Launceston’s newest office building and one of the country’s most sustainable is officially open.
The $27 million St Lukes Health wellness hub on Cimitiere Street is a seven-storey, cross-laminated timber structure that has been independently assessed as having less than half the carbon footprint of a typical commercial building.
It is the first timber building of its type in Tasmania and one of only a dozen nationwide.
Project director and board member Martin Rees said the project has been five years in the making and is a “very unique” addition to Launceston.
“St Luke’s is probably the largest office-based head office in Launceston of anybody, with 140 people. We were spread all over the town, so this brings us to St Luke’s [in the] one building, which is fantastic,” he said.
The building has been independently assessed by the University of New South Wales as having 55% less carbon than a typical commercial building, with further detailed certifications underway.
“If you look at the Green Star building ratings on that criteria, that gives us a six-star building in terms of body carbon and that’s a very, very high success rate,” Rees said.
“In terms of levels, that’s a very, very successful outcome for us.”
“We’re really proud of that and we have benchmarked against other buildings and this is probably one of the best in Australia.”
The building features a mix of tenants alongside St Lukes, including Allianz, Salveo, Newton & Henry Chartered Accountants and ReadyTech.
Retail spaces, including the brand new St Lukes Dental Clinic, a playground and the Sweetbrew cafe, are located on the ground floor.
St Lukes chief executive Paul Lupo says the new wellness hub has been custom-built with the goal of making every Tasmanian’s health journey easier.
“This is a really exciting time for St Lukes. It’s a really tactile illustration that salutes devotion to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet,” he said.
“This building and this floor is a real open invitation by St Lukes to the community to come into a space that’s hardwired for health.”
The wellness hub is open to all Tasmanians, whether they are St Lukes members or not.
St Lukes are holding a family open day this Saturday from 9am to 12pm, with activities, face painting and games.
