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The evolving nature of the green building sector means that it can be confusing not only trying to keep abreast of the latest developments but also trying to keep the wider public informed. Even with the development of the LEED certification program, confusion can still reign, buildings can still underperform and greenwash can still plague the sector.

The Supreme Court of India in Delhi has blasted what it says is a lax attitude throughout the country toward demolishing illegally constructed buildings developed and owned by the affluent and wealthy while municipal authorities regularly tear down illegal slums and hutments occupied by the poor and desperate.

The issue of density and how best to live sustainability in booming urban centers was one of the key focal points at the recent World Architecture Day conference in London, and the architecture industry is not shy of opinions and solutions when it comes to tackling space issues.

Whispers in the global architecture community have become louder with respect to the notion of metropolitan architecture losing its ‘soul’ and integrity in an attempt to stand out from the crowd.
‘Zombie buildings,’ to borrow a term from Canadian architect Gair Williams, are increasingly becoming a point of discussion among major industry professionals. Williams described the ‘zombie aesthetic’ as buildings with more style than substance, structures that rely too heavily on high performance glass. Meanwhile, both Frank Gehry and Australia’s top architect Lawrence Nield described it as architecture informed by non-cohesive egotism. Either way, buildings without soul, artistry or context seem to surmise the founding qualities of the zombie building.

Around Australia, there are many Home Shows gracing exhibition centres each year, with the annual Green Cities Conference providing a focused look at our urban environments.
Trying to find something on practical, sustainable construction in the commercial environment, however, and you would only lead to disappointment. This gap was spotted by the Australian Exhibitions and Conferences team who put together the first Future Build Seminar and Exhibition program which ran from October 2nd to 4th in Melbourne.

While conditions in residential construction throughout many parts of the world may be challenging right now, those seeking long term growth opportunities need look no further than the green building and energy efficient housing sector.
Indeed, over the next decade, the value of work done in energy efficient residential dwellings – properties which are built to exceed the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by 15 per cent on a kilowatt-hour per square foot basis – will grow by around sixfold from around US$14 billion now to around US$84 billion in 2020 according to a report from Pike Research, a global market research and consulting firm specialising in clean energy.

It may be best known for being the first part of the country to be sighted by Captain Cook in 1769 and its claim to be the first city in the world to see the sunlight, but in green building and construction, the small rural town of Gisborne and surrounding areas in northeastern New Zealand is fast becoming known for being the quickest regional area to take advantage of a government program to provide insulation into homes.

In the battle to be best, it seems size really does matter.
Sometimes, however, it isn’t appropriate or possible for the whole building to be bigger or taller than a rival, so designers are now looking at individual components.
In speaking about the possibility of a mile-high skyscraper, Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat chairman Timothy Johnson said it is human nature to want to build higher. Why wouldn’t a designer or engineer want to push the boundaries and push themselves to find out just what is possible?

BBM Sustainable Design is living by the mantra of ‘waste nothing’, with the firm set to start construction on the UK’s first building to be made onsite entirely out of waste.
Later this year, BBM will begin work on Mark II of ‘The House that Kevin Built’ in Brighton. The original house was also designed by Brighton-based architect Duncan Baker-Brown, who heads up BBM.

Darwin in the Northern Territory is a step closer to benefiting from the ocean’s energy potential with the announcement that Power and Water has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Adelaide Tenax Energy to build a 2MW tidal energy plant and tidal energy testing centre.
Tidal energy has been touted as the next big thing in the renewable energy sector with CSIRO recently releasing a report suggesting that a city the size of Melbourne could be entirely powered by waves by 2050.

For Melbourne interior designers, creating boutique bars, restaurants and nightlife venues is a fantastic avenue for expressing creative freedom and pushing design boundaries.
With the city known for its fantastic laneway bars and eclectic nighttime venues, Melbourne designers are not unused to competition in this particular interior design sector.

The design of modern office spaces is miles away from the institutional, staid office buildings of yesteryear as companies move towards young and fresh buildings that offer a great place for employees to work.
Amicus Interiors and interior design firm the Bold Collective have taken this concept to the next level, combining to deliver a $500,000 fit out for Maxus Media Agency at 65 Berry Street in North Sydney.

The green building sector has gone through a stark transformation over the past decade. While green building principles have been around for some time, interest in and innovation on the green building front have boomed, allowing it to go through a rapid period of growth and development.
Perhaps one of the biggest and most obvious evolutionary effects that has touched the green building sector is the decrease, and in some cases removal, of the ‘greenie’ stereotype

The national regulator for industrial relations in the building and construction industry in Australia has commenced civil proceedings against the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and 10 individuals in relation to the union’s conduct during its industrial action over the Grocon dispute at the Myer Emporium site in Melbourne.

Transport infrastructure in Perth appears to have moved to the top of the state government’s priorities.
Just weeks after the announcement of updated light rail plans, the government has released details for a rail line connecting commuters and travellers to and from Perth Airport.

"Modern interior design is an ever-evolving practice. Design from the 1960s differs immensely from today’s interpretation, meaning that notions surrounding what’s ‘in’ is almost as fleeting as time tself.
There are, however, particular features that resonate strongly with an ultra-modern or even futuristic design aesthetic that have remained relatively constant throughout the latter half of the past century."

The latest International Monetary Fund assessment of the world economy was nothing if not blunt.
According to the IMF’s assessment, advanced economies would ‘limp along’; no recovery of any substance in the Euro area was in sight, with its peripheral economies expecting a sharp contraction; the US economy would remain sluggish amid tight fiscal conditions, tight financial conditions and weak household balance sheets; Japan’s prospects will dim as earthquake reconstruction work dies down; and global economic growth forecasts have been marked down to 3.3 per cent this year and 3.6 per cent next year.

Architecture in institutions of higher learning brings with it certain unique opportunities.
While the aesthetic, function and appeal of various projects vary from development to development, there is often an element of innovation and whimsy in these projects

"Reasonably strong conditions in the market for home renovations in Queensland are set to continue and the overall housing  industry is set for a significant recovery in 2013/14, a building and construction industry organisation says."

Any building that fits into the category of the ‘world’s tallest’ will always be well-known for its height alone. The building itself does not have to fit into a particular aesthetic or perform a particular function; being the biggest is often equated by some with being the best.