A building project from the University of Wollongong (UOW) has won the Built Environment Award and the best of the best Regional Sustainability Award across all award categories with the Desert Rose House at the Green Globe Awards.

Located in the Middle East for the Solar Decathlon competition, the Desert Rose House is the first net-zero energy home designed to meet the needs of ageing and those Australians living with dementia.

The Desert Rose generates more electricity than it uses, minimised water consumption and features passive HVAC properties.

“Being awarded the Green Globe Award 2019 for Sustainability in the Built Environment recognises how, through the Desert Rose House project, UOW is training the next generation to the highest standards of sustainability,” Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering head of school Tim McCarthy says when accepting the award on behalf of the team.

“Receiving the Regional Sustainability Green Globe award across all categories demonstrates the breadth of Team UOW’s approach to designing and building a net zero energy house with social purpose – catering for our aging population and especially people living with dementia.

“These awards are a great fillip for UOW as we accept our first enrolments in the Bachelor of Architectural Engineering in 2020.”

The Desert Rose House beat out Lendlease’s Barangaroo South, Australia’s first carbon-neutral precinct located in Sydney and Wollongong City Council, the oldest building with a Green Star rating among other builds.