Environmental
Designing for the past, present and future
When Degnan design and construct projects, we do it with future generations in mind. We don’t just aim to minimise impacts to the environment, but we aim to be nature positive. The projects we deliver are built to last and prioritise whole of life outcomes. We also respect today’s communities in which we work and minimise disruption to their day to day lives during construction. We also seek to enrich local communities by understanding what is important to them and celebrate the deep history of the land and its people through integrated artwork and motifs.
Energy, Water and Waste Management
At the heart of our projects is a commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure, starting with the design process. We emphasise minimising energy consumption and waste generation, while maximising efficiency in material usage. Our approach prioritises designing low-energy and low-carbon alternatives to conventional Business As Usual (BAU) practices, and we actively trial innovative materials and technologies.
We incorporate recycled materials, design with deconstruction in mind, and minimise waste. Additionally, we embrace circular economy principles by beneficially reusing waste materials from our projects. Our construction methodologies are designed to reduce water consumption, with onsite captured rainwater used in place of town water on all major projects.
On our sites, we employ low-energy LED lighting, strategically designed to minimise fixtures, supported by onsite solar power generation. During construction, we also ensure that green power is sourced to further reduce our environmental impact.
Innovating for Sustainable Outcomes
Degnan has successfully implemented several sustainability innovations in our projects, achieving many Australian firsts. These include:
- The installation of the first a Solar Photovoltaic Glass Canopy at Como station which was a first in the Australian rail industry.
- The first commercial implementation of innovative construction materials to support the circular economy.
- In collaboration with Makinex, Degnan pioneered the first re-deployable Container Top Solar system in Australia at Unanderra station.
Nature Positive Projects
When designing infrastructure, seeks to draw inspiration from the surrounding environment to enable out projects to sit seamlessly within the areas in which they are built. From the footbridge and lifts at Unanderra Station which mimic the forms of the waterfalls of the surrounding escarpment to the way in which natural sandstone was used in Como station. Degnan seeks to be embed biophilic design principles into our projects and be ‘nature positive’ in our project delivery – exploring opportunities to promote biodiversity in surrounding landscaping. Through this approach Degnan’s has built a reputation for building infrastructure which is in harmony with the environment.
