What is Design Advisory?
Our Design Advisory services focus on enhancing the sustainability and performance of your project to align with voluntary codes based on the latest Environmentally Sustainable Design practices. Our deep knowledge and expertise in ESD principles help to optimise your project, ensuring highly recognised sustainable certification.
Green Star Consulting
We provide informal Green Star consulting to help get your project on the right track for certification. We have several Green Star Accredited Professionals (GSAPs) in our team who can assist you in understanding the specific Green Star tool requirements for your project, including the associated fees for registering the project with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the fee for SUHO to formally manage the assessment process to certification.
Green Star Assessments
Our Green Star Accredited Professionals (GSAPs) formally assess developments for Green Star certification by guiding the project team through the certification process, ensuring sustainable practices are integrated into the design and construction. They provide advice in preparing, and assist with submitting documentation to demonstrate compliance with Green Star benchmarks, while also advising on strategies to maximise the project's rating through sustainable initiatives. Throughout each project, our GSAPs ensure adherence to Green Star standards, liaise with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), and address any feedback, playing key roles in securing the certification and enhancing each development’s sustainability credentials.
Strategies and Methodologies
SUHO continues to work with previous iterations of Green Star Certification tools, including the different versions of ‘Design and As-Built’. The most recent Green Star tool, Buildings v1, launched on October 29, 2020, provides a contemporary best practice sustainability framework for new and refurbished building projects.
In addition, SUHO now offers Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) services for Green Star ‘Interiors’ (Fitouts), supporting clients in delivering high-performance, healthy and sustainable interior environments. This tool focuses on the design and delivery of tenancies and internal fitouts, addressing key aspects such as indoor environment quality, responsible material selection, operational energy use and occupant wellbeing.
Green Star ‘Buildings’ is organised into eight sustainability categories: Responsible, Healthy, Resilient, Positive, Places, People, Nature, and Leadership. Similarly, Green Star Interiors aligns with these broader sustainability principles, tailored to the specific opportunities and constraints of fitout projects.
Each category comprises several credits which define clear outcomes that the project must achieve. Points are available under each credit, and projects are awarded certification once these outcomes are demonstrated through robust documentary evidence.
Green Star Low Commitment Consultation Service
At SUHO, we know that navigating Green Star certification can feel complex at the outset of a project. That’s why we’ve introduced our Low Commitment Consultation (LCC) Service — a simple, upfront way to understand how Green Star requirements can be applied to your development specifically, and how our team of GSAP-accredited consultants can guide you through the process. For a fixed, accessible fee, we’ll provide clear insights into your project’s opportunities, potential challenges, and compliance pathways, giving you confidence to make informed decisions before diving into the full certification journey. Our process-driven approach ensures you receive practical, tailored advice that sets your project up for a high-ranking Green Star outcome — with the added benefit of seeing how we work, and how we can best support you, from the very beginning.
For more detailed information click here.
For more detailed information click here.
NABERS Energy
NABERS Energy is a nationally recognised rating system that measures the energy efficiency and environmental impact of Australian buildings in operation. By assessing actual energy use over a 12-month period, NABERS Energy helps building owners and managers understand how efficiently their buildings are performing compared to similar properties. A higher NABERS rating not only demonstrates strong sustainability credentials but can also reduce operational costs, enhance asset value, and meet growing market and regulatory expectations. At SUHO, we provide end-to-end support for NABERS Energy certification. Our accredited assessors help clients navigate the process by collecting and validating utility data, ensuring rating accuracy, and identifying opportunities for performance improvements. Whether you're aiming to meet compliance requirements, attract environmentally conscious tenants, or boost your building’s marketability, SUHO delivers tailored expertise to help you unlock the full value of your NABERS Energy rating.
For more detailed information click here.
For more detailed information click here.
NABERS Water
NABERS Water is a performance-based rating tool that measures the water efficiency of buildings and tenancies across Australia. By tracking actual water usage over a 12-month period and comparing it to industry benchmarks, NABERS Water helps building owners and managers understand how effectively their buildings use water. A strong NABERS Water rating can lead to significant cost savings, support corporate sustainability goals, and demonstrate a commitment to responsible resource management in an increasingly water-conscious world. At SUHO, our team of NABERS-accredited assessors supports clients through every step of the NABERS Water certification process. We assist in gathering and verifying water consumption data, accurately defining building boundaries, and identifying potential areas for improvement. Our tailored advice can help you implement strategies that boost water efficiency and long-term performance. Whether you're aiming to enhance your building’s sustainability profile, comply with government or investor requirements, or simply reduce utility costs, SUHO offers expert guidance to help you maximise your NABERS Water rating and its benefits.
For more detailed information click here.
For more detailed information click here.
WELL
The WELL Building Standard is a globally recognised framework developed by the International WELL Building Institute, focused on placing human health and wellbeing at the centre of building design and operation. Supported by our in-house WELL Accredited Professionals (WELL APs), SUHO guides project teams through the certification process with a clear, performance-led approach. WELL evaluates projects across key areas including air quality, water, thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics, materials and mental wellbeing — all of which are increasingly associated with improved occupant health, satisfaction and productivity. By integrating WELL principles early and aligning them with broader ESD and Green Star objectives, SUHO helps deliver environments that not only meet rigorous sustainability benchmarks, but also enhance the everyday experience of the people who occupy them.
LEED (BD+C)
Recognised globally as a leading benchmark for sustainable building performance, LEED BD+C is a rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council to assess the environmental performance of new buildings and major refurbishments. SUHO provides strategic advisory and certification support aligned with LEED requirements from the outset, ensuring sustainability targets are clearly defined and effectively embedded within the project’s design, documentation and delivery processes. The LEED BD+C framework places strong emphasis on measurable outcomes across key categories such as energy performance, water efficiency, materials selection and site impacts, offering a structured, data-driven pathway to certification. Through this process, SUHO supports the delivery of buildings that meet internationally recognised standards while strengthening environmental performance, operational efficiency and long-term asset value.
Proven Results with SUHO
SUHO has successfully guided numerous projects through the Green Star certification process, ensuring an advanced understanding of the ESD credits required and advice on how to successfully achieve compliance. Our expertise in design advisory helps you deliver projects that meet the highest sustainability benchmarks.
Get in Touch
Maximise the sustainability of your project with SUHO’s expert design advisory services. Contact us today to learn how we can tailor our solutions to your needs.