About the Green Dot Awards

The Green Dot Awards honor excellence in innovative environmental projects, products and services. They reward and promote forward-thinking businesses that create environmentally sustainable products or services and to reward revolutionary green business plans and proposals.

The purpose of Green Dot is to reward those who practice excellence in environmental responsibility. Recognition from the Green Dot Awards allows businesses to promote their products and services as items that are manufactured and delivered in an environmentally friendly manner.

Green Dot Awards was Juried by experts in the industry: Alison Kwok Ph.D, co-author of Green Studio Handbook; Christina Amacher, Braungart Consulting and EPEA GmbH; Christine Mason McCall, co-founder of GoGreen Online and GoGreenTV; Dave Evans, Author of Cool Green Stuff; Daniel D. Chiras Ph.D, Author of Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy; Darryl Hooks, CEO and President of ActiClean; Efren Zuniga Reyes, co-author of Green Graphics, graphic communication for sustainability; Kira Gould, co-author of Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design; Lori Dennis, best-selling author and star of HGTV’s The Real Designing Women; Luis Valenzuela, Founder of Green Art USA.org; Patrick Fry, designer and art director; Ruth Singer, sustainable and recycled materials designer; Steven Foster, President of the Steven Foster Group and commercial consultant for eco-sustainability; Shelagh McNally, writer and editor on environment issues; Tamsin O’Neill, Director of Green Press; Vicky Eckert Von Grotthuss, co-author of Green Graphics and owner of Flaflafeditions, a publishing house creating board games related to environment and culture.

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When those fires ravage the terrain, all too often urban or rural inhabited areas are in the

firing line and homes as well as other structures are destroyed.

The Xanthorrhoea 1 multi-function display building was opened at Thulimbah on Saturday and is the result of a research project started in 2005 by Cox Architects managing director David Cox which he said was intended to demonstrate it was possible to build in the line of fire.

“Every year houses are burnt out and people re-built in the same way which is dangerous as well as a gross waste of resources,” he said.

“I was convinced you could build in a fire zone and this structure has proven you can.”

Mr Cox said the building was constructed from inert materials which made it resistant to fire and designed to provide shelter during other natural disasters like cyclones and floods.

“It incorporates composite materials in its construction and is extremely resistant to attack which means we’ve achieved a standard of resistance not achieved before,” he said.

“The building is designed so it can be locked down and is thermally efficient so there is the comfort of knowing occupants will be sustained in cyclones and fires.”

While more expensive to build than a standard house Mr Cox said the building would pay off over time through its longevity and durability.

“We want this building to lead by example and it opens up the possibility of building in and enjoying areas you couldn’t previously,” he said.

“We don’t see this building as an end, we are committed to continuing research and development.”

The building is not open to the public but for more information on the Xanthorrhoea 1 project visit coxarchitects.com.au.

“New building is ‘disaster-proof’ article courtesy of the Stanthorpe Border Post.

The post R&D Bushfire Resistant Building Launch appeared first on Cox Architects.

Cox Architect’s research work on Bushfire Resistant Buildings was recognised and the firm noted as a winner of the inaugural “What’s Your Big Idea Queensland” award.

The award, which received over 600 entries from all industries groups, provides industry recognition and government  financial assistance for further research work.

An intensive selection process over 4 months was held by industry experts. The jurors included:

• Former CEO of Virgin Blue, Brett Godfrey
• QUT Deputy Vice Chancellor, Arun Sharma
• QMI Solutions CEO, Jim Walker
• Vulture Street Consulting principal, Kate Morrison.

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• Small Commercial
• Public Building & Urban Design
• Innovation of the Year

Below are extracts from the finalist information as featured in Building Product News October 2011.

Innovation of the year

The Bush Fire Construction System was created to offer a high-resistance to cyclones and floods through sustainable initiatives:

• it ensures buildings are resistant to bush fires, cyclones and floods;
• the built form is highly thermally insulated saving energy consumption;
• it uses non-toxic materials;
• achieves the highest BCA rating of bush fire resistance in Australia;
• the system forms a structural fire insulating shell over the building which is integral to the walls;
• the windows are protected by patented fire resisting awnings, reducing energy consumption;
• white ant and rot resistant (no timber is used).

Small commercial

Following the Victorian bushfires and consequent tougher regulations in bushfire-prone regions, Cox Architects designed a rural fire station, developing it as a full size prototype building to test and further develop a unique construction system the client had conceptualised.

• designed to be sustainable against the full effect of bush fires and other extreme weather events;
• the building is self-sufficient and requires no grid supplied services such as electricity and water;
• self generating energy;
• the building construction system and design, including the fire shutters, passed the rigid tests of compliance for registration of local and international patents;
• system and building has achieved the highest current bush fire resistance rating in Australia;
• uses minimal energy.

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Peak industry body Ai Group holds the awards to help innovative businesses take the next step to commercialisation and providing support for futher research & development work.

With over 600 entries, Cox Architects was the only architectural firm to be either shortlisted or win this award. David Cox, Director of Cox Architects said “We’re delighted to win this prestigious award and receive recognition for our long involvement in research work and the bushfire resistant building project. We’re also honoured to represent the architectural industry in this commercially-focussed awards program.”

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