Abstract:
Green homes or eco-homes have been built in many countries and have played an
important role in setting a benchmark in ecologically sensitive housing and guiding
industry in the design and construction of sustainable houses. According to the
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources a new dwelling is built
every 14 minutes in New South Wales, Australia. This paper examines the
introduction of an online tool the Building and Sustainability Index (BASIX) as
mandatory to all residential developments in New South Wales. It is two and half
years since the introduction of the index and yet no attempt has been made to
ascertain its impact on the construction industry. An online survey was conducted to
ascertain this impact and it was found that free access to the tool via internet was one
of the main reasons for its success. It was also generally accepted that the tool has
played a significant role in providing a general guideline for the sustainability
performance of a proposed development. This paper discusses the results of the
survey.
