Described as incorporating world’s best practice in sustainable construction The Living Laboratory Home at Currumbin, Queensland, was named HIA-GreenSmart Building of the Year at the HIA-Boral GreenSmart Awards, in Sydney tonight.
HIA’s partner for this category is Colorbond.
Judges said the winning builder, Landmatters, had addressed the full suite of sustainability criteria for a building responsive to the environment.
“The state-of-the-art technology incorporated into its design places the emphasis solidly on innovation and includes smart metering and environmentally-friendly toilets,” they said.
“The emphasis has been on reused and recycled materials at every stage of the building process and no PVC has been used in the plumbing.”
Landmatters’ success follows its win in the GreenSmart Development of the Year category at the 2007 awards.
Congratulating Landmatters, HIA Managing Director Ron Silberberg said the HIA-Boral GreenSmart Awards are now firmly established as the showcase for environmentally responsible housing in Australia.
“It was back in 1999 that HIA decided there should be a dedicated program of awards for industry members who planned and built to the highest standards of sustainability,” he said.
“At the time, the critics said we would never attract sufficient interest from the industry. The fact that every year we set new records for our entries shows just how wrong they were.
“The awards are solid evidence of HIA’s support for the design and construction of environmentally responsible housing in Australia. We are delighted that the GreenSmart program, created at the birth of environmental awareness in building, is playing an increasingly significant role in keeping industry members and consumers alike aware that environmentally responsible living is also cost-effective living.”
