At DesignInc Sydney, we have always taken steps to care for people and the planet. We are proud to announce the next phase of our sustainability journey with the launch of our Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), committing to understanding the impacts of our business and our projects, and to take steps to improve them.
As architects and designers, we aspire to contribute positively to the built environment, designing places that support community, learning, equity, accessibility, sustainability and health. The experiences of the people inhabiting our projects is central to our design process and we are dedicated to delivering projects that have a positive impact on people’s lives. Our award-winning projects demonstrate a proven track record in environmentally sustainable design.
Now that there are tools available to accurately measure and better understand the impacts of our work we have launched our inaugural Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). This will allow us to evaluate and continually improve our business operations and design processes to lead the transition to a decarbonised built environment. We will continue to think about every project in terms of sustainability and set targets for solutions that are good for people and regenerative for the planet. Implementing our SAP will ensure that our projects and practices are measured by their impact on the future of people, culture and the natural world.
As Paul McCartney once said, there must be a better way to make the things we want. As architects we need to work out how the built and natural environments can coexist to protect our planet and future generations.
Paul Wallace,
Principal and member of the SAP Working Group
Key Pillars
There are four key pillars in our SAP:
Our Commitment—We commit to reviewing our work and business operations to understand how we can improve our behaviours to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment.
Design Practice—The built environment accounts for approximately 40% of carbon emissions globally. As designers we recognise we have a key role to play and responsibility to improve the sustainability credentials of the projects we design.
Business Operations—As a business with over 110 people, we also have a responsibility to ensure the day to day operations of our business are sustainable. This includes our energy consumption, our waste and water.
Education, Outreach + Advocacy—We recognise that our organisation can play a key role in advocating for change among our team, our community of clients, contractors and collaborators, the broader design and construction industry, as well as society in general.
Click here to download the DesignInc Sydney Sustainability Action Plan.
DesignInc Sydney is thrilled to announce the launch of our first ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), committing to practical actions to strengthen relationships, create mutual respect improve the opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
Architects have significant responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions generated by the building sector. To address this, DesignInc Melbourne is pleased to share our Sustainability Action Plan (SAP).
PHIVE is a new landmark public building in Parramatta. We talked with Richard Does—who lead the DesignInc team from competition stage in 2016 right through to project completion in 2022—about the design concept, the process, the challenges and delightful moments along the way.
Announced during the ceremony on June 16th, the recognition serves as a testament to the remarkable achievements and impact of this project.
‘Greater Cities’ is a podcast series about the future of cities. Each episode challenges listeners to look at the big issues facing our cities, with insights from leading thinkers from Australia and around the world.
As part of NAIDOC Week 2023, DesignInc Sydney and Nguluway DesignInc collaborated with Ethos Urban and Curio Projects to host an exciting event on Cockatoo Island—’Architecture, Design, People and Place’.
Embarking on our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), 2022 was a year of growth and learning for DesignInc Sydney. With the first year of our RAP under our belt, now is a great time to reflect on the successes as well as the challenges that we have faced.
