By Lynne Blundell 10 June 2011 –Australia is leading the world in the accelerating use of carbon and in carbon emissions and is currently about 44 or 45 per cent above the 1990 level, while Europe is moving in the opposite direction. Read More  
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By Tina Perinotto Greg Paramor might well be known as one of property’s original Midas men. He has founded a string of successful property companies – Growth Equities Mutual, Paladin and James Fielding and headed the giant Mirvac for four years until 2008. Better still, he seems to possess the most enviable attribute in the business: gut feel, that unerring sense of when to buy and when to bail. At Mirvac for instance, he left when the company delivered a $171 million profit. A year later it posted a $1 billion loss. Yet these days, as he settles into establishing his brand new venture, Equity Real Estate Partners – which includes Adrian Harrington, who worked with him at Mirvac and James Fielding, and Jonathan Sweeney, formerly of The Trust Company – Paramor is as comfortable discussing sustainability strategies as he is investment strategies. Paramor first showed his green leanings a few years ago when he tipped in with a bunch of friends to buy a retreat in Tasmania’s pristine... 
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By Tina Perinotto 6 May 2011 – Favourites: Jon Jutsen’s company  consults to around half the top 50 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange and about one third of the top 200.  Energetics helps them devise their energy and carbon strategy and provides the technical, financial and commercial services to implement it. “That’s our model and for a lot of companies we assist them from strategy through to implementation and also their monitoring and verification,” Jutsen says. The model works. Set up 27 years ago, Jutsen says it is now the largest specialist energy consultant in Australia, with 120 people after a growth spurt of nearly 15 per cent in the past year. The company recently won the “Best value professional services company” in the BRW Awards for Professional Services Excellence, and was shortlisted for four other awards in the competition. Energetics clients are liberally peppered through the property world – AMP, Colonial, Stockland and... 
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By Tina Perinotto 3 June 2011 – Tony Arnel, chair of the GBCA and World GBC, Victorian Building and Plumbing Commissioner, plus holder of a string of other leadership positions including with the Melbourne Comedy Festival, never fails to both inspire Read More  
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21 June 2011 – Melbourne City councillor Peter Clarke has been appointed chair of the newly created Urban Renewal Authority board, which will replace VicUrban. Mr Clarke, a former executive director of the Property Council of Australia’s Victorian division intends to resign from his position at the City of Melbourne and will begin work with the VicUrban board once his council resignation has taken effect, a City of Melbourne media statement said late today. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle congratulated Mr Clarke and said: “Cr Clarke has given the City of Melbourne six-and-a-half years of outstanding service. His contribution to the city, particularly in the planning portfolio, has been exemplary and it is therefore fitting that he is going off to head one of the most important authorities in the state,” the Lord Mayor said. Read More  
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6 May 2011 – Matthew Clark former manager of the NABERS building performance rating program for the NSW government is on the lookout for a new manager to replace him after his move to a more senior position. But be warned: the job will be demanding. Not only has there been a deluge of energy assessments that have come with the commercial building disclosure program, but there is also a range of new programs in the wings. Read More  
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8 July – Ashak Nathwani wrapped up 33 years with Norman Disney & Young last month with a rousing farewell in Sydney at the Sergeants Mess in Chowder Bay and some reminiscing thanks to a Q and A session organised by his daughter Rehana. His next role will be as  lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Sydney, in the faculty of architecture. Mr Nathwani who arrived in Australia after being expelled from a ravaged Uganda in 1972, said in the Q and A that his interest in sustainability started with his father’s influence in “respecting nature and his view that “anything in excess was not healthy”. For Mr Nathwani this also meant the “minimisation of consumption of energy, water and materials – the essential ingredients of sustainability.” Mr Nathwani led the NDY environment discipline which he said was ahead of the  trend its contribution to publications  on carbon trading and sponsoring research nearly a decade ago from academics... 
