In The Graduate category at the INDE.Awards, the breadth of ideas and abundance of talent is displayed in the diverse and inspiring projects we receive. These are original projects, submitted by graduates in the final fifth year of their architecture degree and they speak of every imaginable topic. Yet they all relate to people, place, sustainability and culture – in one form or another.

As the partner of The Graduate at the 2025 INDE.Awards, COLORBOND® steel supports and celebrates the next generation of architects from our Indo-Pacific region. The students who enter The Graduate category are set to become the arbiters of change – and we are all taking note.

BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks site in NSW, where the steel for COLORBOND® steel is manufactured, has achieved ResponsibleSteel™ site certification. As a global multi-stakeholder standard and certification program, ResponsibleSteel™ can give businesses and consumers in the steel value chain confidence that the steel they use has been sourced and produced responsibly.

BlueScope is committed to sustainability initiatives that extend beyond its operations to include the way materials are sourced, the businesses that it engages with and the support it provides to local communities. Circular economy principles are embraced throughout the product development stages including designing products for durability and resilience. Steel’s inherent properties allow it to be recycled, and, in some cases, it can even be reused without reprocessing.

BlueScope seeks to reduce the environmental impact of its products, including embodied carbon, in line with its decarbonisation commitments.

BlueScope is also committed to an ongoing program of collaboration, research and development to bring leading innovation to COLORBOND® steel products, including cool roofing solutions.

A ‘cool roof’ is made from materials designed to have high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, to help keep the roof surface temperature cooler in the sun. A roof surface that reflects sunlight and emits thermal infrared radiation stays cooler than a roof surface that absorbs sunlight and limits thermal infrared radiation. There are a wide range of factors that affect a cool roof and these include building type, design, location, insulation, how a building is used and the type and efficiency of heating and cooling systems.

Extrapolating the idea of ‘the cool roof’ is the concept of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) where vegetation has been replaced by non-reflective, high mass, water resistant and impervious surfaces – in other words our built environment. Cool roofs can potentially provide a range of benefits¹ that improve occupants’ thermal comfort and reduce costs associated with air conditioning equipment, running costs and extend the life of a roof system.

COLORBOND® steel cool roofing colours bring together a number of proprietary coatings and manufacturing technologies and can offer a higher level of thermal performance. The palette has been inspired by nature – from white to sand, light grey to muted green – there is a colour to suit every concept and design.

The architectural graduates of today are devising and aspiring to design projects requiring innovative products that are sensitive to people, place and climate. Helping the next generation to achieve this is imperative if we are to find the solutions to the challenges we all face today.

COLORBOND® steel is a proud supporter of The Graduate category at the 2025 INDE.Awards and extends congratulations to the talented emerging voices recognised in this year’s awards. Congratulations to Annabelle Smith, winner of The Graduate 2025 at the INDE.Awards, her work demonstrates a powerful fusion of cultural respect and environmental innovation, offering a compelling model for future living.

1. Actual cool roofing performance will depend on a wide range of factors including roof colour, roof shape, level and location of insulation, type, location, shape, and function of the building.

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