A STRONG environmental conscience has earned WA builder Dale Alcock Homes national recognition at the Housing Industry Association’s inaugural GreenSmart Awards.
Dale Alcock Homes design manager Max Pirone won the GreenSmart Professional of the Year for advances in passive solar design and building waste recycling trials.
GreenSmart is part of the Partnership Advancing The Housing Environment program, which aims to educate and encourage builders to improve housing energy efficiency, minimise waste in the construction process and improve overall environmental management in the building sector.
In the past year Mr Pirone has worked to not only develop passive solar designs that increase energy efficiency in the home, he also has trained sales and consulting staff to speak to customers about the benefits of such designs.
“The idea is to educate our staff, who will then help to educate the general public about the things we can do to make their houses more energy efficient,” Mr Pirone said.
The homebuilder also is the first in the State to undertake building waste recycling trials.
The trials are being held at more than 60 home building sites in the Cockburn area and involve the recycling of solid building wastes such as roof tiles, bricks and concrete.
“The waste is segregated so it can be easily crushed … then it is used as road base under driveways and paths,” Mr Pirone said.
According to company managing director Dale Alcock, the trial has prevented 1,170 tonnes of waste from going to landfill.
And though the practice is not yet entirely cost-effective, Mr Pirone believes it is the way of the future for the industry.
“We need to be more environmentally conscious. This kind of recycling is going to have to be done by all builders in the future,” he said.
