by Brianna Crandall — November 10, 2010—Three new material calculators will ensure the Green Star environmental rating tools remain at the leading edge of best practice, says the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). Many Green Star tools have included material calculators since 2005.
The GBCA has released its new, simplified material calculators, which are referred to as “Material Calculators 2.0,” along with related documentation for public comment. Material Calculators 2.0 assess the fitout products and materials used in projects, as part of Green Star assessment, and aim to stimulate demand for environmentally preferable fitout products in Australia.
According to the GBCA, materials used for interior outfitting products experience the fastest turnover rates in a building and therefore represent one of the shortest in-use materials phases of a building’s lifecycle. The new calculators require less documentation from project teams, and should therefore reduce the cost of Green Star submissions.
“The Green Star ‘Materials’ category aims to address and improve the environmental impacts of building products and materials through rewarding reduction, reuse and the use of recycled and other environmentally preferable materials,” explains GBCA’s Green Star Director, Andrew Aitken.