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Antony Hing was one of the featured guests at an green building fringe event held in Melbourne in February to co-incide with  Green Cities 2010 conference. By Andrew Starc - 25 March 2010 – Since its widespread establishment in the late 1990s, the internet has opened up a limitless avenue of potential for individuals and organisations interested in promoting environmental sustainability. Now emerging new computer technologies are providing cutting-edge ways for environmentalists to interact, collaborate and spread their message. Antony Hing, a digital media consultant for some of Australia’s largest food and beverage brands, believes that harnessing the power of grid computing, the synergistic combination of computer resources and technology from multiple locations around the world, is key to finding solutions for the environmental problems of the future. “Grid computing will provide a means by which human knowledge and problem solving, otherwise known as the ‘collective... 
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By Tina Perinotto 30 September 2010 – Favourites: John Eckert is back in his home-town of Adelaide as national design manager for AV Jennings after several years with Mirvac in a similar role, based in Melbourne. With him Eckert brings some keen sustainability experience honed during his years with Mirvac, in particular his lead role in the design and delivery of the highly sustainable zero carbon Harmony 9 house at Waverley Park  in Melbourne, for Mirvac’s estate on the former Australian Football League oval at Waverley. (see our article on this) According to Eckert, AV Jennings understands that  it needs a stronger position on sustainability than in the past. It’s a recognition that this is a “compulsory component of what we do,” he says. “If you’ve got kids you know you need to be sustainable and in my view you’ve got to have a level of responsibility and it’s got to be part of what I do which is to design buildings.” At... 
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By Tina Perinotto 1 February 2011 – In some ways Patrick Blanc, the designer of superior vertical gardens, doesn’t mind the many imitations of his work that have sprung up around the world over the past three to five years. In Sydney last week to add the final touches to planning Read More  
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19 March 2011 – Award winning architect Nick Murcutt  passed away at his home in Bondi on Thursday night. National president elect Brian Zulaikha sent the following news alert to  Australian Institute of Architects members late Friday: It is with much sadness that I let you know our colleague and friend Nick Murcutt died last night at home in Bondi. Fortunately, Nick and Rachel Neeson, his partner of 16 years, were able to marry yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. As many of you are aware, Nick was a very active and passionate supporter of the Institute and the profession, as well as being a very talented designer. He and Rachel completed a range of inspiring projects, including two Wilkinson Award winners. He will be sorely missed. On behalf of the profession, I send my condolences to Rachel, Nick’s young children Alice and Otto, and the Murcutt and Neeson families. ??Nick’s service will be held at 11am next Monday 21st March at St. Canice’s, 28 Roslyn Street, Elizabeth... 
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by Lynne Blundell 31 May 2010 – FAVOURITES: Warren Ebert has strong opinions about green buildings. As principal of Queensland property investment company, Sentinel Asset Management, he believes in them because they make financial sense – they save money because they are energy efficient and because tenants want to be in them. What he isn’t happy about is how few of them are actually run efficiently once they are occupied. It is a detail that can get lost in the current drive to get points for a Green Star rating, says Ebert. Achieving points for installing all the latest technology will not necessarily translate into a truly sustainable building once it is operating. “I was involved in doing green buildings long before there was even such a term,” says Ebert. “It just makes sense to create buildings that work more efficiently and take into account the climate and site. But too many people are chasing points for the design stage without focusing on what happens once it... 
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By Tina Perinotto 17 February 2011 – If you are an infrastructure company with few hundred staff, maybe 500, you may get a call from Chris Cole, founder and chief executive of the giant WSP global engineering group. In 2007, this UK-based company purchased local engineers Lincolne Scott, credited as one of the forerunners of the sustainable property movement in Australia, especially through its then head, Che Wall. Now Cole is back for a second bite at the Australian market. Cole says it’s not a bad pond to be fishing in. In terms of a sustainability agenda, he says: “Australia is seen to be on the front foot.” Read More  
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8 February 2011 – The Green Building Council of Australia has awarded four green building fellowships to industry leaders. Grocon chief executive officer Daniel Grollo and Property Council of Australia chief executive officer Peter Verwer have both been appointed life fellows of the GBCA. Stockland managing director Matthew Quinn and ISPT chief executive officer Daryl Browning have been awarded fellowships. GBCA chair Tony Arnel said “Daniel [Grollo] is a long-time supporter of Green Star, and Grocon has being involved with a number of Green Star buildings, such the Pixel Building in Melbourne, which recently gained the highest Green Star score of all time and 1 Bligh Street in Sydney. “Peter [Verwer] has chaired the GBCA’s technical assurance committee, and continues to collaborate closely with the Council on our joint flagship conference, Green Cities.” GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew said that through Stockland Matthew Quinn had supported the development of a number... 
