26 Mar 2026
Cost pressures, delivery challenges and global uncertainty sat just below the surface of TRANSFORM 2026. Yet across the three days there were also signs of something else: tipping points beginning to turn.
Here are ten you might have missed.
1. From vision to values
“There is no stepping back from sustainability,” said Buildcorp Principal Josephine Sukkar AM, even with construction “the trickiest it’s ever been.” For GBCA Chair Anthony Boyd, sustainability is no longer a vision, but a core value. “Once you set these principles, there are things you’ll never compromise on.”
2. From place to relationship
Country-centred thinking reframes design at its foundations. “We don’t build on Country. We design for, with and of Country,” said First Nations architect, Dr Jefa Greenaway. Country is not the setting, but the starting point.
3. From cost to value
Backed by global retailer Auchan, real estate platform Nhood is regenerating retail destinations. ESG lead Christian Lema shared some striking numbers: 25% more vegetation delivers 20% higher footfall. “The more footfall you have, the more value you create.”
4. From signal to scale
AWS – the world’s largest buyer and builder of digital infrastructure – is using its procurement power to send a strong demand signal for low-carbon materials. Principal Sustainability Engineer Tim Bush said AWS is reshaping supply chains in a “durable, deep way” and giving suppliers the confidence to invest. (Read more about the GBCA’s new partnership with Data Centres Australia.)
5. From optional to essential
Sustainability is the price of entry in emerging sectors like Build-to-Rent, where Mirvac’s Angela Buckley described Green Star as “our ticket to play”. More than a third of Australia’s current pipeline is Green Star registered. (Download the GBCA’s BtR report, Keys to Change.)
6. From compromise to capability
“Better, faster and more affordable,” is how Freecity’s Steven Mann described modular construction. Sustainability is no longer a competing priority but part of how we deliver on cost, speed and housing supply.
7. From siloed to shared
“Lean into the conversation on climate and health. You’ve got the entire health sector on your side… You are pushing on an open door,” said Dr Bronwyn King AO. Her key message? Sustainability is a shared agenda across sectors.
8. From demolition to defit
Materials are becoming assets, not waste. “If we talk about defit rather than demolition, it implies care,” said Built’s Clare Gallagher. It’s a small shift in language with big implications. (Learn more about the new Green Star Fitouts rating tool, launched at TRANSFORM 2026.)
9. From extractive to ecological
“We currently only value nature when it’s dead,” said Marco Lambertini, Convener of the Nature Positive Initiative. The provocation is clear: our economies reward extraction. The opportunity? To value nature while it is still alive. (The Nature Positive Roadmap, launched at TRANSFORM 2026, is a good place to start.)
10. From information to insight
“Make judgement your number one attribute,” urged First Nations leader and technologist Brad Twynham. “In the age of AI, judgement must become the mantra of leadership. When intelligence becomes infrastructure… judgment becomes your competitive advantage.” Insight lies in how we decide, not just what we know.
If you joined us at TRANSFORM 2026, tell us what resonated and what we could do differently next time. Email us, and get ready for TRANSFORM 2027!