The Role of Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard in Maintaining a Sustainable Community

February 7, 2023

A community is defined as a group of people who live in the same place and share something in common. Since they live in one area, most of them may establish a sense of belongingness and share similar attributes that can define them as a whole.

To ensure that a community will thrive in the long run, they should depend heavily on resources that can meet their needs without hindering future generations from using the same resources as well. The act of maximising resources while securing adequate resources for future generations is known as sustainability.

A sustainable community ensures that the quality of life for all its residents and future generations will be optimised and regulated optimally. One way to achieve this is through constructing buildings with a sustainable design.

The Main Objectives of Sustainable Design

Achieving a sustainable design in constructing buildings and other properties is crucial to maintaining a sustainable community.

This type of design aims to reduce or completely avoid the depletion of vital resources like energy, land, water, and raw materials. Sustainable design also intends to deter environmental degradation that may be caused by buildings and infrastructures throughout their life cycle. Ultimately, it aims to create comfortable and liveable environments.

Once a sustainable design is achieved by buildings in a community, the occupants of these properties can contribute to the betterment of the planet as they consume less energy in heating or cooling their rooms. Opting for a sustainable design also lets them take advantage of locally sourced materials as well as maximise natural resources in improving their quality of life.

Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard

To ensure that sustainable communities will exist in Victoria, property owners and project managers are encouraged to carry out assessments through tools that can check the elements of building projects. One tool that can be used for this purpose is the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard or BESS.

BESS is a dedicated tool in Victoria that can be used in assessing sustainable design at the planning permit stage of construction works. It assists development applicants and councils generate and achieve sustainable design outcomes for their respective communities. Today, it is utilised in almost 30 councils across Victoria, with planning permit applicants preparing a BESS report for their developments. BESS reports can also be generated by any member of the community to check the design of their properties and make them sustainable.

Many elements are checked by BESS to confirm if a property will be sustainable or not. These elements include water, energy, stormwater quality, indoor environment quality, waste, transport, urban ecology, and building management to support these elements. 

Primary Features of the BESS Assessment Tool

Tons of features are expected with the BESS assessment tool. First, it has been purposely built for the planning permit phase. It can also assess any size or type of building. BESS can likewise facilitate a consistent framework and assessment of sustainability right at the planning stage. BESS does not even advantage or disadvantage a development regardless of its location, making this tool flexible and versatile.

To know more about BESS, you can contact us at Empire Thermal Group.

Optimized by NetwizardSEO.com.au