100 George Street is a commercial office building located in the heart of Parramatta’s central business district. This iconic building also known as the McNamara Centre commands a significant presence in the CBD skyline when viewed from the north. The building constructed in the early 1980’s and typical to that period has a pre-cast concrete façade which has aged considerably over its life.

The design brief entailed a major upgrade of the building façade, forecourts and lobby to deliver a fresh corporate identity and new appeal for future prospective tenants. To date the tired aesthetic had detracted and the building has gradually fallen below maximum occupancy. Improvement of the performance-base rating of the building for greenhouse gas emissions was required including reduction of energy usage.

Being a major refurbishment, one of the main concerns for the client was returning the building to its previous status as an icon of Parramatta. This was achieved by a new ‘skin’ of crisp, metallic composite panels which sheaved the existing concrete structure. This façade system provided a cost-effective, durable and contemporary response to the brief. The forecourt, previously underutilised and lacking identity, was re-designed to have a dynamic street presence through the introduction of external dining spaces and a large signage blade connecting the building to the street. The transformation of the lobby into a vibrant, energetic zone unites the internal and external spaces.

As one of the objectives of the design brief we explored methods to reduce energy consumption used in the building systems including lighting, mechanical, ventilation and water consumption. The design proposes to use photovoltaic panels on the building envelope while artificial environments will be improved for efficiency to reduce consumption including automatic sensor control which regulates use.