Sustainability

'Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.'

- Kenyan Proverb

The Australian Institute of Architects is working with a range of professional and industry partners on initiatives to advance the sustainability of the built environment. The Institute actively advocates to governments on local, state/territory and national levels. 

Sustainability for architects

The Institute affirms the responsibility of the architectural profession, as a key player in the construction industry, to embrace an integrated approach to ecological, social and economic sustainability. The Institute regards its Environment Policy as core to members’ practice and professional responsibilities.

The Environment Policy incorporates several useful appendices which list design strategies for architects linking these to specific objectives and further reading in the Environment Design Guide. Sustainable Design Strategies for Architects is a back-up document to the Environment Policy.

In its Sustainability Policy the Australian Institute of Architects advocates a range of actions for government, its members, the design and construction industry, and the broader community that it believes will drive the necessary changes.

Continuing professional development

Each chapter of the Institute conducts continuing professional development seminars which have sustainability as a frequent theme.

The National Seminar Series and the Institute’s Continuum online courses are aimed at aiding architects to play a key role in building a sustainable future for our built environment.

Published by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Environment Design Guide (EDG) covers environmental design strategies for building professionals. EDG design notes are available only to paid subscribers.

Reading EDG notes attracts informal CPD points. Authoring a note will attract 3 formal CPD points from the Institute of Architects and 2 Green Star Accredited Professional CPD points from the GBCA.

Resources

EDG News is a free newsletter published by the Institute that covers news and events in the world of sustainable design. Anyone can sign up to EDG News.

Your Home is a suite of consumer and technical guide materials and tools developed to encourage the design, construction or renovation of homes to be comfortable, healthy and more environmentally sustainable.

Ecos Magazine is one of Australia’s most authoritative magazines on sustainability. It has been published since 1974 by Australia’s national scientific research agency, the CSIRO.

Other resources

• Green Building Council of Australia
• Green Star Training
• RMIT Centre for Design
• Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA)

Sustainability & the Institute

The following information and links are provided by the Institute for the media and government.

Download the Institute's sustainability resource sheet Sustainability and the Institute.

Built Environment Meets Parliament

Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP) is an annual conversation between parliamentarians and industry leaders that showcases the relationship between Australian communities and their built environment.

Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council

The Institute has joined with other stakeholders in the built environment to form the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC). The council is looking at the policy initiatives needed for the built environment to play its part in greenhouse gas emission reduction, including commissioning economic modelling to understand the impact of built environment on global warming.

41X

The new Melbourne headquarters of the Australian Institute of Architects is currently under construction at 41 Exhibition St. The building is an exemplar of design, form, function and sustainability.

Download the 41X case study from the Environment Design Guide (EDG).

Sustainability for the building industry

The Your Building website is about sustainable Australian commercial buildings and includes information for all those involved across the building lifecycle – investors, owners, occupiers, developers, builders, designers and facility managers.

Sustainability at school

The Institute and its partners have produced a range of educational resources for primary and secondary school students. Go to the Resources page for teacher classroom kits and other resources.

Sustainability at home

The following resources and links are provided by the Institute for use by homeowners and tenants.

Your Home is a collaborative project of the federal government and the building and design industry. It has a buyer's guide, a renovator's guide and a technical manual.

Living Greener is an Australian Government website which includes general greener living tips for the home to save on energy, water, waste and transport.

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