Australian Embassy
The Philippines

MR110630 Australia Showcases Expertise in Sustainable Building and Design

AUSTRALIA SHOWCASES EXPERTISE IN SUSTAINABLE BUILDING & DESIGN


Australian Ambassador Rod Smith (3rd from left)
and Professor Philip Cox AO (2nd from left)
together with (L-R) Senior Trade and Investment
Commissioner Ross Bray, Australian Trade
Commission and Country Manager Graham Paynter
, Sinclair Knight Merz Philippines, Inc during
Austrade’s Towards a New Green Environment
seminar at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

The Australian Embassy recently held a seminar on sustainable design and green building entitled “Towards a New Green Environment” featuring a lecture by renowned Australian architect Professor Philip Cox AO.

Organised by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), more than 100 participants from the property and construction sector were given an overview of the latest developments in the green building industry, highlighting Australian breakthroughs in green technologies, design practices and operations.

“Professor Cox is one of a number of respected Australian architects who have attracted increasing international attention for their innovative and environmentally sustainable designs,” Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said. “His visit to Manila reflects the growing interest of Australian architectural firms in promoting sustainable building technologies in the region.”

A Professor of Architecture at the University of New South Wales, Cox is the founding partner of Cox Architecture, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia. He has contributed to prominent projects such as the Sydney Football Stadium and Maritime Museum in Sydney, New South Wales, and the Marina Bay Masterplan and Helix Bridge in Singapore.

His contributions to architecture have been well recognised, including by the award of a Life Fellowship at the RAIA (Royal Australian Institute of Architects) in 1987 and Honorary Fellowship at the American Institute of Architects in the same year. In 1988 he was awarded the Order of Australia (AO).


Professor Philip Cox AO receives a
certificate of appreciation from Dean Mary
Anne Espina of the University of the
Philippines- College of Architecture
following his lecture on sustainable
building designs.

During his visit to Manila, Professor Cox also gave talks at leading architecture universities in Manila, including the University of the Philippines-Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, and the Mapua Institute of Technology, to introduce students to Australian templates and practices for sustainable environmental design and performance.

Professor Cox’s visit is part of Austrade’s continuing engagement with the Philippine Green Building Council, which promotes sustainable building practices through training, seminars, advocacy and capacity building. Last year Austrade supported a workshop on Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence or BERDE, the Philippines’ green building rating system, in Quezon City following the local government’s passage of a Green Building Ordinance.

In recent years, Australian designers have been at the forefront of a shift towards creating healthy and sustainable building practices. The shift is supported by comprehensive national environmental rating systems that evaluate environmental design and construction – such as the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Green Star rating system. (ENDS)