In a pioneering move for Western Australia
Mr Garry Baverstock in association with Horner, Scanlan and
Considine (HSC) designed and project managed the construction of
the Rokeby Road Offices in 1980. This building was innovative for
its time because there were only a few passive solar buildings in
Perth and at the time and remains one of the most sought after
office locations in Subiaco.
The clever building design was the result
of experience gained from two other similar scaled projects where
passive solar principles were applied; namely Hay Street Subiaco
and Forrest Street Cottesloe, in which Mr Baverstock also worked in
association with HSC. At the outset of this project Mr Baverstock
worked closely with solar design supporters Mr ]eff Considine and
property developer Mr Kevin Jeavons who was then regarded as being
ahead of his time in wanting state-of-the art solar designed
offices constructed.
The building's technological innovation
and experimentation with air collectors makes this project
significant in the history of solar energy use in buildings. With
good northerly orientation between two buildings, a double volume
northern facing solarium was used to collect northern winter sun
and light all year round. Extra thermal mass via rock stores was
added to the two-storey offices to enhance the thermal mass effects
and night ventilation ensure passive cooling on summer
nights.
Experimentation continued with the use of
low yield unglazed solar air collectors. The pioneer scientist Dr R
Lawrance calculated much of the physics employed.
This building was not dissimilar to the
much later acclaimed '60L' building developed in Melbourne in 2006.
Of course technological advances made this design a notable
contribution for the design of residential scale office
developments. But Rokeby Road delivered similar results passively,
if not better!