BVN Stories, Events — July 26, 2024
Brisbane Product Aware launch brings us closer to responsible sourcing
This month, we hosted the Brisbane launch event for Product Aware – an initiative of the Materials Working Group from Australian Architects Declare (AAD). The event was part of a roll out that has seen similar events hosted in Sydney, Melbourne and online across June and July 2024.
Each launch event featured a demonstration of the Product Aware platform followed by a panel discussion between members of contributing practices: Bates Smart, BVN, Cox, and Susty Spec.
Panelists L-R: Adrian Taylor (BVN), Isabella Peppard (Architects Declare), Valerie Saavedra Lux (BVN), Lucy Sutton (Bates Smart), Clare Kennedy (Five Mile Radius).
For the concluding session in our Brisbane Studio, panellists included our very own Valerie Saavedra Lux and Adrian Taylor, Lucy Sutton of Bates Smart, Isabella Peppard of Susty Spec along with moderator Clare Kennedy from Five Mile Radius. We had a full house for the event, equally split between designers and suppliers, including representation from Suppliers Declare.
Australian Architects Declare (AAD) is part of an international network of architectural practices committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. AAD provides support to its signatories, through events, sharing sustainable practices and coordinated response to issues.
For context, there are approximately 1200 Australian signatories to the Architects Declare movement and the main idea is to mobilise collective knowledge and action rather than continue individual efforts to fight the climate crisis.
Product Aware is a new digital platform dedicated to improving transparency and accountability in sustainable product sourcing. The independent, open-source, not-for-profit service is free to use and comprises a databank of information collected so that architects and designers can compare and specify more sustainable materials and products.
This initiative promotes industry-wide collaboration.
Product Aware is one very good example how we can break down silos. Companies that would normally compete against each other are coming together to create a positive impact.
Valerie Saavedra Lux, Regenerative Practice Lead - BVN.
Valerie Saavedra Lux, Regenerative Practice Lead - BVN
While similar platforms had been created independently of Architects Declare in the US and Europe, no suitable platform existed in Australia. Valerie identified that in the context of AAD: “There have been a lot of initiatives and advocacy work in this space, but in terms of a tangible platform, I think Product Aware is the first one…”
A key part of Product Aware is a universal questionnaire that architects, designers and suppliers to use when enquiring about sustainability credentials, and performance specifications, manufacturing details and supply chain transparency.
Before Product Aware, each firm was inventing their own methods and priorities without any alignment. Lucy Sutton mentioned that ‘the biggest benefit is consistency and knowing what questions to ask [suppliers], what's important from a sustainability perspective?’.
“We realised that we were all independently trying to muddle through and work out what matters to architects and designers.” Lucy reflected.
Through the collective efforts of AAD, there is now a clear set of metrics, guidelines and framework around what's important., which can be beneficial when engaging multiple suppliers as ’you can actually compare the answers that you get back’ via the platform.
Product Aware has a huge potential for time saving for suppliers because rather than engaging with lots of different architects and designers [separately]…everyone's using the same questions and uploading to the same place. Making that information accessible to the rest of the industry is going to make the process more streamlined for everyone.
Lucy Sutton, Interior Designer - Bates Smart.
Specifiers can use Product Aware as a tool at every design stage to filter products by their environmental and social credentials to ensure ‘that your design is aligning with your intent’.
In terms of application, Clare asked how the platform can be used to have better conversations with suppliers?
Isabella Peppard responded: “It's a real time saver to just have this on your desktop all day on your browser, just have it open.”
She also stated specifiers can ’refer back to that performance criteria’ in the construction phase to ensure products specified for their sustainability credentials are not substituted for inferior products.
Lucy contributed: “We're not just relying on it as a database... It is an interaction piece between suppliers and architects to ask educated questions.”
Clare noted that smaller suppliers can get discouraged when lacking credentials such as modern slavery statements and life cycle assessment, however ‘there isn’t a pressure to know everything, it really is actually about starting that conversation’.
Valerie agreed: “It's not really about being perfect. It's just about getting started…You can create your own pathway: OK, what do we want to focus on first and what will we tackle next?” It's providing both supplier and designer the key questions. In an ideal world you would answer all of them, in the absence of that information “you can prioritise what to do first.”
Lowering the activation energy to make an informed choice is a primary goal…People are copying schedules from project to project, using the same supplier as always. Using ProductAware is just scrutinising our base position. Do we know the performance of those we always use? Can we have a bit more information before we start dialling their numbers?
Adrian Taylor, Regenerative Practive Coordinator - BVN.
Adrian Taylor - Regenerative Practice Coordinator
Lucy informed the audience that the ACCC is also cracking down on greenwashing, taking misinformation seriously.
Throughout the development of Product Aware, the key members of AAD have shared their findings.
“We've been talking about this across practises to understand what our insights are, what are the better products that we found, what are the common pitfalls?” said Adrian.
On the issue of potential greenwashing, he responded: “As we become more familiar with these kinds of questions, we'll know which are the fake answers, and hopefully can share our insights as well.”
An audience member enquired as to the intended funding arrangement and who is supporting Product Aware ‘so it doesn’t in the future either wither away or become a pay for play?’
Isabella reassured that: ‘Product Aware is entirely pro bono, 100%. We've been relying on a lot of pro bono support from people coming on board since the launch’.
“We are looking for donations and funding support to sustain this ongoing, but we are committed to keeping it free” Isabella summarised.
Adrian states that from the beginning, “it's been an ambition for the larger firms to take the brunt, so that all the small firms who don't have dedicated sustainability people [such as ourselves] can gain the benefit from it, both on the designer and the product manufacturer side.”
Adrian mentioned that while the platform would evolve based on user feedback and engagement, ‘funding needs to come first’.
“Maintain it as a ‘good enough’ starting point, and then look to improve it with the support of other firms that are willing to put in some time and some money.”
Proactive firms are already running pilot programs to encourage take up. Isabella mentioned that in Sydney, Architectus has told their suppliers that if their products are not on Product Aware by January 2025, they won't be specified. Smaller studios, interior design studios and architecture practices are also doing the same in bulk, by messaging out to their supply chains.
“The real key is adoption,” Lucy reminded the audience, “We’re really at the awareness stage of going ‘Guys, go use it. Try it out on your projects. Road test it and give us the feedback.' Get involved, please! ... Then we'll work it out from there.”
Clare prompted Isabella to reflect on the journey so far.
It’s been great collaborating; it’s been an amazing process. We want everyone to be engaged and involved on this and get on board. [Product Aware] is for everyone, and it also depends on all of us using it. So please do implement it as part of your workflow personally and advocate for it as much as you can... even if you don't know that much about sustainability so far. Reach out and educate yourself because the time is now.
Isabella Peppard, Susty Spec.
BVN is proud to have been a part of the Product Aware initiative since its inception, and the Materials Working Group extends thanks to all those involved including contributors from each participating firm, industry experts, proactive suppliers and facilitators who have collectively spearheaded this industry-wide conversation.
Product Aware is free to use, and access, but requires understanding and participation to increase positive impact.
Please reach out via info@productaware.au for inquiries, or to lend your support.
For more, see the Product Aware website.