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By Tina Perinotto 4 February 2011 – The Australian property industry has the power to radically transform itself and society, both here and overseas, says leading sustainability design consultant, Simon Wild. The key to its success lies in industry and community collaboration. Read More  
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By Tina Perinotto 10 September 2009 – Favourites: Picture this: an apartment tower constructed entirely in a factory — right down to the base fit-out and even the defects’’ rectification. The walls built of new lightweight materials, pre-insulated. The whole thing shifted like Lego blocks and assembled on site, in Little Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. No tight work regime of 7 am to 3 pm. Work shifts throughout the night, if you like. No more safety issues of tripping in dangerous construction sites, or ‘stop work’ because of bad weather. Imagine the cost savings. Rob Adams, director of design and culture at Melbourne City Council, reckons that this project, originated by leading architect Nonda Katsalidis, could pretty soon be one of many big changes in how we reshape the urban environment, driven by the pressures of climate change and population growth. Another change could be a profusion of small, high-quality medium-density apartment blocks such as Adams... 
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by Boris Kelly 12 October 2010 -FAVOURITES – Green roofs have long been used in the rural regions of Scandinavia. Commonly termed “sod roofs”, they provided excellent drainage and insulation properties and were ideally suited to the cold climate.  The materials used in the roofs included birch bark, with its excellent water-resistant properties, and various species of turf. These days, 21st Century green roofs have emerged as an increasingly popular option used by architects, builders and landscape designers as a construction solution that combines aesthetics with functionality. According to Sidonie Carpenter, president of Green Roofs Australia , which is holding its annual conference in Adelaide on 22-23 October,  green roofs also have a great deal to contribute to climate change action and environmental sustainability. See story on costs of green roofs The organisation describes a green roof system as an extension of a building’s existing roof. It... 
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By Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES – 15 April 2010 -Susan Roaf doesn’t have much time for architects. She thinks that most are little more than “building hairdressers” and she accuses the profession of undermining the fight against climate change. Roaf, a well known architect, author on sustainable buildings, and a professor of architectural engineering, was in Sydney this week as a keynote speaker at the Air conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition, or ARBS. In an interview with The Fifth Estate she said the future for truly sustainable building design lies not with architects but with architectural engineers. But the real momentum for climate change action is coming from communities – from Transition Town Movements, says Roaf. Transition Towns is a movement that started in the UK and is based on communities taking action on two key challenges – climate change and peak oil. Climate change is now well understood; the peak oil concept is not so widely known. Simply... 
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By Tina Perinotto 25 November 2010 – Ken Maher, chairman of architects Hassell, must be feeling fairly good these days. Here he sits at the top of Australia’s biggest architectural practice by far, with more than 900 employees, which has just scooped what could well be the first of several major awards for the ANZ Centre in Melbourne and the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link, along with a swag of other gongs for its major works. Maher has personally notched up a few himself, most notably the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal, and in September an award for lifetime achievement from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. So, in a rare moment to reflect, what are his views on the capacity for architecture – and design in general – to change the way we live? And what are his thoughts on the future of this country and its urban centres as it heads into a challenging climate change scenario? What of green buildings? Maher was a founding board member of the... 
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By Tina Perinotto 14 October 2010 – Alfonso Ponce Alvarez was one of the speakers at the World Green Building Council Congress in Singapore in September.  He spoke with The Fifth Estate on his work with the United Nations to develop a common carbon metric and on green building drivers in Europe. Following is an edited transcript of the interview. The Fifth Estate: Please tell us what your work is about Alfonso Ponce Alvarez: I work for the French Building Research Centre, under the authority of the huge Ministry for Sustainable Development in France, which is the result of a merger between the Ministry for Construction, Transportation and Urban Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Social Affairs. So my organisation is placed under the authority of this ministry.  So we are 900 engineers, five different locations in France, one in China. We do fundamental research on buildings and infrastructures, and we get money from the French Government for that. We... 
