Jo Lees
Aligning on sustainability and design excellence
What do you love the most working on a T3 project?
T3 exemplifies Hines' approach of acquiring, designing, delivering, and operating projects. By contributing to a T3 project, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Hines' professionals, including Managing Director Simon Nasa, the Conceptual Construction Group (CCG), and the exceptional consultants and delivery team.
What do you love the most working on a T3 project?
T3 exemplifies Hines' approach of acquiring, designing, delivering, and operating projects. By contributing to a T3 project, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Hines' professionals, including Managing Director Simon Nasa, the Conceptual Construction Group (CCG), and the exceptional consultants and delivery team.
What is special about T3 Collingwood?
Located in the rapidly gentrifying Melbourne fringe suburb of Collingwood, T3 Collingwood will offer excellent transport connectivity and access to the Melbourne Central Business District. Its amenity-rich urban environment is ideal for attracting tech and creative tenants. The project will feature common social areas; large tenant terraces; public third-space activation and premium end-of-trip facilities that support cyclists, joggers and walkers in using alternative ways to travel to work. These include bike racks, lockers and a towel service for tenant comfort.
How does T3 Collingwood bring environmental and social sustainability to the workplace?
Hines’ values align with mine in the areas of sustainability and design excellence, so it is a natural progression to help influence outcomes in the property industry.
Jo
Through the use of timber, our life cycle analysis demonstrates that we have reduced our embodied carbon by 37% against a traditional concrete structure.
On the social side, we have engaged with our local First Nations people, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, to do a ‘Smoking Ceremony’ and ‘Welcome to Country’ at our groundbreaking ceremony. We are also working with a First Nations artist to create artwork for our hoarding during construction and are planning to transfer into the lobby at project completion.
We are also providing amenities including a ‘best-in-class’ end-of-trip facility to encourage active transport in the area including cycling and walking to the office.
What has been the most challenging part of building T3 Collingwood?
The biggest challenge has been the local authority requirements around fire engineering and the National Construction Code. Our design team has excelled in this area and worked with the authorities to achieve a positive outcome.
Learn more about Jo
What brought you to Hines?
I had previously been working for a General Contractor and had little to no influence on the sustainability outcomes of many of my projects. Hines’ values align with mine in the areas of sustainability and design excellence, so it is a natural progression to help influence outcomes in the property industry.
What has your career path looked like within the firm?
I have been incredibly fortunate to work on a T3 project, T3 Collingwood. I’ve also worked on a refurbishment project in Brisbane. It’s been a steep learning curve on ‘client side’ around acquisitions and operations, but the work is varied, interesting, and ever-changing.
What would you say to encourage a young woman considering a career in commercial real estate?
The variety! There are so many options in the industry – whether it be a trade, property finance, construction management, engineering. There is a tangible outcome to the work that can result in housing or workplaces, or hospitals, etc.
What do you love about working in the industry?
Finish line endorphins! When you have worked on a project for a number of years, there is great satisfaction in seeing the completion of a project. When you have a team of people who collaborate and share a common goal, it is incredibly rewarding.
Want to join Hines?