With assistance from an Accelerating Commercialisation grant and a launch from a federal Senator, WA building tech company NXT TEC has developed a world first building system…
Local building tech company NXT TEC Ltd (NXT) are building the world’s first hotel to achieve a verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and the first in the southern hemisphere for a built structure.
The EPD demonstrates how little environmental impact NXT’s building technologies have when compared to conventional construction methods.
NXT assembles structures, as opposed to constructing them, which means their work sites are free from scaffolding, welding and on-site concrete pouring – quite a departure from your standard construction site.
The Wyndham LUX Perth Hotel, to be built on Great Eastern Highway in Rivervale, will be the first anywhere in the world to use the NXT system.
Producing an EPD is an internationally recognised way for companies like NXT to be transparent about the environmental impact of producing and maintaining products. To deliver the hotel’s EPD, its life cycle was assessed using rigorous scientific methods, conducted according to strict international standards.
“Obtaining the first EPD for a hotel globally at the concept design stage is a significant achievement that NXT should be incredibly proud of,” Chair of the Australasian EPD Programme Stephen Mitchell said.
“Not only does it set a benchmark for the hospitality sector, this EPD demonstrates NXT’s genuine commitment to environmental transparency and improved environmental outcomes.”
NXT developed a unique, simple model of assembling buildings using a suite of patented technologies to reduce wastage and significantly improve time, cost and energy efficiency.
The building system, which can be implemented from the foundations up to the skylights, was designed to be environmentally sustainable and was a factor in NXT achieving such favourable EPD results.
NXT TEC chair and director Natasha Di Ciano said while it was not uncommon for building companies to conduct life cycle assessments, EPD verification required data to be collected and reported according to strict rules and standards.
“Obtaining an EPD for an entire hotel building is not a simple process,” Ms Di Ciano said.
“It requires collecting and analysing a substantial amount of data about the building’s life cycle – right down to determining environmental impacts based on where materials come from, how they’re transported to site, and the fuel efficiency of that transport.
“We then looked at the operational efficiency of the hotel, down to how much water would be used to wash the floors. It’s incredibly rigorous.
“NXT is committed to creating environmentally sustainable buildings, so this information drives the continuous improvement of our products. By quantifying the environmental impact of our buildings, we can ensure our future projects are exponentially more sustainable.”
The information within NXT’s EPD will also enable architects, engineers and builders to achieve project environmental targets for their own buildings by utilising the NXT™ Building System or its individual technologies.
“The Wyndham LUX Perth Hotel will change the nature of hotel development and hospitality by placing a greater emphasis on minimising the environmental impact of building and ongoing management,” Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific Senior Vice President David Wray said.
“Our company is committed to sustainability and it resonates strongly with our guests. We are pleased to partner with NXT and this announcement will give our guests confidence that a stay at Wyndham LUX Perth is an environmentally responsible one.”
Works on the Wyndham LUX Perth are planned to commence in the near future.
A (federal government) Accelerating Commercialisatoin grant was used to prove the novel technology met building requirements.
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NXT’s full EPD is available online via https://www.environdec.com/
MAIN Image: The Wyndham LUX Perth Hotel (artist impression) – supplied.
