Back in 2011, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia built a new head office in Sydney. To achieve both Green Star and NABERS rating requirements, the installation needed a certain background sound level. As with most modern buildings with efficient air conditioning and other improvements, an outside sound had to be included.

The problem

Consisting of two nine-storey buildings and built to accommodate over 4,500 staff, the Commonwealth Bank’s design was ultra-efficient. Noiseless chilled beam air conditioning and fresh air systems perform as advertised, rendering the interior of the office space quiet. Unfortunately, this meant that even the smallest sound could be a distraction.

Similarly, people within the office would be able to overhear conversations. This was a problem not only due to the required privacy in an environment of financial information. But also because the client wanted to achieve a Green Star and NABERs rating.

Other complications

The Commonwealth Bank’s design also included a full atrium. As you can see from the picture above, this included a lot of glass. The reverberation was a problem, creating echoes throughout the space. You can read more about how Soundmask’s systems can help with atriums here.

The solution

As with other “green” buildings, installing a Soundmask system throughout each high rise tower introduced a comfortable background sound to reduce distracting noise and create speech privacy in an energy efficient manner. Achieving the required background sound levels ensured that the Commonwealth Bank’s ultra-efficient design achieved a 6 Green Star and 5 star NABERS rating.

Do you need to achieve a Green Star or NABERS rating? Why not contact us to find out how we can help.