Fast track your development’s sustainability credentials by opting for certified building materials
In response to the market’s need for stricter building product regulation – a collaboration between the Insurance Council Australia, Edge Environment and Comply Flow has brought about a brand-new product and building material rating system known as Building Product Information Rating (BPI Rating).
Anyone who has been following the news lately would be aware of the building crisis in Australia at present. From structural faults to dangerous cladding, to blurred supply chain transparency – some property experts are even referring to the situation as comparable to the scourge of asbestos. A study undertaken by Deakin and Griffith universities found that 70% of buildings in Australia’s eastern cities built after 2003 were found to have had at least one building defect.
While human error and natural causes can be attributed to the issues that occur within buildings, poorly selected building materials can also contribute to the problem. BPI Ratings aim to provide greater transparency to the market and to give industry professionals and buyers the opportunity to make more informed choices.
By undergoing extensive research as to what the building industry requires and would use, the team behind BPI Rating were able to deliver a product which is already a useful and practical resource.
“At Edge, we have spent years speaking to clients and attending events where that situation was highlighted as something holding back the industry. So we decided that, rather than wait for someone else to do so, we’d solve it by developing the BPI Rating platform. BPI Rating stands for Building Product Information Rating and is a platform designed to create a home for all that data.
Our hope is that it will help the industry save time and effort when searching for products with the right credentials, while also providing a clear route for leading suppliers to showcase their wares.”
Jonas Bengtsson, Chief Executive of Edge Environment
The platform currently features 500 products from over 200 companies, with categories including:
- Appliances
- Ceiling finishes
- External doors
- External walls
- Floor finishes
- Framing
- Internal walls
- Landscaping
- Mechanical services
- Roofing
- Stairs
- Substructure
- Utilities
- Wall Finishes
- Windows
While each product goes through a rigorous research process – the platform aims to remain unbiased by displaying a range of products with varying levels of certification (bare minimum, above average, comprehensive and complete) so that users can compare products. Users will also be able to identify who the manufacturer is, where the product was made, how resilient the material is to different weather conditions, warranty information, environmental impact and more.
The tool also provides guidance for project teams looking to attain sustainable accreditation for their developments, by displaying a selection of environmentally conscious, certified products.
“With BPI Rating you can specifically find products with information on embodied carbon, recycled content, red-listed hazardous substances, and contributing to leading rating tools such as Green Star, WELL and the Living Building Challenge.”
Jonas Bengtsson, Chief Executive of Edge Environment
Lead image: One Central Park | Credit: Victor Zubakin via Flickr