Construction crisis: No minister, it’s broken. Try an iron clad mandated warranty instead David Chandler, Western Sydney University The recent Building Ministers Forum in Hobart was noteworthy for its consistency in for declaring more red tape, more checkers checking the checkers, and avoiding any policies that would make a genuine difference.
The case for passive homes as a national standard Nick Lane, Passive Place The energy policies and building standards that govern our homes need to keep us comfortable and limit global warming. Passive house, a rigorous building standard for ultra-low energy buildings, ticks these boxes. 15
We can do it: It’s time to make carbon negative buildings the norm David Thorpe | 27 October 2016 Climate change has entered into a new phase that could last generations even if governments act to curb human activity that leads to global warming. But the Habitat III New…
How wood is good for creating healthier buildings Sponsored: Wood Solutions | 3 November 2016 According to a growing swathe of research, timber used as a material for interiors and furnishings can enhance human wellbeing and contribute to improved indoor environment quality, from maintaining a…
New buildings must be net zero emissions by 2030, GBCA says Willow Aliento | 7 March 2017 New buildings will have to be emissions neutral by 2030, and existing buildings by 2050, if Australia is to meet its international climate change obligations, the Green Building Council of…
How digital tech and big data is transforming buildings Cameron Jewell | 21 March 2017 Digital technology and big data promise a range of benefits to building developers, owners and tenants, including increased rental yields, improved employee retention and lower operational costs. The property sector,…
Timber goes even taller in Vancouver Willow Aliento | 6 June 2017 Canadian developer PortLiving is set to build a 19-storey mixed-use residential project that will be Vancouver’s tallest hybrid timber tower. The Terrace House project has been designed by Shigeru Ban…
New Zealand’s green building boom picks up pace Willow Aliento | 8 June 2017 Certified green buildings in New Zealand are jumping with exponential growth, especially in the residential sector, according to NZ Green Building Council.
Geelong’s sustainable redesign sets new standard Willow Aliento | 18 July 2017 Barwon Water’s headquarters in Geelong has become one of the latest projects to prove that even an old building can become a leading example of sustainability. Originally built in 1977,…
Mirvac aims for WELL Platinum at Melbourne’s Olderfleet Cameron Jewell | 2 August 2017 Mirvac has extended its WELL Building Standard leadership by scoring Australia’s first core and shell pre-certification at the Platinum level for its upcoming Olderfleet office tower at 477 Collins Street in Melbourne.
Modern day slavery: Construction sector supply chain labelled at risk as mandatory reporting eyed Willow Aliento | 23 August 2017 The construction industry has been labelled at risk of slavery in supply chains in a federal government discussion paper.
JLL’s Esti Cogger snags top honours at NAWIC awards 28 August 2017 JLL project director Esti Cogger has taken out the top award at the National Association of Women in Construction awards, held in Sydney last Thursday.
24 ways to improve the building industry Willow Aliento | 26 October 2017 Better more competent certifiers more often might help stem the tide of bad building practice. So might bringing an end to performance based standards that allows some builders to “turn black into white”.
Chandler: a case study on lack of safety and deaf ears David Chandler, Western Sydney University | 16 November 2017 It is often said that the standard you are prepared to walk by is the standard you are willing to accept. Well that’s fine, but we are not the regulators.
UK puts cleaner construction at heart of industrial strategy David Thorpe | 28 November 2017 The British government has surprised some of its critics by producing a new Industrial Strategy that puts construction and clean technology at its heart, and has been broadly welcomed.
