Design lecturer wins excellence award

Charles Darwin University VET lecturer Sandra Howlin has won an excellence award from the NT chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction.

Ms Howlin said she was participating in the online award event via Zoom from her home verandah, when she was declared winner of the Achievement in Health and Safety and/or Environment prize.

The award is presented to an individual who has contributed to a construction project in a Health, Safety and/or Environment role and who has demonstrated innovation or best practice in their field.

“It is a wonderful honour to be acknowledged by industry professionals and to be part of a celebration that aspires to enhance the participation of women in the construction sector,” Ms Howlin said.

A lecturer in Certificate IV in Building, Design and Drafting for the past three years, she is an experienced building designer, project manager and an environmental sustainable design (ESD) consultant.

“One of my passions is sustainable design, an exciting and constantly evolving area within the construction industry; another passion is to spread the word, which I can do at CDU where I teach my students that energy efficiency design is so much more than good orientation and solar panels.

“It is something that should be integrated into a building right at the start, during the design phase,” she said.

As an ESD consultant, Ms Howlin worked on Darwin’s first and only 5 Star Green Star building, Jacana House.

“I draw comfort in that my work contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, helping to reduce the effects of climate change,” she said.