Passive Ventilation for Apartment Developments

Project Showcase – Europa on Alma

In 2021, not-for-profit aged care and independent living provider Bolton Clarke completed their Europa on Alma retirement living community at St Kilda. The modern vertical community has 81 one, two and three-bedroom fully accessible apartments built around a landscaped, light-filled internal courtyard and is designed with a focus on independence and wellbeing, keeping people connected with St Kilda’s dynamic and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Special features include a dedicated cinema with bar, private dining area, library and creative studio for arts and crafts, a fully equipped gym, and a sky room with expansive views.


For the Europa on Alma project, Bolton Clarke recognised the importance of providing indoor environmental quality and comfort in supporting health, wellbeing and independence for residents and their families, and of sustainable design to make the most of natural light and air flow. With Europa on Alma also providing a base for At Home Support nurses and carers delivering care to residents and the wider community, they have incorporated quality ventilation in designing a comfortable and healthy work environment to underpin staff wellbeing and workplace satisfaction.

The Proctor Ventient SCW-SH Passive Ventilation Solution.

The issue of mould and poor air quality in apartments, schools, hotels and public buildings and the effectiveness of operable windows to resolve these issues is a hot topic and the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the issue of ventilation and supply of clean outdoor air to the top of the agenda. Ventient SCW-SH ensures that windows remain a central part of the solution.

Windows have always been the part of the building that provides occupants with a connection to the outside, including the supply of fresh air. The Ventient SCW-SH, without the need for extra penetrations in the façade, keeps the provision of fresh air as part of the window system where it clearly belongs. The Ventient SCW-SH unit is installed and can be accessed from the interior. The SCW-SH custom profile could be easily modified for a thermally broken frame. With its high air flow rates, a single Ventient SCW-SH vent, depending on length, has the potential to supply the required outside air for 3 to 4 occupants. This is a significant increase on vents we have previously supplied in Australia, or other imported competition. The Ventient SCW-SH does not require a power supply and all control features operate passively.

The Ventient SCW-SH was designed to address many of the questions raised by Australian architects, mechanical engineers, acousticians, façade engineers, and window suppliers. We aimed to make the vent easier to specify, offering compatibility with most local framing systems, and have ensured the product is fully tested to local performance requirements. The addition of an integrated wind dampener, as standard, in the SCW-SH unit means the device can now easily pass high water penetration limits without the design restricting airflow.


You can find more detailed, technical information about Proctor’s Ventient SCW_SH via the product page. As ever, we encourage you to contact us via phone or email with any questions you may have about this product.

Project name: Europa on Alma
Project address or suburb & state: 31-39 Alma Rd, St Kilda VIC 3182
DCT products used: Proctor Ventient SCW-SH