Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
The project adopted an adaptive reuse and retention-first strategy, reducing the requirement for new materials and avoiding the significant embodied carbon associated with demolition and construction of an entirely new building.
This approach extended to the building services. The existing HVAC plant was approximately 23 years old but was found to be well maintained and serviceable. Rather than automatically replacing it, the project team assessed the existing systems individually and retained the majority of the air-conditioning infrastructure where replacement would provide little or no efficiency benefit. Existing chillers, boilers, AHUs, variable-air-volume controls and significant portions of existing sheet-metal ductwork were retained or relocated.
No formal embodied-carbon study was undertaken for the mechanical systems; however, the services consultant specifically identifies the retention and reuse of the central plant and existing ductwork as measures intended to minimise waste and retain existing embodied carbon.
The lighting specification also targeted lower embodied impacts. Approximately 540 linear metres of Australian-made Novon DynamiX linear lighting was incorporated. The system uses low-carbon aluminium reported by the manufacturer as having up to approximately 65% lower emissions than global-average aluminium, while local manufacturing reduces transport impacts. Its manufacturing process also captures and reuses approximately 99% of powder-coating material and operates a closed-loop water system with 100% capture, filtration and reuse.
Local procurement was also prioritised across the fit-out to reduce transport distances, support Australian manufacturing and trades, and create a more locally connected supply chain. Local suppliers and manufacturers were engaged across key project packages including lighting, joinery, meeting tables, signage and selected furniture items.
This approach complemented the project's wider retention and reuse strategy: where existing elements could be retained they were, and where new elements were required, opportunities to source and manufacture locally were prioritised. This reduced reliance on long-distance and international freight while supporting local industry and shortening the project's material supply chain.
This philosophy also extended to the landscape works, where all external materials were sourced through local trade suppliers specifically to support local industry and reduce transport-related environmental impacts.
The project also implemented an extensive circular-economy strategy during de-fit. The FF&E program rehomed more than 440 existing items representing approximately 224.85 m³ of material, including storage, seating, tables, equipment and light fittings.
Construction waste records for May–September 2025 document 602.57 tonnes of material, with 542.27 tonnes recorded as recycled, equivalent to a reported 90% recycling rate.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate that the project's embodied-carbon strategy was primarily achieved through avoided new construction, retention of existing fabric and services, material reuse, local procurement, Australian manufacturing, low-carbon material selection and diversion of construction materials from landfill, rather than through carbon offsetting or a project-wide calculated LCA.
Operational Emissions / Energy
The project incorporates a substantial series of measures designed to reduce operational energy consumption while improving occupant comfort and indoor environmental quality.
A key design decision was not to replace existing mechanical systems simply because of their age. Existing equipment was assessed for condition and efficiency, with replacement occurring only where equipment was unsuitable for the new workplace. This avoided unnecessary capital works and embodied impacts while allowing targeted upgrades to improve operational performance.
The former constant-volume centre-zone air-conditioning system was upgraded through the introduction of Smart Registers and variable-air-volume control. These regulate airflow according to actual demand, supplying only the amount of conditioned air required by each space. Occupancy monitoring allows air supply to unoccupied rooms to be switched off, while controls optimise operation of the central AHUs.
Air-quality monitoring further reduces unnecessary conditioning loads by modulating outside air according to occupancy. Fresh-air provision was increased from 7.5 L/s/person to 10 L/s/person, with monitoring used to ensure minimum ventilation requirements are maintained.
The gym was provided with an independent VRF air-conditioning system because its operating hours differ from those of the general workplace. This allows the gym to operate independently without requiring the entire central plant to run outside normal office hours.
Automated blinds reduce solar heat gain and assist in controlling internal lighting levels, further lowering HVAC and lighting demand.
The project also transitioned to high-efficiency LED lighting, reducing lighting energy demand compared with the previous installation.
The mechanical consultant records the building's previous NABERS performance as 3.5 stars and estimates that the upgraded building may achieve approximately 4.5–5 stars, subject to verification from meter readings following 12 months of occupancy.
Service and maintenance emissions
The design demonstrate a clear approach to reducing lifecycle replacement and maintenance impacts through retention, adaptability and longevity.
