Sustainable venues in Sydney
If your business wants to hold unique events that don’t impact the planet, look no further than Sydney. From the Sydney CBD to the Blue Mountains, there’s sustainable function space to suit every event type and budget.
Accor Stadium (Stadium Australia)
Just 14km from the Sydney CBD, Accor Stadium (Stadium Australia) was designed by Populous Architects for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Over two decades later, it is still regarded as one of the most environmentally sustainable stadium venues in the world. A model of green, functional and cost-effective design, the 15-indoor and outdoor business event spaces feature passive design measures including ventilation, natural cooling and heating.
The stadium also has underground tanks in which rainwater run-off from the roof is stored. This water is then used to irrigate the sports field. Similar integrated water recycling processes are used throughout the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, saving over 900 million litres of water each year.
“We also use recycled water for flushing toilets,” Stadium Australia General Manager of Assets Simon Davies explains on the website. “The sewage from the stadium goes to the Sydney Olympic Park Water Reclamation and Management Scheme, gets treated and sent back into the stadium for flushing toilets.”
Find out more about Sydney Olympic Park for your next business event.
Doltone House Darling Island
Voted the 2020 ‘Best’ Sustainable Venue by event professionals, Doltone House Darling Island is located inside the first 6 Green Star-rated building in New South Wales. The building achieved carbon neutral status due to its environmentally friendly construction and innovative design, which integrates multiple technologies and building techniques that make an ongoing contribution to the building’s eco-friendly efforts.
The structural concrete used to build the venue is made from recycled products and the innovative ventilation system means 50% higher levels of fresh air inside the venue, reducing the need for air-conditioning. Energy consumption is further reduced with daylight sensors, and waste management and water monitoring systems help reduce the amount of waste going into landfill. Inside the venue, business event organisers will find premium environmentally rated carpet and PVC-free cabling, reducing the impact on the environment during the manufacturing process.
Local produce is a specialty at Doltone House Darling Island, with most foods grown within a 160km radius of the venue’s location in Pyrmont, with chefs working in partnership with local farmers and producers. This means business event organisers are always assured of fresh, local cuisine – with the bonus of reducing carbon emissions on transportation.
Find out more about Doltone House Darling Island for your next business event.
International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney)
Situated in the heart of the CBD, ICC Sydney is an ideal function venue for those looking to hold a sustainable business event. The venue integrates innovative resource efficiency and renewable technologies.
“The smart design of ICC Sydney delivers a range of environmentally and socially sustainable solutions and we intend to amplify these strategies through our management of the venue,” ICC Sydney Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Donaghy says on the website. “These include but are not limited to enhancing the intellectual capital of the host community, food redistribution projects, in-house training schemes and connecting school and community groups with leaders of industry, innovation and professional development.”
An array of solar panels is situated on the roof of the centre, which generates power for the venue, accounting for approximately 5 per cent of the energy required. It is owned by the Sydney Renewable Power Company – a community-funded solar energy project that is the first of its kind in Australia. Additionally, ICC Sydney sources their food locally, so business event organisers can enjoy quality catering that supports local suppliers. To minimise food waste, the venue also partners with OzHarvest, ensuring surplus resources help to feed those in need.
Find out more about ICC Sydney for your next business event.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is a world-famous venue. But did you know that it is also certified carbon neutral? This milestone was achieved in 2018, five years ahead of the venue’s target, by implementing a series of strategies to limit energy use by 14%.
The Opera House now uses LED lighting, reducing the energy consumption in the Concert Hall alone by 75%. Recycling has increased from 25 to 60%, saving 5000 cubic metres of waste per year, and food waste is converted to energy in partnership with organics facility Earth Power. This is in addition to existing environmentally infrastructure, such as original architect Jørn Utzon’s innovative seawater cooling system, which uses water from the surrounding harbour to effectively cool the building. So you can host your next business event in one of Sydney’s most iconic venues and feel comfortably green.
Find out more about Sydney Opera House for your next business event.
The Calyx
Located in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, this venue provides sustainable living education and nurtures native habitat, making it a wonderful choice for environmentally conscious business event organisers. Designed by PTW Architects to be ‘a jewel’ of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, it has won multiple awards for its innovative use of indoor and outdoor space and its sustainable building management and construction practices. More recently, The Calyx received international recognition for its green wall, designed by TPR Group, which is a fully interchangeable display of plants, creating a living fresco that supports the local ecosystem and educates visitors on the importance of sustainable plant life.
Four Points by Sheraton Central Park
Looking for an environmentally friendly hotel venue for your next business event? Four Points by Sheraton Central Park is situated within Chippendale’s Central Park precinct, just footsteps from Central Station. And like the rest of the precinct, the hotel, which opened in 2018, has a strong sustainability theme, with an abundance of plant life and other strategies design to reinforce its environmentally friendly credentials.
Business event organisers can enjoy sustainably produced electricity, heating and cooling, with all function rooms powered by the two-megawatt trigeneration plant. The hotel also holds a 5 Green Star Rating due to its ongoing management systems and eco-friendly construction, so sustainably savvy business event organisers can be assured that their business event will have a minimal carbon footprint.
Find out more about Four Points by Sheraton Central Park for your next business event.
