Australia is in the midst of a green building revolution with developers keen to go green.  At QVS we have embraced the green philosophy to work with our clients to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings through the reduction of the carbon footprint, boosting sustainability while at the same time saving owners a load of money.  Part of this process is assisting clients to incorporate the Green Star rating systems into their design and build.

In 2002, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) was established to “drive the adoption of green building practices through market-based solutions”. The GBCA uses a Green Star rating system, which rates the environmental performance of a wide range of buildings with the objective of fostering more sustainable building practices.

The Green Star performance rating process is a comprehensive review of building operations including management, indoor environment quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, emissions and innovation. It’s applicable to a broad cross section of buildings including offices, schools, universities, shopping centres and industry facilities.

A Green Star rating gives your project the independent, third-party verification you need to demonstrate that you’ve met or even exceeded best practice benchmarks across a range of environmental criteria.

At QVS we believe that going green has many benefits for building owners, tenants and the environment. Some of those benefits are:

• Economic benefits
  1. Lower operating costs –buildings are energy and water efficient which makes them cheaper to operate. This can translate to a higher return on investment.
  2. Greater tenant attraction – an environmental rating can attract and retain tenants because the buildings are a more desirable place to work

• Social benefits – sustainable building design emphasises natural light and fresh air as well as a reduction to harmful chemicals and toxins. As a result the buildings are healthier and more productive and desirable to tenants this deliver a competitive edge in today’s crowded marketplace.

• Environmental benefits - Reduced energy and water use, responsibly sourced material and diverting waste from landfills all reduce the impact on the environment.

The right to promote the Green Star rating relies upon formal certification by the GBCA. The certification process involves the registration of the project, submission of documentation and the assessment by a panel of certified assessors appointed by the GBCA.

Ratings are determined by the accumulation of points in each of the nine categories and then weighted by category. The weightings vary on a state by state basis, depending upon local circumstances.

This is where QVS can help. Given our local knowledge and 30 years of experience in the commercial interiors Industry, we can work with you from the very early stages of the project towards obtaining a Greenstar rating. Give us a call today to discuss.

Further detail on the Greenstar rating process can be found at: