Barangaroo South awarded Australia’s first WELL Community Certification for a precinct

Lendlease’s Barangaroo South has achieved Australia’s first WELL Community Certification awarded to a precinct by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the world’s leading health-focused building standard.

The WELL Community Standard pilot is a district-scale rating system centred exclusively on health and wellbeing, setting a new global benchmark for healthier communities. It guides organisations on ways to enhance health and wellbeing through better design, operation and management of communities. Barangaroo South, as well as being the first in Australia, is only the second precinct in the world to achieve the WELL Community Certification. 

Lendlease has driven several initiatives at its Barangaroo South precinct to help support health and wellbeing by focusing on the 10 WELL Community concepts including Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. These focused areas outlined by IWBI work holistically to support health and wellbeing across all aspects and areas of community life in thriving environments.

Some of these initiatives include: 

• Improving air quality outcomes through supporting eco-friendly commuting and travelling, with safe access to world-class cycling facilities.
• Supporting cognitive and emotional health through open space, lookouts, extensive walking and cycling trails, idyllic coves and picnic spots.
• Cultivating equitable, integrated and health-promoting environments that host significant works of public art, inspirational cultural programming and design strategies. 

Barangaroo South, as well as the International Towers, International House and Daramu House, have all been WELL Certified at the Platinum level – making it one of the world’s most sustainable multi-use precincts. 

One Sydney Harbour, the final piece in Lendlease’s award-winning waterfront Barangaroo South precinct, has also been internationally recognised for being a world leader in environmentally sustainable building practices, and has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star rating in design by the Green Building Council Australia for Residences One with Residences Two and Three also targeting 6 Star Green Star. Together, the three residential towers will offer approximately 799 luxury apartments with harbour views, surrounded by new parklands and serviced by ground-floor shops and amenities.

The first residential tower has reached the half-way point in structural completion with the three towers due to be completed by 2025. 

Leanne Boyle, Head of Urban Regeneration, Lendlease said, “Barangaroo South has been a decade in the making. The aim of the precinct’s regeneration was to provide public spaces that connect people, place and nature, and provide the foundation of a sustainable, thriving community for the neighbourhood. The WELL Community Standard rating confirms that we’re continuing to deliver on this vision.” 

President and CEO, IWBI, Rachel Hodgdon, said, “By achieving the first WELL Community Certification in Australia at Barangaroo South, Lendlease sets a new bar to advance health and well-being at a district level. 

“A health-focused, inclusive community creates equitable access to a thriving environment beyond buildings. We are excited that everyone who works, lives, learns and plays in the Barangaroo South community will benefit from the health and well-being strategies Lendlease and its partners implemented in the precinct.”