Biophilic Design Awards 2023.
GH Commercial, proudly sponsoring the Living Future Institute of Australia’s (LFIA), inaugural National Biophilic Design Awards, in the Interior and Renovation category in 2023. LFIA host the awards to recognise achievements in Australian buildings, interiors and communities that demonstrate the principles and benefits of biophilic design.
Established in 2012, The LFIA is an affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). ILFI is an environmental NGO committed to creating communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. It operates the Living Building Challenge, the built environment’s most ambitious performance standard, as well as many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward a living future.
We have been a major sponsor of the LIFA since 2019, where we were the first flooring manufacturer in Australia to achieve Declare Red List Free accreditation. Declare is a platform to share and find healthy building products. Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information used by leading designs to specify products they know they can trust. Today, we hold most Declare Red List Free labels in Australia, and the portfolio continues to grow.
Successful projects within the awards will highlight the biophilic design process and notable outcomes. The biophilic design narrative should tie together key design strategies to intended and desired outcomes and should describe how these were achieved. National winners will automatically be entered into the International Living Future Institute’s Stephen R. Kellert Design Award in 2023. This award acknowledges Stephen Kellert’s legacy as a pioneer in articulating and applying biophilic design principles to the built environment. His publications and advocacy have had a profound impact on increasing awareness and encouraging widespread adoption of the practice of design for human-nature connection.
Many of our products are designed with biophilia in mind, purposefully incorporating colours, textures, and patterns found in the natural environment. We are thrilled to be sponsoring the very first LFIA’s National Biophilic Design Award, resonating closely with our Believe in Better philosophy as we are passionate about improving the health and well-being of occupants in the spaces that we live and work in.
We share our congratulations to the finalists for the Interior and Renovation category, Zyan House and Pavone House! These inspiring projects incorporate unique biophilic elements seamlessly into their designs.
The Zyan House renovation required an extension of the envelope to the boundary on a small site adjacent to apartment blocks. To enhance the natural experience of the coastal site, bi-fold doors welcome the sea breeze and landscape space was maximised through the use of vertical gardens and green roofs with spaces for prospect. The building envelope was also orientated to block the views into the house to maintain a sense of refuge, sanctuary and a sense of home.
Pavone House is owned and occupied by Dr Pippa Soccio and her family - the fifth generation to reside at the address. Pippa is an architect and lecturer of Teaching and Learning (Built Environments) at the University of Melbourne School of Design. The renovation provided a testing ground for her PhD studies on indoor environment quality (IEQ), and leverages the synergies between biophilic design and IEQ to promote wellbeing and energy efficiency. Above all else, it is a family home designed for life; not to live, but to thrive.
