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Melton Library and Learning Hub – Green Building

April 25, 2014 @ 22:01 By Gavin Webber 10 Comments

Recently Kim, Ben, Pam, and I had the pleasure of a guided tour of the Melton Library and Learning Hub provided by the city’s Sustainability Officer, Kellie Hack.  The Melton Library and Learning Hub is located at 31 McKenzie St, Melton.

I love libraries.  Always have, always will.  The books within them help me learn new things about sustainable living, and when I started to green up my lifestyle I used our local library extensively.  It saved me so much money!

So I was very interested in visiting our new one because our library has been given a 5 star green star accreditation, which means that it is one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in Australia!  Very cool, and all in my town.

Melton Library and Learning Hub reception

Melton Library and Learning Hub reception

Let me attempt to regurgitate some of the interesting facts that Kellie pointed out to us as we walked around.

The vast wall of glass at the front of the building is all double glazed.  This not only keeps the noise as there is a busy road way just out front, but in summer, it keeps the heat outside and in winter it keeps the heat inside.

All outside landscaping is native flora, which means that it doesn’t require much rainfall.

Cafe in the library

Cafe in the library

The cafe serves very nice coffee, which I believe was rainforest alliance.  All the wood you see is FSC accredited from a local supplier in Victoria, and much of it is recycled.  The wood throughout looks fantastic.

The timber from the old library (that they knocked down and replaced with this one) was used during the construction of the concrete formwork. Speaking of disposal, during the demolition of the old library, 92% of the waste materials was recycled.

Stairway to second level

Stairway to second level

The library is on two levels, with meeting rooms on both floors, including an 77 seat auditorium with video conferencing facilities.

The ventilation is underfloor, so all of the air moves naturally upwards.  There are no high-speed fans required, and the air is purged via upper floor windows at night.  Kellie told us that there are CO2 sensors throughout the building that adjust the flow of air so no one gets sleepy in the afternoon.  If you do, you had too many carbs for lunch!

Ventilation windows that are remotely controlled

Ventilation skylight windows that are remotely controlled for purging air at night

All lighting throughout changes with outdoor light levels via sensors fitted to the lighting array.  That way, the lights dim if it is bright outside, which in turn lowers electricity usage.  The fluros are T5 which are energy-efficient.  60% of the building is lit with natural lighting.

Now if the glare gets too much, there are automated blinds that can be raised and lowered during the day.  There is a massive pergola at the front of the building which blocks summer light from shining on the windows, and lets in light during winter.

The concrete, which is normally one of the most energy intensive materials used during construction of a building, is also green.  They used 40% less cement during construction, and in a worlds first, the structural concrete panels were made from e-crete™.  This brand of concrete has no Portland cement in the mix.  Portland cement production is very greenhouse gas intensive, so it is great that these panels have none.

Structural e-crete panels at the rear of the library

Structural e-crete panels at the rear of the library

Behind that wooden wall are massive rainwater tanks that collect water from the roof.  The rainwater is used to flush toilets and to irrigate the surrounding landscaping.

On the roof are 80 solar panels that provided electricity for the building and there is 130m² of solar hot water panels for the rest rooms and kitchens.  Kellie mentioned that there are screens throughout the library that display energy and water statistics from the building sensors, so that the public can see how much electricity is being generated, or water being saved and stored in the tanks.  It is a good way to show off the eco features without being to in-your-face.

Now for the internal library type features.

Mills and Boone area

Mills and Boon area

There is a dedicated Mills & Boon escapism romance section for those interested, with matching pink chairs!

There is a gaming area for kids, which I believe have Xbox, Playstation, etc.

IMG_0451

There are drinking fountains throughout the building, and no bottled water or vending machines.  This was designed this way on purpose.

Ben at the drinking fountain

Ben at the drinking fountain

There are the usual internet facilities, and wi-fi for free.  The book collections are extensive.  I borrowed five books about blogging which have helped me design my blogging course (happening Wednesday 30th April).  Usually there are limited titles that are up to date, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Besides the great books, free internet, lots of meeting rooms etc., another great feature is that this building is centrally located in the middle of town.  It is a couple of minutes walk from the bus terminal, there are bike racks out the back, and if you really feel the need to drive, there is limited car parking (design feature to encourage other modes of transport).  Ben and I will now be able to ride down here and safely lock our bikes up.

