glazing to maximise external views and natural
lighting, as well as water-efficient landscaping.
One of the innovations implemented by the
project was developed by Aurecon to detect
refrigerant leaks from the air-cooled chillers.
The mechanism deploys weighing cells which
are connected to the business management
system to continuously monitor the weight of the
chillers, enabling detection of even a minor leak of
refrigerant. This limits the environmental damage
caused by refrigerants with ozone depletion or
global warming potential.
In addition, a facilities manager was actively
involved during the design phase to ensure that the
operational intent of the sustainability initiatives is
effectively implemented after the commissioning
of the building services.
144 on Oxford
Structural Challenges
144 Oxford provided unique structural challenges
for engineers Sutherland.
Office Nose
The two noses of the office tower comprise
of columns on an unconventional grid a well as
orientation, sloping at different angles as the
frame unfolds upwards and outwards. The final
frame resulting in a 13m cantilever from ground
to roof. The complex concrete frame called for
rigorous detailing of the slanted columns, splay
columns and tie-back structural steel to brace the
structure back to the reinforced concrete cores.
In-depth structural frame analysis was required to
understand the long-term movement due to the
‘leaning’ nature of this portion of the building as
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