David Norman’s legacy celebrated in Towards Net Zero Competition

A co-founder of multidisciplinary engineering and sustainability consultancies, Norman Disney Young (now NDY), David Norman made an extraordinary contribution to engineering, sustainability and the development of future leaders.

In recognition of this, the Norman Family Foundation has generously donated a $10,000 first prize for AIRAH’s inaugural Towards Net Zero Competition for young professionals.

The competition reflects David’s lifelong belief that the future of our industry depends on encouraging bold thinking, practical innovation, and the next generation of professionals to tackle society’s greatest challenges, explains Dr Ashak Nathwani AM.

A former NDY Director who was with the company for 32 years, and author of the book Defeating Mr CO₂: Energy saving guide to achieving Net Zero, Dr Nathwani was mentored by David. He will be one of the judges of the competition on behalf of the Norman Family Foundation.

From humble beginnings on a sheep station in Western Australia, David developed the practical problem-solving skills and determination that defined his remarkable career.

Long before sustainability became a mainstream priority, he championed energy-efficient buildings by setting up a specialist Energy & Plant Management (EPM) division within NDY back in 1974.

EPM and subsequent iterations of this division, including M-Plus, represented great foresight, Dr Nathwani says.

“The built environment is responsible for 35-40% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and  the building services contribute around 80-85% of that where there is use of fossil-fuelled energies.

“The energy saving principles that were developed (by David) are applicable even now to achieve Net Zero for buildings, including all places of worship like Churches, Mosques, Jamatkhanas, Synagogues, temples and the like, offices, schools, universities, medical facilities, data centres, homes, etc,.

“David Norman leaves a legacy measured not only by the buildings and HVAC systems he helped create, but by the generations of professionals he inspired and the enduring pursuit of excellence.”

• Find out more about the competition and how to enter here

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