The evaluation of environmentally sustainable residential development using a building sustainability index

Green homes or eco-homes have been built in many countries and have played an important role in setting a benchmark in ecologically sensitive housing and guiding industry in the design and construction of sustainable houses. According to the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources a new dwelling is built every 14 minutes in New South Wales, Australia. This paper examines the introduction of an online tool the Building and Sustainability Index (BASIX) as mandatory to all residential developments in New South Wales. It is two and half years since the introduction of the index and yet no attempt has been made to ascertain its impact on the construction industry. An online survey was conducted to ascertain this impact and it was found that free access to the tool via internet was one of the main reasons for its success. It was also generally accepted that the tool has played a significant role in providing a general guideline for the sustainability performance of a proposed development. This paper discusses the results of the survey.