BDA LEADS THE WAY TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Building designers throughout Australia have long been leaders in ESD and the sustainable energy field. BDA members are working hard towards reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions and creating a sustainable future for Australia. Every home in temperate Australia produces about 15 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually. With good design this is being reduced by 50%. BDA members can and do make a significant difference.
In NSW in the mid 1990's, BDA worked with the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) in promoting the Five Star Energy Rating scheme for housing. The BDA in NSW was the very first group to support SEDA at its inception and the first organisation to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SEDA regarding basic energy efficiency training for all of its members, under the Energy Smart Homes Policy. To date, 85% of BDANSW members have completed the certified training course. This is a record that no other group of design professionals can boast! The BDA is now supporting SEDA in its push to take energy rating initiatives national, and with it’s national coverage, has been instrumental in ensuring that all initiatives are appropriate in tropical and semi-tropical climates as well as in temperate zones. The BDA in Victoria is working closely with SEA (The sustainable Energy Authorty of Victoria) to assist with energy matters in that State.
In 1988, The Building Designers Association of Victoria researched and prepared a manual entitled "Designing IN Waste Minimisation". This excellent document was funded by EcoRecycle Victoria, and details the many ways in which Building Designers can reduce waste on the building site. This document is now being adapted to NSW by "Solarch" in collaboration with The Building Designers Association of NSW.
The BDAA was one of the first design organisations to join the Australian Building Energy Corporation (ABEC), and in its early days, about 40% of individual ABEC members were BDA members. The BDAA fully supports the excellent work being carried out by ABEC.
Following competitive submissions to the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO), BDAA has been awarded substantial funding support to run 13 Interactive Workshops around Australia, covering "Best Practice Greenhouse Workshop Series". These half-day workshops are aimed at members and non-members alike. The workshops will focus on marketing and selling skill training to assist building designers to sell the idea of ESD to clients. It also launches a comprehensive "technical encyclopedia" on ESD.
BDAA is a co-sponsor of the "Powersaver" program, which promotes the use of an energy saving pack of goods for new houses, including glasswool insulation, solar control glass, solar water heating, energy-efficient demisting mirrors and a free dishwasher. This pack significantly improves the energy-efficiency of a new house and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 tonnes per year. The Powersaver pack is said to save around $12-14 in energy cost savings, while it costs only about $10 per week when included in a mortgage. As a co-sponsor of this program, the BDA is proud to be associated Pilkington and other sponsors. Read More About Powersaver
The BDA has a strong position on ESD, and for many years has boasted Energy Efficiency Awards in their annual design awards. In some States, every category has to complete a rigorous ESD assessment, which is subject to cross checking by specialised judges.
BDA members take Professional Development (PD) very seriously - they have to - in some States, failure to maintain annual PD points means no more Membership! The BDA PD scheme majors on issues of sustainability. At BDA State and National Conferences for the last several years, almost 50% of seminars and workshops have been centred on ESD subjects.
The BDA is currently working with the Canadian Embassy to put together an ESD study tour of Canada. With it’s tough climate, energy efficiency of the building envelope has always been a high priority. The tour will take in Vancouver, Alberta, Toronto and Montreal. Highlights will include a visit to a sustainable community and guided tours of the most advanced green buildings in the country, including a tour of the award-winning Revenue Canada building, which was used as a case study for the Green Buildings Challenge ‘98. The visit will coincide with the ‘Design Line’ convention, an annual exhibition showcasing the latest in energy efficiency.
The BDAA has a very active ESD Working Group Cluster. This group brings together the best brains on ESD from right around Australia to impact on ESD.
The Building Designers Association actively promotes ESD, with both state and national journals carrying regular in-depth articles on sustainability and ecological issues.
The BDAA has had an environmental policy for some years now. Due to the rapid increase in knowledge and interest in this subject, this policy is now being comprehensively updated.
In 1998, an ESD project was the Supreme Winner in Australia in the BDAA National Building Design Awards. "Barry’s Guest House" is a brilliant project which highlights the excellence exhibited by BDA members on ESD design. Read the details, See the pictures.
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