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 ...

The Australian Greenhouse Offices in Canberra aimed to set new environmental standards, by halving the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of a standard building, achieving a better than 5-Star rating when assessed against the Australian ...

An integrated building design approach which considers a building’s orientation, layout, form and materials with respect to climatic conditions to maintain thermal comfort and reduce operational energy requirements. Includes passive design and ...

This note, originally published in November 1998, was reviewed by Nigel Bell in September 2004. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. Lead is a health hazard. A useful material for thousands of years is now ...

This glossary has been reviewed and updated by the Environment Advisory Group for the 2021 edition, with the assistance and input of numerous members and external contributors. The definitions relate to built environment sustainability and are ...

Issue 03 July 2024 Read time: 20 minutes Abstract The disassembly of buildings to recover materials and components for future reuse is not widely practiced in modern construction. This note covers a range of themes and offers a set of principles or ...

Issue 02 June 2024 Read time: 17 minutes This note replaces the June 2020 edition.  Abstract There is an urgent need to address the pressing social and environmental challenges facing architectural practice in the 21st century. These challenges – ...

Issue 04 September 2024  Read time: 34 minutes Abstract The buildings that we design, build and occupy can be evaluated and benchmarked with regard to sustainable design, construction and performance outcomes. This sustainable building rating ...

Indoor environment quality (IEQ) considers the overall comfort of a building’s interior and the comfort and health of its occupants. Many factors may contribute to indoor environmental quality, including use of daylighting, passive design and ...

Building design and the selection of materials, appliances, equipment and technologies can all contribute to the minimisation of both operational and embodied energy, while contributing positively to a building’s rating and performance. Read more - ...