Sustainability Awards | Architecture & Design

Sustainability trends in hospitality and tourism

While a push towards sustainability is (thankfully) high on the agenda in many industries across the world, perhaps nowhere is it felt more strongly than in hospitality and tourism. From the local to the global, these industries thrive and survive on their ability to capitalise on, and contribute to, their environments - whether built, natural, or social.

From idea to reality: A more sustainable industry with Bondor Metecno

While sustainability is undoubtedly a central focus across the architecture and construction industries these days, it wasn’t always so. Even as recently as a few years ago, many businesses were struggling to find the balance between the ideological (and practical) need to be more environmentally conscious, and the costs of doing so.

Sustainability trends in small sustainable practice

When it comes to sustainable architecture, it’s easy to be wowed by the big end of town. Large firms with large-scale projects that are pushing the boundaries of engineering and offering ever-more adaptive and innovative use of sustainable technologies are plentiful. But, arguably, the quiet achievers are tucked away in our cities and suburbs, making incremental differences with the resourcefulness that only comes from the smaller firm.

Editor's Choice: What does it take to impress our Editor?

Last year’s Editor’s Choice award saw NBRS and Donovan Payne Architects’ Bay Pavilions Arts + Aquatic (pictured top) centre named the inaugural winner of the category.

The latest trends in green building materials and products

There are a great many decisions that architects and designers need to make when creating a sustainable building or structure. Everything from form, to orientation, to intensive light calculations, can have significant impacts on the efficiency and sustainability profile of the project. But perhaps none of these decisions is as important as choosing what to build with.

Sustainability trends in landscapes and urban projects

When we look around our cities these days, it’s far more common to see lush, green spaces that break up the backdrop of concrete and glass than it was, say 50 years ago. Similarly, when public facilities or structures are created, they’re imbued with thought for functionality, aesthetics, and minimal environmental impact. For many years now the greening of our cities (in both a botanical, and sustainable sense) has been a high priority for urban planners and architects alike.

Knauf zeroes in on net zero

The construction industry has long been known for its consumption of raw materials and natural resources. And fair enough - you can’t build much without materials. But where once the image of construction material usage was one of unfettered depletion, it has now been replaced by one that puts sustainability front and centre.

Going full circle with Knauf

The age of the circular economy is here, and that means when it comes to the product lifecycle, things are no longer linear. A circular economy is a production and consumption model, where materials are reused whenever possible rather than discarded to landfill. For Knauf globally, sustainability is a ‘Must Win Battle’, and one of the company’s key targets is to become a leader in the circular economy.

Sustainability trends in smart buildings

While in some sectors fierce debate rages on about the positive impacts of emerging technologies, it’s safe to say that, for the most part, automated systems in buildings have been relatively uncontroversial. That’s because even though people may disagree about what the best technology is for a certain problem, everyone’s generally in agreement that technology - as a whole - has significantly improved the efficiency, performance, and utility of our buildings.

Designing for decarbonisation with a focus on energy, materials and circular economy

“Most people are familiar with the COP events. COP21, known as the Paris Agreement, is the most significant and led to a new international climate agreement, applicable to all countries, aiming to curtail global warming at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels,” Aidan Mullen, Sustainability Manager at Interface, says.

Getting real on climate action with Aidan Mullan, Sustainability Manager, Interface ANZ

With the recent IPCC report highlighting the need for urgency in taking drastic climate action, Interface is re-examining their plan and ramping up their activities. We sit down with Aidan Mullan to talk about what’s in the pipeline, why it needs to happen now, and why carbon offsetting is not a silver bullet.

Sustainability trends in new single dwellings

It’s a well known (and for the most part, extremely accurate) trope that Australians are obsessed with property. For many, the dream of owning their own home is still front of mind, even as the price of realising that dream continues to grow - with little sign of ever stopping!