Sustainable Housing Design Competition launch

The Minister for Education and Training, The Honourable Lynne Kosky officially launched BuildSmart's Sustainable Housing Design Competition at Holmesglen TAFE on Wednesday 13 August 2003.

Jane Edmandson of ABC's 'Gardening Australia' was Master of Ceremonies for the event. Guest speakers included Robert Enker of the Building Commission, the Director of Sustainable Built Environment, David Oppenheim and the Director of Sunpower Design, Andreas Sederof.

The competition is part of BuildSmart, the Sustainable Building Education Centre established at Holmesglen. BuildSmart was established to promote environmentally sustainable housing design and construction and is funded by the Office of Training and Tertiary Education. Over 240 registrations to enter the competition were received.

All speakers encouraged the competition entrants to move towards the leading edge of modern thinking on sustainable building practices, while also maintaining a connection with modern Australian lifestyle and public thinking on housing design. Examples of successful sustainable housing design and construction were given by the speakers and entrants were encouraged to think laterally and to search widely for materials, equipment and practises that could be employed in their own design.

Next year, with industry support, Holmesglen's trade students will build the winning design at the Institute's Waverley Campus. Once constructed the house will be opened to the public as a show house for sustainable design. It will provide an educational resource for primary, secondary and tertiary students, building practitioners and the wider community. Also the house will assist in providing information on the mandatory 5 Star energy standards that will come into force in July 2005.

The launch concluded with the panel of competition judges answering questions put forward by students and competition entrants.


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