This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. This note deals with architectural issues associated with photovoltaic (PV) power systems integrated into building design. It follows on from EDG note TEC 4, ‘Photovoltaic Cells – ...

Building T at Deakin University, Burwood in Victoria was designed by DesignInc.  The development, located in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, utilises thermal mass and hybrid ventilation systems.  This case study provides a detailed evaluation of the ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency by the author in December 2018.  Thermal mass can be effectively employed in buildings to increase occupants' thermal comfort conditions. This paper seeks to clarify the ways in which this can be ...

This note, originally published in August 2000, was reviewed by Dr Graham Treloar in June 2005. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. This Note considers the embodied energy of building materials in the context of ...

Read time: 25 minutes The residential building sector is a significant contributor to carbon footprint and climate change. This is primarily due to operational energy consumption derived from fossil fuels, and the impact of embodied carbon in ...

Adapting building designs for climate change is about managing the unavoidable. While there is debate around what level of adaptation is needed, there is growing awareness that design practices need to take into account predictions of increased risk ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. This note introduces readers to some of the current environmental analysis tools available within Building Information Modelling (BIM) software packages. It highlights some of the ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in September 2018.  This note deals with the methods and tools for assessing the environmental performance of a building design in the early design phase of a building project. It describes building ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in August 2018. This note discusses approaches to sustainable design in remote, rural and regional areas. Based on the author's experiences in the Top End, it recommends approaches to managing a project ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. To perform well, buildings require not only good design and construction but also good operation – and designers cannot dismiss operation as solely the responsibility of occupants.