Green Buildings in Australia

Green Buildings in Australia

Whether you live in China the United States or Australia, people nowadays are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of going green; they look forward to buying green products, they search for the latest in easy green living, they consider buying alternative energy vehicles, they want to teach living green tips to their kids, and they scope out the hottest green blogs and green living magazines.

Green Buildings in Australia / Sustainability Meets Structure

Green buildings or sustainable buildings as they are also called are the ultimate results of a design philosophy that is centered on efficient use of resources (materials, energy, water) while at the same time reducing the impact on the environment and on human health through the course of the buildings existence.

Green Buildings in Australia / What does green mean?

Different interpretations exist of what exactly a green building is but the central design philosophy is to reduce the total impact of the construction on the natural environment and human health by:

1. The efficient use of energy, water, and other resources.
2. The protection of the health of occupants and employee productivity.
3. The reduction of waste, pollution, and environmental degradation.

Since buildings account for a large portion of land use, consumption of water and energy resources, atmospheric pollution and alteration green building practices seek to address this impact. When these facts are considered it would seem crucial that buildings need to increase their efficiency in the utilization of materials and resources and reduce the pollution they generate for future sustainability.

Green Buildings in Australia / GBCA

In 2002 the Green Building Council of Australia or the GBCA was established to forward sustainability in Victoria’s built environment. The GBCA seeks the development of a sustainable property industry in Australia and for the adoption of green building based practices through market based solutions.

The development of a building standard known as green star is one of the first by the GBCA. The first green rating was awarded to 8 Brindabella Circuit at Canberra Airport in 2004.the green star ratings have 9 benchmarks for environmental impact categories for rating building potential. These are; Management; Indoor Environment Quality; Energy; Transport; Water; Materials; Land Use & Ecology; Emissions and Innovation.

The Green Building Council of Australia has inspected and certified over 170 buildings in Australia. They have awarded a 6 green star certification to Trevor Pearcey House in Canberra. This is the refurbished building of the Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The cost of renovation was 1.7 million dollars and the result was a whopping 75% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, 75% reduction in water usage, and used over 80% recycled materials.

Green Buildings in Australia / GBCA

http://www.gbca.org.au/
http://www.60lgreenbuilding.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sustainable_buildings_in_Australia

For more information on how to live a green lifestyle just use the following links:

Tips For Living Green

Green Living Recycling

Easy Green Living

Green Trends

Green Vehicles

Green Companies

Green Blogs