Design and Construct Standard – Overview
The principle objective of the Design and Construct Standard is to facilitate environmentally sustainable design and construction of building infrastructure. The Standard sets out the requirements for facilitating and assessing the environmental and social performance of the Design and Construction of buildings under the Green Globe programme. It provides an assessment against set criteria, providing Developers with a benchmark for sustainable performance in both design and construction of building infrastructure.
Green Globe supports the business industry by assisting it achieve positive triple bottom line outcomes for environment, social and economic performance. The forward planning and careful design of buildings promotes an eco-efficiency ethic that reduces environmental impacts and leads to lower costs in infrastructure, construction and operation.
The cost to undertake the Green Globe Design and Construct Standard depends on the size, scope and duration of the construction.
The Process - Six Stages to Sustainable Design and Construction Certification
The Green Globe Design and Construct Standard consists of six key stages that establish the foundation for sustainable building development. Each stage has criteria that must be met, as well as documentation that must be submitted as evidence of compliance. A brief explanation of each stage follows below.
Sustainable Design and Construction Policy
The Developer shall have a written Sustainable Design and Construction Policy that is appropriate to the design, its infrastructure and its environmental and local social footprint. Contextual factors such as location, climate and socio-economic setting, compared with the nature and scale of the proposed development, should also be considered in the Policy.
Regulatory Frameworks for Design and Construction
The Developer shall have a commitment to comply with all relevant environmental legislation and statutory regulations, along with any other requirements to which the construction plan and design should conform. As part of this the Developer shall maintain an up-to-date register of all relevant legislation and regulations.
Sustainable Design Assessment
The Developer shall assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of plans, designs, strategies, techniques and other specifications in each of the Key Environmental and Social Performance Areas listed below:
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction
- Energy efficiency and management
- Air and noise Quality
- Fresh water resources
- Waste water management
- Waste minimisation
- Land use management
- Environmentally harmful substances and their use
- Social and cultural issues
Particular regard shall be paid to the following key design considerations:
- Design Approach and sustainable policy
- Siting and Urban Issues
- Energy efficiency and consumption
- Protection of air, earth and water
- Selection of building materials and process
- Construction
- Social and economic issues during design and construction
During this phase, the Developer must document the level of potential impact of the design and construction using Green Globe Sector Benchmarking Indicators for the Design and Construct Standard.
Sustainable Design Process Management
The Developer shall develop, implement and document a Sustainable Design Management System in support of the Sustainable Design and Construction Policy (stage 1). This will show how targets and objectives are to be implemented and have clearly defined responsibilities for the planning team members. This System should be formally approved by a senior executive officer.
Sustainable Construct Process Management
The Developer shall develop, implement and document a Construction Process Control System for all stages of construction in support of the Sustainable Design and Construction Policy to implement targets and objectives, with clearly defined responsibilities and deadlines for construction team members.
Community Stakeholder Consultation and Performance Reporting
The Developer shall establish effective consultative mechanisms and strategies to ensure all sections of the community are able to participate in developing the Master Plan and Design. The Developer must also communicate to stakeholders and the community in a clear and regularly updated manner the Developer's predicted environmental and social performance based on the Green Globe Sustainability Assessment.
Once the above stages have been completed and the relevant documentation sent to Green Globe for review and assessment for compliance, the building will receive the Green Globe Design and Construct Certification logo as evidence of their achievement and contribution to environmental sustainability.
