New Zealand travel goods supplier Kathmandu has utilised a sustainability-focused design framework for its retail tenancies in recent years, so it makes sense that its national distribution centre should follow suit.
One of the first few 5 Star Green Star Industrial buildings in Victoria, the new 25,000sqm centre features high-efficiency picking and packing technology that allows Kathmandu to sort and send individual items at high volume directly to its 115 stores nationwide, as well as to domestic and international online customers.
But it’s the building itself that impresses on every level. Ninety-five per cent of steel in the building structure was produced using energy-reducing processes, with fabricator Page Steel supplying a proportion of high-grade (400) welded sections to the project.
It was also built to withstand extreme weather conditions, with floor levels raised to avoid severe flooding events and high-strength roofing installed that can withstand high winds. The large-span shed has large box guttering and wide piping to drain high volumes of rainwater, which can then be harvested for use in toilets and irrigation. Plus, the building features a 100kw solar panel array and intelligent LED lighting systems that switch on and off as needed.
According to asset manager Dexus, Kathmandu’s new distribution centre is three times the size of the building previously on the site, but has an equivalent power bill.
(Image courtesy of Qanstruct)
