This paper explores the evidence that another factor to be considered in Sick Building Syndrome and Indoor Environment Quality is exposure to prolonged and excessive electromagnetic fields (EMFs).  Enough evidence now exists to justify taking a ...

Innovation in ventilation systems is becoming an increasingly popular and targeted topic of architectural discourse. Architects, consultants and contractors are introducing new products and proposing new systems, subject to client requests for an ...

The CSIRO's Energy Centre at Newcastle has many innovative energy saving and renewable energy generation systems.  The Centre explores new methods of using a mix of natural ventilation and low-energy air conditioning to provide comfortable ...

This note includes descriptions of the different systems used for the on-site treatment and disposal/reuse of domestic wastewaters from residential developments in non-sewered areas in Australia. It also examines greywater treatment and reuse, which ...

This note follows on from the note: The environmental impact of building materials. It outlines Australian and international responses to materials sustainability, reviews what a sustainable material is, and the role of design. It reviews recent ...

Read time: 16 minutes T he Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Peter Coaldrake Education Precinct, designed by Wilson Architects and Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects, is a dedicated teaching and learning facility for the Faculty of ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. Tougher economic times have led to an increasing scrutiny of sustainability initiatives. Despite this, the environmental imperatives for action are not diminishing, which means that ...

Read time: 20 minutes Decades of advocacy to achieve progress toward sustainable outcomes have highlighted an urgent need to reframe our relationships with the natural world and with one another. Humans exist within a reciprocal dynamic with one ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. In the Australian subtropics, high rainfall, warm weather and humidity present unique challenges and opportunities for the architects tasked with designing eco-sensitive projects. The ...

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world with many architectural and engineering benefits, but also with a high capacity to improve its environmental performance. The environmental measures that can be taken also improve the ...