Specifying for Green Star Buildings
The Green Building Council of Australia has published Specifying for Green Star Buildings using NATSPEC, an indispensable resource for designing sustainability into a project.
Buildings produce nearly a quarter of Australia’s harmful emissions, and green buildings are one of the industry’s best tools for long-term sustainability success. As defined by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), a green building is energy efficient, water efficient, has good healthy spaces, and is built responsibly on sites that are not critical natural areas.
The GBCA maintains the Green Star sustainability rating system, including Green Star Buildings, released in 2020. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people live, study and work in a range of Green Star–rated buildings, homes and communities.
When specifiers and architects are making environmental considerations and choosing sustainable practices, appropriate documentation is essential, particularly for projects aiming for a Green Star Building rating.
For any building to be certified with a Green Star rating, it must first satisfy 15 Minimum Expectation credits to ensure it meets the basic definition of a green building. The project then requires additional credits, measured by points. The number of points achieved determines whether it is awarded a 4-, 5- or 6-Star rating.
NATSPEC cites Green Star Buildings in many National Building Specification worksections. NATSPEC’s April 2022 update includes new guidance clauses, noting that the specification targets the requirements that may be needed to achieve Green Star Buildings Minimum Expectations credits.
This has led to the publication of Specifying for Green Star Buildings using NATSPEC, published by the GBCA. It lists each Green Star Buildings credit with a NATSPEC worksection classification number, clause number and title, where these credits are covered in the National Building Specification, as well as recommended evidence as required by Green Star.
Green Star principles can inform all design and construction work, making Specifying for Green Star Buildings using NATSPEC an indispensable resource. Designing sustainability into a project by documenting these decisions in specifications is one reliable way to work towards a greener future.
NATSPEC is a not-for-profit organisation owned by Government and industry. It maintains the National Building Specification and has been a valued part of the construction industry for over 45 years.