What is a HIA GreenSmart Professional?

by Jun 4, 2020Design, Expert Advice, Home Design

 

Environmental sustainability is a responsibility shared by everyone – individuals and companies – across the globe.

And while it is everyone’s concern, our industry has a huge part to play in building a more energy-efficient future.

In response to a growing demand for ‘green housing’, Housing Industry Association (HIA) introduced its GreenSmart Program.  Targeting the residential building sector, the program’s purpose is to build a more environmentally aware industry through training, collaboration and partnership opportunities.

And with objectives like minimising non-renewable energy, water consumption and waste, while maximising recycling and providing healthy living conditions and conserving environments, its easy to see how this program is changing our industry.

What is a GreenSmart PROFESSIONAL?

A GreenSmart Professional is a builder that encourages its team to become educated in this area and actively work to build a better future for generations to come. These HIA GreenSmart Professionals are who you should look to when you are building or renovating your home.

The benefits of working  with a certified GreenSmart Professional include:

  • Their design will consider and comply with green building initiatives e.g. passive design.
  • Access to the most up-to-date information, construction methods and sustainable materials available in the market.

WHAT IS PASSIVE DESIGN?

Passive design takes advantage of the climate to maintain a comfortable temperature range in the home. It can reduce, and even, eliminate the need for auxiliary heating or cooling, which can account for about 40 per cent of energy use in the average Australian home. 

Some items we consider when working with our architects on passive design include:

  • Passive Solar Heating
  • Heat Pumps
  • Passive Cooling
  • Sealing of the Home
  • Insulation
  • Window Glazing
  • Water Efficiency
  • Skylights (a favourite of ours! Check out the image below of our Mt Lawley Project)
  • Electric Car Charging

Chat to our friendly Perth based HIA GreenSmart team, to find out more about where you can introduce passive design into your home and help ‘build’ for a better future.