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In recognition of its ‘World Leadership’ in sustainable building practice, La Trobe University’s new Sports Stadium has been awarded Australia’s first '6 Star Green Star Design and As Built v1.2 certified rating' for a sports building by the Green Building Council Australia.

The Sports Stadium was completed in January 2020 and includes an indoor stadium with six multi-purpose highball courts; a teaching and research building with world-class sport science and analytics research laboratories; and office space for commercial tenants.

La Trobe Sports Park is home to 26 sports clubs, the Northern Football Netball League, Softball Australia and Softball Victoria and planning is underway to become home base for the Matildas, Football Victoria and Rugby Victoria.

Partners contributing to the complex include Banyule City Council; architect Warren & Mahoney; builder ADCO; project manager TSA Management; ESD consultant Arup and service designers Stantec.

The stadium was built as part of Stage 2 of La Trobe’s Sports Park development – a key component of the University’s ambitious plan to transform its Melbourne Campus in Bundoora into a University City of the Future.

Key environmental features include:

• 1,104 high specification (470W) solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels on the roof amounting to 519 kW, capable of generating about 724,000 kWh year – enough to meet the entire stadium’s electrical demand with a surplus that will also provide renewable energy to the rest of the campus for net positive operation.
• Structural design that significantly reduces embodied carbon (the greenhouse gas emissions generated upfront to construct the building) with a 15% reduction demonstrated due to the structural efficiency of the court design.
• About 16% of the building by cost features accredited sustainable products including furniture, flooring and ceiling panels, exceeding the Green Building Council of Australia’s criteria and achieving innovation points.
• Water efficient fixtures and controls with rainwater capture and reuse.
• Native landscaping, natural ventilation, local procurement, water sensitive urban design, an integrated waste management plan, green groundskeeping operations and a white roof which reflects the sun to reduce the urban heat island effect.

La Trobe Dean School of Allied Health Human Services and Sport, Professor Russell Hoye said the state-of-the-art Sports Stadium had transformed students’ experiences and was a valuable community asset predicted to have more than 10,000 visitors a week.

Professor Hoye notes “we’re very proud of the fact that we’ve been able to create this incredible facility while remaining true to La Trobe’s values of being sustainable, protecting our environment and aiming to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2029.”

Green Star is an internationally recognised sustainability rating system for the built environment. There are different Green Star rating tools, and the ‘Design and As Built’ rating guides the sustainable design and construction of schools, offices, universities, industrial facilities, public buildings, retail centres and hospitals.

All newly constructed buildings at La Trobe are certified at a minimum rating of 5 Star Green Star under the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) building rating system.

Architects Warren and Mahoney explain their work at La Trobe University Sports Park in an article published in the last issue of Australasian Leisure Management which can be read online

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