Orange City Council Works Depot staff are preparing to move into a brand new home after two years of working out of temporary bases.
Council says staff have been located in portable buildings and other Council locations across the city since fire destroyed the original works depot building two years ago.
.The new building is in its final stage of fit-out before staff move back in the coming months.
In June 2019, a blaze took hold in the main office of Orange City Council’s Works Depot in McLachlan Street. The works depot housed Council’s large-scale road building machinery, as well as equipment for water, parks and road crews.
It’s about the same size as the old building but that’s where the similarities end.
“The underlying design aim was to deliver a cost effective, smart, high-performance building that’s energy efficient, automated and workable for staff,” Council said in a statement.
“There’s a software-based Building Management System (BMS) which is essentially the building’s brain. It lets staff remotely monitor and adjust air conditioning, record and regulate energy usage as well as control access and security.
“There are also thermostatically controlled, de-stratification fans to silently circulate the building’s air. There are double glazed widows for high levels of thermal and sound insulation. There’s a clerestory roof line and windows to maximise natural light.”
Lighting of the building is all by high quality, low energy consumption LEDs. And there’s enough solar panels on the roof to meet the building’s day time electrical use, Council said.