The existing mechanical plant was retained wherever it remained serviceable, and replacement would not deliver a meaningful efficiency improvement. This included retaining major central plant and relocating existing VAV controls and ductwork to suit the new tenancy.
The two existing chillers provide duty/standby capability, allowing future replacement to occur while the building remains operational. The project therefore avoided premature replacement while maintaining a pathway for future upgrades when equipment reaches the end of its useful life.
Similarly, the lighting system was selected with longevity and future adaptability in mind, reducing the requirement for wholesale replacement and supporting lower lifecycle carbon impacts.
The landscape strategy also reduces ongoing maintenance and resource demand. A predominantly desert-inspired planting palette was selected for internal areas and the courtyard, with drought-tolerant species reducing year-round irrigation requirements. Species were selected for suitability to local climatic conditions to support long-term resilience with minimal environmental impact.
The project incorporates 1,216 plants, including 680 Australian native plants – approximately 56% of the total planting – and 360 species selections identified as endemic to the City of Sydney.
Afterlife
Adaptive reuse is fundamental to the project's sustainability strategy.
Rather than demolishing the existing building and replacing it with a new development, the project demonstrates how an existing commercial building can be adapted and upgraded into a contemporary global headquarters.
The same philosophy was applied at building-services level. Existing plant was assessed based on actual condition and performance rather than age alone. The majority of the central HVAC infrastructure was retained because it remained serviceable and replacement would not have delivered sufficient efficiency gains to justify the associated material waste and embodied impacts.
New interventions were deliberately designed around existing infrastructure. Smart Registers allowed the retained central plant to accommodate the substantially different tenancy layout, while existing ductwork was reused or relocated wherever practicable.
This approach demonstrates an important principle for the building's future afterlife: retain, adapt and upgrade rather than automatically demolish and replace.
The workplace planning and servicing strategy therefore provides a platform capable of continuing to evolve as occupancy requirements change, extending the useful life of both the building and its major systems.
The project demonstrates a strong commitment to the circular economy through both reuse of existing assets, local procurement of new elements and redistribution of materials removed during the project.
For new elements that could not be retained or reused, the project sought opportunities to keep manufacturing and procurement closer to the project. Local suppliers were engaged for lighting, joinery, meeting tables, signage and selected furniture items. This supported a more localised material lifecycle and reduced the transport requirements associated with importing comparable products from overseas.
The combination of adaptive reuse, retention, redistribution and local procurement established a clear material hierarchy:
RETAIN → REUSE → REHOME → SOURCE LOCALLY → RECYCLE
This approach considered material impacts at both ends of the project lifecycle – reducing the quantity of new material entering the project while finding productive second lives for materials and products leaving it.
During de-fit, more than 440 FF&E items totalling approximately 224.85 m³ were successfully rehomed. Storage represented the largest component, alongside seating, tables, equipment, mannequins and lighting.
These elements demonstrated direct potential for second-life use rather than recycling or disposal. For example:
Existing storage and display racks were redistributed to charities, schools and social enterprises.
Bilgola Plateau Public School reused shelving and racks for school storage, poster displays and student artwork, with remaining racks proposed for conversion into a vertical garden.
104 pendant lights were rehomed with WHOS for reuse within a new residential rehabilitation facility.
Two B&B Italia Patricia Urquiola chairs were recovered by furniture specialist Cultivated through a credit arrangement, providing a direct example of high-value furniture re-entering the commercial furniture economy.
Existing storage racks were reused within the fit-out of an independent hospitality business in Newtown.
The redistribution program extended across five charities, one social enterprise and three schools, demonstrating that the project's circular-economy approach delivered both environmental and social value.
The FF&E redistribution activities themselves generated an estimated 180 kg CO₂e from 337 km of travel, which was offset through Carbon Positive Australia, making the FF&E service component carbon neutral. Importantly, this carbon-neutral claim applies specifically to FF&E's redistribution service and not to the entire White Fox project.
The new lighting system was also designed for longevity and future adaptability, supporting component retention rather than complete replacement as requirements change.
Overall, the White Fox Global HQ demonstrates circularity at several scales: retaining and adapting an entire existing building; retaining major building services; reusing existing materials and ductwork; selecting adaptable new systems; diverting construction waste from landfill; and finding genuine second lives for hundreds of furniture, lighting and storage elements.
Key products in low carbon design
