing homes could be kept, upgraded and added to.
Makao joined OFFICE's team as ESD engineer. Our aim was to support the community with an evidence-driven approach. We assessed the thermal performance of the existing buildings and calculated the energy report for the proposed refurbishment. The ESD strategy moved the estate from gas to all-electric with solar PV, added onsite water harvesting, and set a minimum 29% reduction in occupants' energy and water demand.
OFFICE's study found refurbishment technically and economically feasible. Its estimated cost was about $97.9 million including 238 new homes, with residents able to stay on site and 54% less embodied energy. The estate was demolished in 2023 for a Big Housing Build redevelopment. The study remains a public, evidence-based reference for retrofit-first renewal. (Figures from OFFICE's report, November 2022. Demolition reported by ABC News and The Guardian.)
modelled reduction in occupant energy and water demand
≥29%
OFFICE RRR Barak Beacon report §5.7, Nov 2022less embodied energy compared with redevelopment
54%
OFFICE RRR Barak Beacon report, Key Findings, Nov 2022Makao role
ESD engineer
NCC class
Class 2
NCC edition
Pathway
N/A
Type
Feasibility study
Size
89 existing dwellings
Country
Melbourne Quantity Surveyors; Alastair Swayn Foundation (funder)
