10 Trends That Will Benefit Property Development and Sustainability

The property development industry has long been an engine for growth in the construction sector. However, with increasing concerns about sustainability and environmental impact, it is becoming more important than ever to keep up with trends in this area. Going green is now a top priority for many developers and we are seeing an increase in companies that offer sustainable and eco-friendly solutions to their clients. As technology continues to improve, the possibilities of what we can do with our properties increases as well. This article will review 10 key trends that are shaping sustainable property development today. and will provide property developers with a framework on which to build sustainable property development strategies for their own projects.

‍

Green's Mainstream Rise & Demand

The property development industry is becoming increasingly focused on sustainable property development practices, with green property development standards now almost seen as mainstream. As a result property developers are beginning to pay more attention to the environmental impacts their projects make and how they can be mitigated throughout their life cycle.

“The residential property sector alone accounts for a massive 57% of Australia's property emissions."

A recent property development case in Sydney, where a property developer has been ordered to pay a massive $2 million find for breaching environmental regulations while constructing a luxury high-rise apartment building is an example of how property developers are being made more accountable, while property investors are demanding sustainable property practices.

Trend 1: Rethinking Transport Connectivity for Better Efficiency

Transportation is one of the largest costs in any real estate project. According to research, transportation accounts for roughly half of all greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide.

Property development in areas with good transport connectivity will benefit sustainable property development, particularly if developers can get projects approved faster thanks to better connectivity. This means connecting the property to more than just one mode of transportation such as airports and rail networks and bus terminals.

Trend 2: Increasing Biodiverse Designs for Properties Near the City

The concept of bio-diversity is not new but it has been rapidly growing in popularity among sustainability designers. Many developers are now including nature-scape design for biodiversity sustainability. Share space features such as green roofs, vertical gardens and green walls are now common in many buildings.

Some property developers are also becoming increasingly aware that buyers who have previously considered development projects further out of the city are now opting to buy properties in the city instead. This is because property prices near the city are more affordable, there's easy access to amenities and transport options, there's a concentration of talent and property buyers are looking to tap into the big city energy. In addition to creating more green spaces, property developers can also get buyers involved with recycling programs and educate property owners on sustainable living practices.

Trend 3: Investing in Eco-Friendly Office Spaces

According the a recent news article, one property developer is investing A$7 million into a new shared working space that will have a green rooftop, solar panels and recycled materials. The property developer says that investors are increasingly looking for new projects with eco-friendly features, which means incorporating sustainable office spaces into property developments.

Popular sustainability features include greens roofs and living walls. These are now often integrated into new projects to provide aesthetic, structural and environmental benefits.

Eco-friendly office spaces can help property developers appeal to a new generation of property buyers who are looking for sustainability features in their properties. This means having recycling programs, power saving features, water saving features and also choosing sustainable building materials.

Trend 4: Reducing Waste With Digital Models

One of the biggest sustainability issues in Australia is landfill. For example every year, Sydney produces more than 5 million tonnes of waste - and most of it gets sent to landfill. This not only impacts the environment but also wastes a huge amount of money that could have been spent on other sustainability initiatives.

By using 3D digital tools, sustainability consultants can work with architects and engineers to create buildings that reduce waste during construction. This reduces the amount of material sent to landfill sites and helps property developers meet their sustainability goals.

‍

Trend 5: Increased Use Of Recycled Content Materials

There has been a significant increase in the number of Australian homes using recycled content materials, such as recycled steels in counters and recycled timber products in flooring.
‍

“The GBC estimates that around 40 per cent of new homes use some recycled or reclaimed content in their construction".

The use of recycled materials is becoming increasingly popular with homebuilders, architects and sustainability experts. The main reasons for this are the environmental benefits associated with using recycled content materials, the lower building costs compared to non-recycled or standard construction materials and improved durability. For example architects are focusing more on using older buildings as a source for recycled materials, such as bricks nd roof tiles, rather than manufacturing new ones. This is part of sustainability efforts to reduce the volume of landfill waste.

Trend 6: The Rise of Smart Monitoring Technology

There are many sustainability initiatives in property development - but it's often hard to measure whether they actually have a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, sustainability consultants are working with technology companies to come up with high-tech solutions that monitor sustainability practices in buildings that can produce evidence of their success or failure.

