A new design team in Perth claims its innovative approach is at the forefront in collaborative modes of working which will drive sustainable building into the norm.

The Pier Street Collective is comprised of green building design, technology, engineering and property experts architecture.collective, eTool, Cundall and Green Gurus.

The team provide architect, engineering and project managing solutions to developers, construction and local government.

Using new technologies to solve industry problems and making sustainability the norm is the reason the companies joined forces, says Alex Bruce.

“We’ve seen exciting technological developments in the ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design) engineering field, but a lack of industry awareness has meant that building design hasn’t responded to the threat of climate change. This is a real shame because cost effective low carbon design is easily achievable by using available technology and services.”

Architect Simone Gosciminski said that most architects and building companies are incorporating green design principles due to recent legislation, but that many are only aware of a small number of strategies available for making a real difference to our environment.

“The majority of architects still design their ‘environmentally sustainable’ buildings in isolation from the people, technology and skillsets that can make the biggest difference. Some may give brief consideration to reducing the amount of energy it takes to heat and cool the building, which is great, but it’s only 36 per cent of the equation,” said Gosciminski.

Until recently sustainable architecture, engineering and technology have been operated as separate disciples, with little communication between the parties and their shared clients.

As problematic as this can be for the professionals, it’s often the clients and their vision that is compromised, resulting in a less than sustainable outcome and an over extended budget. However, they say, with the ‘world’s most advanced sustainable building certification program’ the Living Building Challenge recently launching in Australia, collaborations between design experts will soon become the norm rather than the exception.

The opportunity to collaborate was an environmental and entrepreneurial decision as Mark Pitman explains:

 “We share office space, but also a passion for a more sustainable built environment and an understanding that we can’t get the job done with a competitive attitude towards each other. Using our collective specialties, we can demonstrate with hard data where dollars are best spent while lowering our clients’ environmental impact.”

 

The Pier Street Collective will be opening their doors during World Green Building Week, offering free lunchtime workshops from 17th- 21st September.

Sustainable design and building topics include:

  • Key Design Considerations for Sustainable Architecture
  • Valuing Green: Where is the market at?
  • Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), Your Staff and Your Health: The Hidden Benefits of Green Design
  • Life Cycle Analysis (LCA): A Revolution in Green Design
  • Urban Comfort Mapping and Technical Modeling for Sustainable Design 

 

More information can be found at www.pierstreetcollective.eventbrite.com.au