Charles Darwin University & Campus Living Villages

The project includes a mix of studio apartments, shared cluster accommodation and single dormitories, complemented by communal facilities on the ground floor.

The project is targeting both a 5 Star Green Star Buildings v1.0 rating and WELL Gold v2 certification, making it the first student accommodation development in Darwin to pursue both certifications and setting a new benchmark for sustainable, healthy student living in the Northern Territory.

Our Involvement

erbas™ | erbas™ SUSTAIN is providing integrated building services engineering and sustainability services, delivering mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, fire, vertical transport and sustainability expertise through a coordinated design approach.

Our sustainability team has undertaken Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), building physics analysis, façade optimisation and climate-responsive modelling to optimise environmental performance and respond to Darwin's tropical climate.

Sustainability Outcomes

A comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14044 and EN 15978 to evaluate the environmental impacts of the building across its full life cycle — from material production and construction through to operation, end-of-life and potential future material recovery (Modules A–D) over a 60-year study period. The assessment compared the proposed design against a Green Star reference building, identifying opportunities to optimise performance and reduce both embodied and whole-of-life carbon emissions.

Through sixteen design initiatives spanning mechanical systems, material specification and on-site renewable energy generation, the project is forecast to achieve:

• 95% reduction in whole-of-life carbon emissions
• 20% reduction in upfront embodied carbon, including impacts from material production, transport and construction
• Improved performance across eight environmental impact categories assessed under the Green Star Life Cycle Assessment methodology