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FAVOURITES -  20 May 2010 – Early this year leading Sydney planner and vocal advocate for planning reform in NSW Julie Bindon joined The Fifth Estate on a mini scouting expedition to Melbourne to see if the Victorians could shed any light on better planning systems. As part of this expedition we met with Melbourne architect Ivan Rijavec, a co-director of NOW+WHEN Australian Urbanism, the Australian Architecture exhibition at the 2010 Venice Biennale who has developed significant insights into metropolitan planning issues, not the least from his involvement in several inner city projects in the North Fitzroy area – some of which stirred fierce opposition. Bindon is also deeply steeped in the practicality of dealing with the development process. She is a founding director and chairman of JBA Urban Planning Consultants, where her work involves major metropolitan projects and is a member of the Heritage Council of NSW and immediate past president of the Planning Institute of Australia... 
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By Tina Perinotto 15 July 2010 – Favourites: According to GPT sustainability manager Bruce Precious there are perhaps only six people in Australia he would trust with serious upgrades to his company’s prized assets. Steve Hennessy is one of them. As head of operations for Steensen Varming, Hennessy is an insider’s choice: an engineer with a low profile and ambitious ideals. His company has the pedigree: it came to Australia as part of Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s contingent to build the Sydney Opera House. Here’s a note from the company’s website: “Steensen Varming was first established in Australia by the Danish practice in 1957, following success in winning the commission to design the Sydney Opera House with Jørn Utzon. The Opera House architects and engineers were in agreement from the beginning that it would be unthinkable to construct a boiler chimney stack or a cooling tower, thus ruling out two usually necessary pieces of equipment for large-scale air conditioning.... 
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by Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES: 1 July 2010 – Romilly Madew has a lot on her plate. As CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia, Madew is leading a major restructure of the organisation, which she acknowledges is at a crossroads and is in the process of redefining itself. It has no choice, says Madew, if it is to meet rapidly changing industry demands. Being at the helm at such as defining moment of the organisation’s development is no mean feat but Madew, who last November won the national Telstra Business Women’s Award for community and government, does not seem fazed by the challenge. She told The Fifth Estate she believes all her previous career moves have been preparation for her current role and that she can’t imagine a more satisfying job. Calling herself an “accidental CEO”, Madew believes her family background and the mentors she has had throughout her career have given her both the passion and skills to get the job done. Add to this her eclectic choice... 
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By Lynne Blundell Sooner or later if you are involved in green buildings, someone is going to tell you to speak to Deo Prasad. 24 November 2010 – Deo Prasad has a vision. It’s a vision of a future where building materials function as renewable power generators and heat sources – and zero carbon, waste and water are the norm. Every household, precinct and city will be able to check its current carbon footprint in real time data. And he believes this future Read More  
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By Tina Perinotto… FAVOURITES  -5 May 2009  – A new breed of sustainability managers is making its mark. Its members are smart, highly professional and the importance of their role is growing. TFE will interview these bright new leaders in coming weeks. This issue: Siobhan Toohill of Stockland. It used to be that sustainability managers appeared well down the hierarchy of importance and status in property companies. Not any more. At the Green Building Council’s Green Cities conference in early March, Stockland’s sustainability manager, Siobhan Toohill moderated a panel of analysts on their take on sustainability and how it plays into the investment case for property. Later she fielded curly questions from Property Council of Australia chief Peter Verwer, as part of a summing up panel, staking her ground under pressure. On stage, under pressure, Toohill is confident, highly skilled and knowledgeable – on top of her game. Toohill is part of a new set of impressive,... 
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Green roofs, massive wetlands with nesting boxes to attract birdlife, locally generated power, on-site bore water and the creation of local employment these are just part of the mix in the regeneration practiced in the UK by Tom Bloxham. Read More  
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