By Rob O’Brien
A building at Bond University on Queensland’s Gold Coast has won a major sustainable design award in London.
The university’s Mirvac School of Sustainable Development building is Australia’s first higher education building to receive a 6-star Green Star Design Rating, and managed to hold off strong competition from across Europe to take out the top award at a ceremony conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The building, which has innovatively reduced carbon emissions by 80 per cent, is water efficient, healthy, financially viable and smart.
The principles of sustainable design taught at the Mirvac School are embodied in the building’s structure which is made from recycled steel.
It’s also reflected in the windows which are orientated to reduce the amount of energy needed for lighting and climate control. Students are encouraged to get to class by bicycle.
The building has built-in intelligence that aims to reduce waste. For instance, it stops occupants from turning the air-conditioning on if the windows are open.
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard congratulated the university.
“Bond University and the Mirvac School of Sustainable Development are to be congratulated for this significant achievement and for showing that Australian universities are more than up to the task,” she said.
“Our universities and research institutions will play a crucial role in helping Australia develop the technologies we need to move to a low carbon economy.”
The Vice Chancellor of Bond University, Professor Robert Stable, received RICS award on behalf of the university at the ceremony.
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