Australian Green Building Council Certifies First Project

The building, at 8 Brindabella Circuit in Canberra’s Brindabella Business Park, is now under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2004. Through the use of non-flushing urinals, dual-flush toilets, and efficient faucets and showerheads, the 43,500 ft2 (4,040 m2) building is projected to save 205,000 gallons (775,000 liters) of potable water each year, using less than half the water of a conventional building. Materials and furnishings will be selected for their recycled content and low emissions of volatile organic compounds; PVC-based products will be avoided; and the building will be ventilated with 100% outside air.

Green Star for Office Design, which was released in pilot form in July 2003 and finalized in December 2003, was modeled after existing tools, including the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) from the U.K. and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Rating System from the U.S. “It is an important tenet of the Green Building Council’s operations to learn from others,” according to Rebecca Blackburn, the organization’s communications and education manager. “Green Star has benefited from robust first thinking and principles from the UK and the USA,” she told