Bike racks out the back

Bike racks out the back

The furniture inside the building has up to 40% recycled content.  They were built under strict guidelines to ensure that it was produced with low or no formaldehyde.  All the paints, carpets, and furniture are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC).  VOC’s are particularly troublesome for people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.  The carpet squares are made from recycled material, and when worn are sent back to the manufacturer to be recycled again.

Low VOC furniture and fittings

Low VOC furniture and fittings (second level)

Finally, there are recycle bins out front and back.  The paper is separate from the mixed container bin (plastic, glass, and metal).  The kitchens also have organic waste bins, the contents are turned into compost.

Recycle Bins at the library

Recycle Bins at the library

What do I think of our library and learning hub?  I believe that is was $20 million well spent, and is an asset to the city.  Not only is it the greenest building in town, it has a warm feeling about it.  Some place that you really want to visit and spend a bit of time in.

If you are ever in our city, please drop by and check out the Melton Library and Learning Hub.  You will not be disappointed.

To finish off, here is a video that recaps the 5 star features of the building.

Hopefully I haven’t missed out too much, but I would just like to thank Kellie for our guided tour.  She was extremely knowledgeable about all the features, and is a very friendly person, which made the tour all that much better.  It was a lot to take in, and I hope I did you proud.

So dear reader, do you have any green public buildings in your town or city?  What do you think of them?  Are they nice places to visit?

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Related

Filed Under: Books, Bottled water, Carbon Dioxide, compost, energy efficiency, Libraries, recycle, solar hot water, Solar Power, Sustainable Living, waste, Water harvesting

← TGoG Podcast 060 – Green Renting with Stacey Warlich Building a Wicking Bed on Concrete →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Lynda says

    April 25, 2014 at 23:56

    What an awesome building. 80 panels!!!! My boss (therefore me because i pay all the bills and find the $$$) are building a 7 star house up in Mt Macedon. Its been a two year project but i believe that it will be finished before June. I wish i had my house to build again and the money to do it. Did you just say 30th April for blogging course. That’s Wed. Text me details dear Teacher!!!

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      April 26, 2014 at 08:53

      Hey Lynda, the details are at this link; http://www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au/p/blogging.html

      Reply
  2. Jane says

    April 26, 2014 at 05:37

    That is just so inspiring. I wish my local council would have a mindset that considered the environment. Imagine the savings in running costs as a result of all those panels, solar water heating and rain tanks!

    Reply
  3. Frogdancer says

    April 26, 2014 at 08:48

    I used to live in that street when I was married… just up the road opposite the shopping centre.
    Moved to that side of town when I moved in with my then-boyfriend…. moved back to ‘my’ side of town 13 years later when we split. Funny how you see a familiar address and it leaps out at you!
    The library looks fantastic.

    Reply
  4. pam says

    April 26, 2014 at 10:50

    Thank you for the tour. It all looks amazing and a fantastic asset for the community

    Reply
  5. foodnstuff says

    April 26, 2014 at 12:33

    Great to see this sort of thing happening (although not in my council area unfortunately). See! We can do it when we really try. Nothing is too hard if you care about making a difference.

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      April 26, 2014 at 13:35

      Spot on Bev!

      Reply
  6. Kathy says

    April 26, 2014 at 15:37

    That looks amazing…I love how Libraries are doing more now than just borrowing books. Our library doubled in size last year and got a makeover although not as fancy as that but they did consult the ABC Gardener lady (I’m having trouble remembering her name…Annette someone) and they put in an orchard out the front and they have a little gardening club. Last week when I was there I picked up free seeds which is great. Your library looks awesome and looks like it could be a weekly trip for you guys. I also love how you get get lots of books out. When I was a kid it was about 3-4 books and that was it. Now days you can get about 15-20 or so (don’t quote me on that) but I know it’s a lot. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      April 27, 2014 at 09:08

      Hi Kathy. Your gardening club sounds like fun. I believe that our borrowing limit is 15 books. Pretty awesome, because you only need one library card for the entire family.

      Reply
  7. Tom says

    May 15, 2014 at 14:39

    Hi..I live in Melton (fantastic site and information btw ).. what was wrong with the old library to justify the costs of pulling it down, clearing the land, all plan costs etc and then labour of rebuilding a new one? Could they not have worked with the existing building to make it more environmentally friendly. It just seems that the council had too much money and had to use it somewhere to justify themselves. If the building was derelict then fair enough, but was it? 🙂

    Reply

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About Gavin Webber

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An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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