2026 may well go down as a defining year in the evolution of sustainable Australian interiors. On March 18, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) officially launched its highly anticipated Green Star Fitouts framework, shifting the focus beyond the structural elements of the built environment, towards an environmental rubric that provides project teams with a clear, practical pathway to deliver lower-carbon, lower-waste and healthier interior spaces.

“What happens in the building is just as important as the building itself,” says Jorge Chapa, Chief Impact Officer at GBCA. Considering that the life of a building averages 75 to 100 years for a new build and commercial leases last around five to seven years, an interior is likely to have around 10 to 15 fitouts. “We just can’t keep thinking of fitouts the same way we’ve been thinking about them for a long time. We have to really redefine what a good fitout looks like.”

The new fitout tool does precisely that, helping to establish what world-leading practice looks like. “This rating tool gives you a really clear framework to identify sustainability priorities,” Tarryn Cornell, Senior Manager Strategy and Development at GBCA, explains, “which is important because the speed, pace and budget constraints of fitouts often mean sustainability is left off to the side.”

But achieving these ambitious, certified outcomes requires more than visionary design — it actually comes down to rigorous, data-backed product specification. And as the architecture and design community adapts to this newly launched framework, one of the industry’s most trusted manufacturers is celebrating a timely milestone of its own.

The Quadra milestone and the RPV uplift

Coinciding perfectly with the arrival of Green Star Fitouts, Billi’s premium, under-bench water filtration and dispensing system — the Quadra, widely recognised as the best choice for Green Star offices — celebrates its 20th anniversary. Yet, rather than simply resting on two decades of success, the Quadra and Quadra Plus ranges have welcomed this new era with a crucial step up.

In December 2025, GBCA introduced an update that increased the Responsible Product Value (RPV) allocation for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) under the Responsible Products Framework across the Green Star rating tools from five to seven. “The GBCA’s uplift of the RPV for EPDs is a powerful recognition of the essential role that verified, science-based product transparency plays in delivering low-carbon and environmentally responsible built environments,” notes Dr Nana Bortsie-Aryee, Program Director of Global GreenTag International.

This updated EPD-related number — combined with the 12 points secured through Billi’s Global GreenTag LCARate Gold Version 4.0 certification — means the Quadra and Quadra Plus ranges have seen their RPV score increase to an impressive 19, helping projects pursue the coveted Exceptional Performance tier.

By design, not by accident

And while the arrival of the new framework and Quadra’s increased RPV value might seem serendipitous, it is, in fact, a direct outcome of Billi’s deliberate efforts to support the architecture and design community through complex certifications by eliminating specification friction before it even occurs.

“Over the last year, Billi has invested heavily in pre-emptive solutions after conducting extensive surveys with architects to understand their primary pain points,” explains Christy Minutoli, Billi Marketing Manager ANZ. “Steps have already been taken to make specifying Billi as painless as possible, just in time for the official launch of Green Star Fitouts. This readiness is by no accident — it’s by design.”

This proactive stance is a direct response to a rapidly maturing industry. As Christy points out, one of the most common hurdles design teams face is the gap between marketing claims and verifiable data. “A common misconception is that all ‘eco-friendly’ products are automatically compatible with high-level certifications,” she notes. “In reality, frameworks like Green Star require documented, third-party verified pathways — like EPDs or GreenTag certifications — which Billi proactively maintains.”

Last year Billi published a robust article outlining precisely how architects, designers and specifiers can leverage the Quadra and Quadra Plus system to achieve specific goals within the applicable categories of the Green Star Buildings tool, and now their impressive RPV can be leveraged in the same way to pursue sustainable fitout ambitions in the new tool.

“Our systems contribute primarily within the Materials, Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), and Energy categories,” explains Danish Nomani, Billi Compliance Manager. “This includes credits for volatile organic compound (VOC) reduction, energy efficiency in water heating/cooling and responsible supply chain management.”

Curated compliance, embedded data and zero friction

Now, as any designer or specifier knows all too well, navigating voluntary benchmarks such as Green Star, the WELL Building Standard, LEED and the Living Building Challenge can bury design teams in exhaustive reports and administration. Thinking one step ahead of the game again, Billi has completely overhauled its technical support to ensure architects get exactly what they need — and nothing they don’t.

“We are currently curating Compliance Documentation Packages using AI tools, that will be tailored to ensure specifiers receive only the relevant technical data required for their credit claims,” explains Almedina Cordic, Billi Technical Compliance Manager. “To make things even simpler, we now embed this crucial sustainability data directly into our BIM file library, alongside a complete overhaul of technical document drawings to support space-saving product development and the recertification of our filter testing to stricter international standards.”

She adds that a range of Billi’s systems are WaterMark-licensed, WELS-rated for water efficiency and comply with the strict AS/NZS 4020 and AS1428 accessibility design requirements — a standard practically realised in their new XT-Motion dual-controls tap, which features DDA/Disability-accessible motion controls. Our range of filters are also tested to NSF/ANSI standards, including Standard 42 for chlorine, taste and odour reduction, and Standard 53 for health-related contaminant removal.

Practising what they preach

Billi’s commitment to streamlined and verifiable sustainability extends even further — the company backs its product claims with robust corporate action. The company recently renewed its cornerstone membership with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) — a relationship maintained since 2019 — and achieved certification under the strict ‘Works With WELL’ program in 2024.

Billi also cemented its commitment to circularity by joining the APCO sustainable packaging commitment — and, as an additional feather in an already feather-laden sustainability cap, this year the company is celebrating its first year operating out of its own Green Star Certified HQ factory building.

Why early engagement is critical

While Billi has streamlined the tools necessary to achieve high-tier ratings, the strategy of when to specify is just as vital as what to specify — and to fully leverage those 19 RPV credits and maximise a project’s certification potential, the timing, Royce Tan, Billi Brand & Content Coordinator says, is everything.

“It’s best to engage us at the concept or schematic design stage,” he says, pointing to a recent major project, where this early support allowed design teams to accurately forecast energy loads and material health right from the outset. “Early alignment ensures system specifications perfectly match the project’s certification goals, so we can eliminate any costly, disruptive product substitutions later in the construction process.”

A proactive partnership

Delivering a sustainable, highly-rated fitout doesn’t have to mean drowning in compliance paperwork. And by partnering with manufacturers like Billi, who proactively maintain rigorous, scientifically verified pathways and help streamline the process, architects and designers can focus on what they do best: creating exceptional, forward-thinking interiors. Because a good fit — and a good fitout — is rarely incidental; it’s always by design.