Molonglo

221 London is a 12-storey commercial office building with views over Lake Burley Griffin and Canberra City. The modernist gem was originally constructed in 1968 as Electricity House and has been refurbished throughout its life.

The refurbishment of decades-old office buildings might not be sexy, but it’s a critical task that must be undertaken in the current climate emergency. 221 London’s most recent upgrade was a collaborative process between Arup, Energy Action an Architectus. The building’s energy efficiency has been tackled from every angle. Its NABERS performance has lifted from 3.5 – 4.5 between 2015 and 2018, resulting in a 38% reduction in electricity use and a 34% reduction in natural gas. Many of the upgraded elements were invisible including a full replacement of the central air-conditioning plant, the installation of high-efficiency pumps, chillers, cooling towers and boilers and the addition of 60-kilowatt solar panels.