Brief:

o Strict Council requirements were also imposed during the pre-DA stage, due to the location of the site in a high flood-prone area. This resulted in the construction of a raised flood mound, as well as, till the near completion of the project, an extensive water detention and retention system (refer later comments).
o The fundamental brief, however was to provide as follows -
- Requested number of motel units, to 3.5-4 star classification;
- Reception with 3 bedroom Manager's residence;
- High security to units, carparking and general access (very high priority for Moree);
- Assorted facilities, (some of which were added/deleted at different times during the project), including:
o patron-only laundry, later changed to possible in-house laundry (for linen etc);
o kitchen for room-serviced breakfasts only, later changed to include 'breakfast nook';
o bus parking, available on site, though now to be utilised in the Club's own adjacent car park;
- Initially staging the construction, but the project ended up being built all at once.

Green Building Factors:
1. Site & Landscaping
o The construction of the flood mound was designed so that retaining walls were minimal, and large banked gardens were created on the sides with greater setbacks. An internal courtyard resulted between the buildings, with areas of landscaping included, (these have unfortunately since been deleted by the Client and paved).
o The inclusion of the mound allowed for imported soil that had a better classification than that on site, and improved the constructability of the building, the cost of the fill offset by less costly footings. Nonetheless, extensive expansion joints have been included in the masonry, as well as a path around the perimeter of the building, acting as a stabilisers, as well as providing maintenance access.
o The landscaping to cover the banks and designed also include some internal courtyards was developed in conjunction with local consultants to ensure plants selected were appropriate to the climate. Note that not all plants or sizes as designed have yet been installed;
o Due to the nature of the three blocks, this also resulted in only three short runs of fencing between buildings, reducing the need for large runs of security fencing - refer later.

2. Water
o Water-efficient appliances were installed throughout the motel, including reduced dual-flush cisterns, and E-Co Shower shower heads. The Venturi-based shower roses are expected to reduce water consumption by an estimated 2 million litres per year;
o Appropriate landscaping was selected to avoid water-demanding plants in the hot Moree summers.
o Complimentary to the Council's DA requirement to detain all water on site, a system was designed to therefore retain and reuse the water as well. The roof water was to flush the toilets, and the ground water to irrigate the gardens. An ecoRain system designed by Rocla was documented, quoted on and partially constructed when the Clients, however, deleted this after negotiations with the Council.
o It would have made significant savings to water use although the short-term cost savings were initially not as great - less than $1000 per year. However, this decision and such calculations were falsely based on the fact that the Client currently has access to 'cheap' water from Council (mostly from underground aquifers), a factor which is likely to change in coming years, and without any consideration to the environmental savings involved.

3. Solar Passive Design
o Within the orientation constraints of a courtyard building, solar passive design was still taken into account wherever possible, including the following factors:
- Appropriate eaves to outer walls, and covered veranda around internal courtyard walls;
- All glazing is double glazed;
- All external walls and ceilings are fully insulated, R2.5 to ceilings, and R1.5 to walls;
- (Note that slab-edge insulation was also specified but later deleted)
- All external walls and roofs fully sarked;
- Weather seals and draught excluders to all external doors, as well as doors to bathrooms;
- Ample daylighting to reduce the need for artificial lighting;
- Compact fluorescent lighting in most locations;
- Quantum Heat Pump hot water systems, with roof panels able to be placed on all inner facing roofs. As standard solar hot water systems require panels to be on a northern facing roofs, this presented both a logistic and security issue (the panels would be exposed to potential vandalism, a high risk factor in this location), so the Quantum panels, which do not require to be north facing, allowed all panels to be placed on inwards-facing roofs.
- The use of Clearshield screens to all permitter windows, providing three benefits - security, insect-proofing, and shading;

4. Materials
o Walls: Due to the instability of the local soil, even with the importation for the mound, articulated walls were necessary. Alternating panels of cladding and brickwork enhance the courtyard elevations, whilst on the exterior, expansion joints in the brickwork allow for change of colours with two-tones of brickwork.
o Brickwork alternately was taken to sill height only, or full height within individual panels.
o Timber cladding is made from reconstituted waste wood rather than virgin timber.
o Dividing walls were 90 mm brickwork, lined each side, with resilient mounts to one side only, thus providing necessary acoustic insulation but without excessive width.

o Windows & Glazing: All windows (except bathrooms) and glazed doors are double glazed, and designed as of-the-shelf sizes.
o Aluminium windows were chosen over timber due to the minimal maintenance required.
o Clearshield screens (as previously noted) for shading, insect protection and security.
o Double layer curtains with pelmets for added insulation.

o Floor coverings: Carpet is 100% wool carpet, made specifically for the project in Australian mills. Floor and pavement tiles are Granito, also Australian made.

o Bulk Insulation: Batts and bonded blankets are polyester in lieu of fibreglass, with R2.5 to ceilings, and R1.5 to walls.

o Other: Products and items were sourced locally or at least Australian-made wherever possible, including fitout, linen, appliances and PC items.

5. Security
o Whilst not necessarily a 'green' issue, high security was a major priority for this project. Moree unfortunately, is a town that requires high security to its buildings and residences. The Brief called for maximum security on the one hand, yet without the effect of a compound
o This was resolved by designing the buildings as three blocks, with fencing only located between the gaps, and the significant impact of the Clearshield security screens. In providing security to all external-facing windows, they therefore eliminated the need for extensive fencing. The nature of the mound also assists in this regard.
o This then allowed all rooms to face outwards (rather than into the courtyard to the eyes of all who might walk by). The use of the Quantum hot water systems, as before noted, also allowed all panels to be on the inside roofs, thus within the security of the courtyard to avoid potential vandalism.
o Additionally, key carding to doors and gates adds further security, and a video camera system is also in place. The result is a property with high security but without the appearance of being fenced in.

6. Other
o Cooling: Given the extreme summers in Moree, the Clients requested air conditioning to the units. Although the rooms, due to high insulation levels, good cross ventilation and good shading, do not require artificial temperature control for most of the year, it was deemed that some form of system needed to be installed for mid summer, when temperatures often reach the mid 40s.
o Investigations into a geothermal HVAC system produced poor payback (33 years) due to the nature of motel room usage (not used during the bulk of the day), and the budget did not permit other forms of more innovative cooling systems. Consequently, inverter reverse-cycle systems were opted for, with the most efficient star rating product sought.
o The systems are split, with the outside units raised high to deter vandalism.
o Due also to the nature of the Client in fact being a committee of Clients, there was also a myriad of input and suggestions, and, unfortunately, some of which occurred during construction, and consequently resulted in changes to the project.
o As well as the deletion of the ecoRain water system, a garage was converted to a breakfast nook (as against a Dining area), internal landscaping was deleted, solar lighting to the courtyard deleted, and assorted minor changes were made after the completion of the project and the architect's involvement.
o Nonetheless, the majority of the environmental and design issues were retained, and the project is still far in advance to other motels in the region in terms of environmental impact, quality and overall design.

Project Credits:
Client: Moree & District Services Club Ltd, Moree, NSW
Architect: Mahalath Halperin Architects, Armidale, NSW
Builder: Chris Catterall Building Services, Moree, NSW
Structural Engineer: R F Wright & Associates, Armidale, NSW
*ecoRain Water System: Rocla, Brisbane, Qld
*Landscaping: The Architects in conjunction with Inland Botanics, Wee Waa, NSW
* These systems not fully implemented

Contact:
Mahalath Halperin Architects Pty Ltd
193 Marsh Street
Armidale NSW 2350
Ph: 02 6772 2263