This is particularly important for large commercial buildings where businesses need to demonstrate a return on investment from sustainability initiatives - but it's also important for sustainability in smaller buildings.

Trend 7: Green Roofs & Walls

Rooftop gardens or green roofs are becoming an increasingly popular sustainability design feature for property developers, with many architects integrating rooftop gardens into their designs of high profile buildings. Green roofs are built on the roof of a building, making use of the otherwise unused surface area of a building to absorb rainwater, reduce heat gain and insulate the building from temperature fluctuations. Green roofs can also provide a range of other benefits to property developers, such as noise reduction, which is why they are becoming more widely adopted in sustainability projects.

Green walls are another sustainability feature that is becoming more common, with architects increasingly integrating them into their sustainability designs. Green walls work in a similar way to green roofs by adding an extra layer of insulation and absorbing rainwater, but they can be a lot easier to maintain as they don't require a building's residents to water the plants on it.

Trend 8: Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive reuse is the practice of reusing a building for a purpose other then which it was originally designed by making changes to its structure and/or function. This could be recycling old factories into housing, turning office towers into residential apartments or converting warehouses to educational facilities. It also allows governments to maximise the value of public assets rather than demolishing them.

The sustainability benefits of such a practice are multiple: it reduces the need for new resources and materials, minimises carbon emissions by recycling old building stock, minimises construction time frames and boosts economic activity in towns across Australia.
‍

“It was estimated that at least half of Australia's former industrial buildings could be reused for new office spaces due to suitable conditions and access to transport infrastructure."

Many developers are starting to search for ways to recycle existing house stock rather than build new properties on virgin land and this frugality and sustainability is starting to shift the mindset of developers, architects and consumers away from wasteful practices.

Trend 9: Greywater Recycling

As sustainability practices become increasingly imperative in building design and development, property developers are beginning to provide sustainable water solutions. Greywater recycling is one type of solution that has been gaining traction as an effective method of sustainability.

The idea behind greywater recycling is that every household has a significant amount of water that can be reused before it becomes wastewater. Greywater sources include bath, shower, bathroom washbasins, laundry, etc. This approach has become increasingly popular in the past few years due to rising water costs and sustainability concerns about large amounts of potable water being used for irrigation. It's both cost efficient and environmentally friendly because it reduces our reliance on drinking water while also saving energy. Greywater recycling is a great alternative for example when gardening, especially when using it mixed with other sources such as rainwater or untreated wastewater.

Trend 10: Use of Prefabrication

Over the past couple of years there has been a serious focus on sustainability and how to reduce our carbon footprint. There are many different ways in which we can achieve low carbon outcomes within design but one way is through the use of prefabrication. Prefabrication involves building components off site so they can be easily put together like a jig saw puzzle when constructing buildings. It saves time due to less need for fitting out materials such as windows and doors, allows for consistent quality and reduces site waste. The prefabrication process also allows construction to take place across the year rather than only being possible during good weather conditions which is an increasingly limiting factor for sustainability.

Precision manufacturing is one prefabrication method which uses 3D printing technology to create complex components which couldn't be built in any other way, especially in remote locations where it would otherwise be difficult to transport products via large trucks or ships . The major advantage precision manufacturing has over the traditional prefabrication methods is that it can produce highly accurate parts extremely quickly at a lower cost . It also allows for a greater level of detail which means designs can be more intricate . The biggest challenge is getting the right materials because many 3D printers are designed for specific materials whilst some can only print with one material at a time.

‍

To Conclude

The shift from disposability to sustainability has been paralleled by the rise of more sustainable building materials and technologies, and an increased awareness among Australians about climate change risks. This has led to a rise of sustainable design trends in both new construction and renovation projects.

With the growing push for sustainable design trends in Australia’s property development, it is not surprising that architects are coming up with creative solutions to solve these issues. The article goes on to explore some of the more popular and innovative examples of sustainability-oriented architecture in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. While there are many benefits to be found when integrating sustainable practices into your designs including lower operating costs while increasing job opportunities for local tradespeople; one cannot deny the obvious beauty of this work either way you look at it. If you would like help designing a plan which incorporates factors such as eco-friendly materials or solar panels, we can help! Contact us today for an initial consultation about our services or read through all our articles here

‍