The idea of a Solar Energy Information
Centre was the brainchild of Mr Garry Baverstock in the 1980s. At a
time when knowledge and awareness of solar energy was low but
growing, Mr Baverstock received support and input from marketing
strategist Mr Burdit Krost and businessman Mr Tony Da Motta to
secure a building in South Perth in 1987. The site was located on
the corner of Canning Highway and Dyson Street.
Soon after settlement on the property Mr
Baverstock began working on designs to rework the building into one
that would be energy efficient and climate sensible. The design was
staged in steps so existing business proprietors and the
architectural practice could stay in the building as work was being
done.
A key design feature of the Solar Energy
information Centre was to place the display area on the corner of
Canning Highway and Dyson Street to maximise exposure to passing
traffic. This notion was to promote the benefits of solar energy,
climate sensible building design and the need to rapidly move
toward and embrace a solar economy.
The building was the first of its kind in
Australia to win the Australian design Award in 1990 and the
National Energy Award in 1993. It was also the most innovative
passive and active solar building in Australia in 1989 and the
forerunner for many solar-designed buildings. It brought together
emerging industrialised building methods and computer controls for
security and energy use. Energy efficient lighting and the latest
advances in indirect evaporative cooling were adopted.
The building, including tenants' power
consumption records were run on an unbelievably low rate of $8/sq
metre. This was about 90 per cent lower than any commercial
building at the time. The project built on the experience gained
from the Rokeby Rd Office Project in 1980 and the Russell Centre in
1986.
It took another 15 years for this approach
to design to become part of the rating system for commercial
buildings and a sought-after strategy by architects, engineers and
builders.
Owing to the financial difficulties
brought about by the recession in the late 80s and early 90s, the
Information Centre closed down. The building is now used as a
business centre. The history of this project can be seen on the
website www.solar-e.com.