Welcome Inside…
At the core of the Fresh Holistic Health ethos is a will to create a community space that actively promotes health, wellness, and purposeful living.
A strong focus is placed on the environment, both within, and surrounding the practice. By creating a space that supports a healthy lifestyle, built in a way that supports a healthy environment is paramount to building a successful health care practice.
Naturally, using sustainable elements and practices was the cornerstone of the design, product selection and building process. In order to fulfil our desire for environmental stewardship, we set about incorporating new products, as well as tried and tested methods, all aiming to minimise the impact of the building through construction stage, through the life of the space, to the eventual repurposing of the materials.
The design has allowed natural light to reach the majority of the usable floor areas. This has reduced the lighting load required to reach optimum luminosity in the yoga studio, waiting area and foyer by 33%.
Low voltage LED lights are used exclusively.
The design team was also consulted during the construction of the building to determine best placement of windows and to design shade structures lessening the penetration of direct sunlight.
Shaded louvred windows have been installed in as much of the building envelope as allowed by regulatory codes. Louvres allow full ventilation of the window.
The raked roof structure in the reception, waiting room, foyer and yoga studio allow hot air to naturally rise and migrate toward the high level louvres, and a low speed, high volume fan in the yoga studio increases the air movement, allowing greater ventilation and more effective air conditioning.
A green wall has been designed into the waiting room to bring a calming effect into the space, while naturally improving air quality.
WELS rated tapware has been specified for all plumbing fittings, and efficient instantaneous gas hot water systems only run to hand basins where necessary.
Low VOC, prefinished, ethically harvested bamboo flooring has been used through the majority of the practice due to its widely regarded sustainable credentials, impacting far less on the environment than commonly used vinyl flooring.
All internal walls have been insulated. The primary function is acoustic insulation, but bulk insulation also creates a thermal break to isolate the air conditioning zones.
Plasterboard and grid ceiling systems have been used in only 50% of the fit out, with the remaining section open to the roof structure. This has greatly reduced the construction materials required and has allowed easier ventilation, and increased the wall height available for windows.
High yield/low wastage local CNC processing has been used to machine all plywood, which has been used extensively in waiting room furniture, and reception area joinery. The plywood specified is E0 emission level, and is supplied to the CNC machinist with PEFC Chain of Custody certification.
Steel is used sparingly. Bespoke furniture and joinery components have been designed specifically for the project. These parts have been laser cut to minimise waste and CNC folded to eliminate the need for welding. Aluminium (commonly used in commercial fit outs) has been avoided due to its high embodied energy.
‘Low VOC’ finishes have been specified for all wall paints, and timber stains and sealants. All manufactured board products are ‘Super E0’ or ‘E0’ rated for emissions, are sourced from plantations.
Kitchen bench tops are constructed using ‘Paperock’, a composite material made by layered paper bonded with ‘Phenolic’ resin, which has no VOCs and no radon emissions. The paper used is sourced from 60% recycled or sustainable sources.
End of trip facilities including change room, shower and lockers with towel rails and ample storage have been provided to encourage staff to cycle walk or run to work.
On site recycling and composting systems are in place to reduce waste through the buildings use.
Ergonomic stand up desks have been specified at workspaces where typically long tasks are undertaken which improves staff health and wellbeing.